There are some common mistakes and a few best practices and improvements we’ve seen work again and again for better conversion rates from landing pages. And never fear! They aren’t anything you – as a marketer – don’t already know. It’s a matter of putting together the pieces of a targeted campaign from start to finish to build a cohesive experience that results in conversion.
Cohesify
[no cohesify is not a real word, but yes it should be!]
Whether you are using Google Ads, sending an email or posting on LinkedIn, once a user clicks through, they have expectations of where they will land. Whatever message or promise you start with should continue on your landing page. After all, what’s the point of getting a click if you are sending users to a dead end?
Mistake:
Your landing page doesn’t match your ad copy or email. You told your audience one thing and then sent them to a landing page that doesn’t speak to whatever CTA they just clicked on. The visitor feels confused/annoyed/impatient – they will bounce and move on with their day.
Solution:
If you are already getting clicks – congratulations – that’s a huge hurdle already. Now, you must ensure that whatever you promised in your ad (or email or listing) is being delivered. Go back and look at your target audience and messaging. Now carry through on whatever it was you used as your hook – whether that was a free trial or a downloadable asset – providing what you said you would and adding to that gives your users more reason to trust you enough to share their contact information with you.
Check Your Page Layout
As with any page on your brand’s website, a balanced approach is a requirement; inform, but don’t overwhelm. This is especially true for a landing page which is purpose-built for targeted conversions. For instance, it’s common to see the top navigation stripped out for a cleaner, more streamlined user experience leaving as little as possible to compete with the primary CTA of that page.
Mistake:
When marketers don’t set up their landing pages to suit the purpose of conversions for a targeted audience, users can get lost in too much content, too many off-ramps or well-meaning but competitive secondary CTAs. More often I see too much (and/or disorganized) information on a landing page, not a lack of it. By focusing on the primary message, proof, outcomes and CTA you can keep your visitors focused as well.
Solution:
For the sake of an easy layout that can be tweaked, I’ll give a generic example here that you can use as your starting point.
The top nav as it appears on your website should be stripped out to avoid distraction and “oh, look a squirrel” moments (when what we really want are form fills and conversions).
The top section can be thought of as a left side and right side with the left side being short, to the point – even containing bullet points – and reiterating the message that users clicked on to get to the page with more added detail. The right side would be a form with your CTA that also matches the ad or email the user clicked on to get to the page.
Beneath that, add social proof – a single line of client logos, a testimonial or show off your high rankings on a trusted review site.
If a user is still scrolling, assume they may need some further related detail (be solution-focused here) and end with a CTA button that brings the user back to the form at the top.
Now you’ve created a singularly-focused page.
Make the Ask
The more specific the audience or persona you are talking to, the more specific your call-to-action should be. On your website you should offer different calls to action to capture users at various points in the sales funnel, from those just starting to research solutions to their problems, to those who need pricing, to those who are ready to try your product. A landing page however should be focused on one ask.
Mistake:
I have had clients ask why their landing pages are not converting only to find landing pages that either don’t have a CTA or have a buried button down at the bottom of the page. Don’t assume that if they are interested they will find a way to let you know – make converting as seamless and easy as possible for your users.
Solution:
Putting a form on the page is a best practice and makes sense because this is a landing page connected to a specific campaign. Be clear, concise and direct with your CTA. Whether it’s download now or sign up to start your free trial – make your value prop clear and connect it with your call-to-action.
Give more than one opportunity – as stated in the layout recommendation, a form and a CTA button that goes back to the form. You don’t need pop-ups or to take users back into your website, or to a general contact page that has different messaging – your goal for the landing page is lead form completions.
Prepare for Landing (Pages)
Once your landing page is converting, be ready with your next step – whether that is scoring an MQL or putting contacts into a follow-up email automation.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, without leads coming in through your landing page, there are no prospects, no MQLs and no sales. So if your landing pages are underperforming, test, measure and reiterate. Your target audience will let you know once you get it right.
