Creating a Better Landing Page – SMA Marketing

Whether designing a web page for PPC or building an email list, a fully optimized landing page is essential to a holistic content marketing strategy. The goal of a landing page is to get your visitor to take the next step in their buyer’s journey and fill out a form.

As important as these web pages are, a Landing Page Conversion Rates by Industry report by First Page Sage found that the average conversion rate hovers around 1-2% for B2B SaaS and Aerospace industries. This data proves two things. First, no one has a magic formula for the perfect landing page. Second, and most importantly, the details for an excellent user experience matter when it comes to your landing page content and design.

Creating a better landing page (LP) begins with clear, concise messaging that invites visitors to take action. With your content ready to go, you can turn your attention to landing page structure and optimization. 

Types of Landing Pages

The purpose of a landing page is to convert visitors into leads or customers by guiding them toward a specific goal or action. Unlike a website with multiple objectives and navigation options, a landing page focuses on a single call-to-action (CTA) and directs visitors toward that goal. There are many types of landing pages. Some common ones include:

Lead Capture Landing Page

Lead capture, also known as lead generation, involves creating landing pages that collect visitor information, such as names and email addresses, in exchange for valuable content or offers, like eBooks, whitepapers, or webinars. The main goal is to build an email list and nurture leads for future marketing efforts.

Components: 

• A headline that communicates the offer’s value proposition
• A lead capture form to collect visitor information
• A compelling CTA button

Product Landing Page

Design your product landing pages to showcase and promote a specific product or service to drive conversions and sales. These pages emphasize key features, benefits, and value propositions to persuade visitors to make a purchase or take the desired action.

Components: 

• A captivating headline
• Product images or videos
• Detailed product descriptions 
• Customer testimonials or reviews 
• Pricing information
• A clear CTA button inviting users to make a purchase 

Pay-Per-Click Landing Page

PPC landing pages are specifically for paid advertising campaigns on Google, Bing, or Facebook. These landing pages aim to maximize the ad campaign’s conversion rate by delivering a seamless and relevant experience for visitors who click on the ad.

Components: 

• A headline and copy that align with the ad messaging. 
• A prominent CTA button that mirrors the ad’s call-to-action 

A great landing page structure begins with the end in mind. So, before you leap into design, ensure your content is ready.

Is Your Landing Page Built for PPC?

Content

Your content needs to be compelling, clear, and concise. An eye-catching headline, a short description, and a beautiful image should work together to entice your buyer to take the next step. 

Scrolling through the page isn’t inherently bad—it depends on the audience and offers. CXL found that generally, if the offer is free, short copy works better. If you’re asking for money, a longer copy performs better—the more money, the longer the copy.

When designing a short-form page, it’s tempting to get right to the point. However, your first headline should say more than “Request a Demo.” Take a note from DealHub and customize your invitation so your audience can connect. 

DealHub’s demo page is simple but very effective. With a headline that says “See DealHub in Action,” people know exactly what they are asking for when submitting an email.

Your page header is your opportunity to include keywords and tell your target audience exactly what you offer. When inviting your audience to demo software, try out headlines like:

• Build Flexible Headcount Plans
• Optimize Spend for Efficient Growth
• Seamless Workflow Automation

Attention spans are short, and your audience may have already decided to schedule a call or complete a purchase. The last thing you want is to confuse or frustrate them! When creating a page with more content, use a bulleted list to make your sales pitch scannable. 

Here’s an example of an LP offering a white paper for SaaS founders and marketers. Notice that the header, image, and content reinforce the message that the content is written for the SaaS industry.

Since the form on the right side of the page is long, it makes sense that the content would fill the left column. However, text is not the only option. You could insert an endorsement or a relevant video to balance the page. 

7 Copywriting Elements That Drive Sales (Even if You’re Not a Great Writer)

Layout

You want your landing page to be as clean as possible. A key part of having a great layout is helping your reader see the most important content before scrolling. A fold line will vary depending on what platform your reader views the page on, so you’ll want to test your design on desktop and mobile. More than 50% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, so mobile UX should be a top priority.

Another key aspect of your LP layout is the placement of the information form. You want to make sure the information you are collecting is easy to fill out.

Here are a few tips when creating forms:

1. Make sure your ask matches your offer. Don’t ask for too much information from your visitor.
2. Keep it clear. Don’t make visitors work harder than needed.
3. Redirect them to the offer page. In-line thank yous are less personal and less effective.

When it comes to a design strategy, it’s important to remember to make sure your landing page has direct actions, clear instructions, and a great explanation of what the transaction includes. Those key informational pieces could be the difference between leaving your reader confused and frustrated versus them signing up for more of your content.

CTA: How To Write Better Headlines and Engage Your Audience https://www.smamarketing.net/blog/how-to-write-better-headlines-and-engage-your-audience

Landing Page Optimizations

It’s also important to optimize your LP for organic search. Even in the age of AI, on-page SEO adds details to your page that will help set you apart from the competition.  

On-page SEO elements to include:

• Title tag
• Meta description
• H1, H2, H3 header structure in proper order
• Image ALT text

Make sure you don’t have any misspelled words or inaccurate information. You’ll also want to confirm your form is configured correctly before publishing the page. 

Page speed is critical for landing page performance. Google’s Core Web Vitals impact rankings and conversion rates, and a slow page will cause higher bounce rates. Finally, level up your SEO by adding structured data and technical schema. 

Remove all navigation tools from your LP. This will help it stand out and give it a cleaner look. You should also remove other links that allow your reader to navigate away from the page.

In the end, the details separate the good landing pages from the bad ones. Whether you’re promoting a product or building your email list, you can create a better landing page by following content best practices and speaking directly to your audience. If you’re looking for a partner to help create a better landing page, contact SMA Marketing. With years of digital marketing experience, our team is ready to help improve your content strategy with custom landing pages. Contact us to learn more.