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How to Make a Landing Page Convert

Conversions can mean many different things. A conversion might be the sale of a product, or it might be a signup for your newsletter. Someone filling out a contact form, calling you for an estimate or scheduling an appointment are also examples of conversions. But, no matter what conversions mean to you, they’re the one goal of any landing page.

There are all kinds of different landing pages out there, but they’re all built for one purpose and one purpose only — to convert. If your landing page isn’t converting, then it isn’t effective. Luckily, there are a lot of things you can do to make your landing page more effective.

10 tips to make a landing page convert

#1. Use authentic images of smiling people

It’s a mistake to leave people out of the images on your website. Even if you have an e-commerce store, images on your site should be of people using your products rather than just the products themselves. And, even better, use images of people smiling.

It’s also a mistake to use cheesy-looking stock photos. Don’t get me wrong, stock photos are great, and sometimes, they’ll be your best option, but it’s important to make sure that they look and feel authentic.

#2. Make sure your images add value

From a design perspective, images are an incredibly important aspect of your website. But, that doesn’t mean that all images are created equal, or that you can add images willy nilly to your website without consequences.

Any images on your website should be relevant to your product or service. Don’t be tempted to use an image of the ocean or the mountains unless they are relevant to what you have to offer. These kinds of images do nothing for the user experience, and if they aren’t optimized properly, there’s a real danger that they will slow down your website.

#3. Highlight customer testimonials

Every business claims to offer the best products and services, and unfortunately, not everything all businesses say can be trusted. No one understands this quite like consumers do, which is why the vast majority of them like to read testimonials before making a purchase or deciding to work with a local business.

It’s a lot more powerful if your customers say you’re the best than if you do. Showcase customer ratings, review site logos and ratings, case studies, etc. to show your visitors how happy your customers are with your service or product.

#4. Make the path to conversion as simple as possible

The fewer roadblocks in someone’s way, the more likely they are to actually convert. Reduce the number of form fields you require to only what’s absolutely necessary. Studies have found that, when your form fields start topping 10, your conversions start to drop off heavily. Ideally, you should limit your form fields to a maximum of five. This is a balance, though, and it’s important to get it right, because fewer fields make for less qualified leads. If you require more than five fields, consider auto-filling as much as possible.

#5. Make your call to action count

Your call to action (CTA) is one of the most critical aspects of a landing page from a conversion standpoint. Take the time to come up with a good CTA, one that tells them exactly what they will get and exactly what they need to do to get it. Put yourself in the mind of the consumer, and ask yourself what you’d want in their shoes.

Your CTA can make a huge difference in the conversion rate of a landing page, so it doesn’t hurt to take a few extra steps to ensure you’ve got the right one. Do this by a/b testing your CTAs to determine which option will work best for your goals.

#6. Use video!

Video is exceptionally powerful these days, and the great part about it is that it works on social media, in ads, and, of course, on your landing page.

A lot of small business owners believe that creating videos for their business means having to hire an expensive production company, but you should know that you don’t have to be Martin Scorsese to create effective videos for your business. Even raw footage of you giving a basic explanation of who you are and what you offer can help to increase the conversion rate on a landing page.

#7. Bring visitors back with retargeting ads

Did you know that visitors that have been retargeted are 43 percent more likely to convert than visitors who haven’t? The fact is that retargeting ads work, and it’s always a good idea to create your own retargeting audiences for your landing pages. Make sure that you regularly filter out people who have already converted from your retargeting audience lists.

#8. Match the copy on your ad to your landing page

By making sure that the headline and copy on your landing page matches that of your ad, the bounce rate of your landing page will be lower and you’ll ensure that your copy is extremely relevant. If your website has the functionality, use dynamic content so that you can change your headline automatically in real-time depending on the ad your users are coming from! Countless studies show that, when the ad copy exactly matches the headline, conversions skyrocket.

#9. Beat out the competition

The competition is fierce online, and chances are, there are quite a few businesses out there that offer similar products or services to yours. And while you may not be able to drastically undercut them on price, you can, at the very least, ensure that you have the best landing page.

Compare your landing page to your competitors’ landing pages. If it’s not abundantly clear that yours is better, keep working on it.

#10. Make sure it looks great on mobile

These days, more people are shopping and looking for local businesses on their smartphones and other mobile devices more than ever. In fact, you’ll find that the vast majority of traffic comes from mobile searches. That’s why it’s vitally important that your landing page looks great and performs great on mobile.

Start designing a landing page that converts today!

Originally published on 3/27/20