When you engage in marketing online, you give consumers many opportunities to see and engage with your brand. Their next step, if they are interested, will be to click through your ad to your website.
The page they end up on is called the landing page, and it has one job: Encourage conversions.
The way you design that page will either help it do this all-important job or send potential customers running. In order to create a landing page that converts, try these design tips.
Match the landing page design with your ad design.
Consumers do not trust easily and are often on the alert for scams and fraud when shopping. One way to earn their trust when they click on an ad is to make sure the landing page design matches the design of the ad.
The consumer will instantly pick up on the design of the landing page. If it matches what they read and saw in your ad, they will be comfortable enough to continue engaging. If it differs, they may very well head right back where they came from.
In order to mesh your ad design and landing page design, match these elements between the two:
- Colors
- Language
- Offers
- Discounts/Promotions
- Images
Minimize clutter on your landing page.
When you are marketing online, you want consumers to focus on (1 Your message and (2 Their next steps. This focus is particularly important on your landing page. Your landing page only succeeds if the consumer continues on to take specific actions (i.e. Filling out a form, making a purchase, etc.).
Help consumers focus on these tasks by minimizing clutter on your landing page. Simplifying your page means removing anything that does not contribute to the overall message of your page.
For example, remove your header and footer. Limit images to one or two compelling graphics. Create concise text in short paragraphs. When consumers have less irrelevant “clutter” to sift through, they can more quickly understand and act upon the main message of your landing page.
Use color to direct people's attention.
The color you use on your landing page can have a big impact on how people interact with your page. Use color wisely to direct consumers' attention where it should go.
In particular, consider using contrasting colors on the elements of your page that the consumer most urgently needs to read (i.e. deals, calls to action). By making these elements stand out with the contrasting color, you make them more visible, and more appealing, which means consumers are more likely to pay attention to them.
Design a visible call to action.
Perhaps the most important element on your page is the call to action (CTA). This button tells the consumer what to do next. It represents the conversion you want the consumer to carry out.
That button needs to be front and center and very visible on your landing page. To make it stand out, consider strategies like the following:
- Centering the CTA
- Using a contrasting color on the CTA
- Making the CTA button larger than the elements around it.
- Using clear, concies, action-oriented language
A visible, and compelling, CTA will attract consumers' attention and, hopefully, encourage them to act in the ways you desire.
Include compelling images.
Minimizing distractions on your landing page when you are marketing online includes limiting your graphics to just one or two on the page. However, the ones you do include should be compelling.
These graphics should immediately catch the eye of the consumer and communicate your central message to them. In order to put your images to good use, try to select images that have the following characteristics:
- Beautiful
- Professional
- High Resolution
- Action-Based
- Include People
- Relevant to Landing Page Message
- Eye-Catching
- Unique (Avoid stock photos.)
Incorporate white space.
The specific design of your landing page will depend upon factors such as your brand, your goals, and your consumer. However, one thing that all landing pages need is white space. White space is any empty space on your page, any space not occupied by images, videos, graphics, or text. It may be tempting to fill every conceivable space with your messaging. However, consumers respond better to pages that embrace ample white space.
White space gives your page a simpler, more focused look. It also makes it easier for consumers to understand your landing page and find the elements that are most important. Use white space to make sure that your messaging stands out and that your page looks beautiful and professional to consumers.
Consider adding videos.
Videos may seem a bit unnecessary. Can't you communicate your message with text? Taking the time to create and post a video when you are also busy marketing online in other ways may seem like a waste of your time. The reality, however, is that videos are unique and compelling, exactly the kind of content you want on your landing pages.
For example, videos, when used in marketing campaigns, lead to a 34 percent increase in the conversion rate of the campaign. People respond to videos because videos capture their attention and help them to remember your marketing more easily, and for longer.
Adding a video to your landing page can be the perfect way to engage consumers and help them to remember your brand and your products even after they leave your website.
Highlight deals on your landing page.
Finally, your landing page design should emphasize the deals that you are making available to your consumers.
For example, say your ad, when marketing online, promises a 20 percent discount on certain items. When consumers click on that ad, they should find a landing page that promotes that 20 percent discount immediately. Then, it should offer a link to the items that are eligible for the discount. Making these deals highly visible will ensure that consumers see and avail themselves of those discounts.
Landing pages can be powerful tools when you are marketing online. You simply need to design them correctly. From matching the landing page with your ad design to minimizing clutter, incorporating white space, creating visible calls to action, adding videos, and promoting your deals, the right design can attract, and keep, customers.
If you need help creating the perfect web design, reach out to Distinct Web Design. We can help you craft a comprehensive digital marketing campaign that can include powerful, and effective, landing pages.
