We have previously written about what makes a great landing page many times over the years, but in 2021 will your landing pages convert users and do they reflect the current online design and lead generation trends?
Landing pages are vital resources for any website as they allow you to entice users to download key information in exchange for personal details that you can use to create bespoke marketing campaigns to draw the visitor further down the buyer’s funnel.
The goal is for this visitor to eventually become a warm lead that your sales team and approach and get positive traction from, or for the lead to be so enamoured with your content that they contact you - yes, they seek you out (isn’t that every marketer’s dream?!)
It takes approximately 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for a user to form an opinion on your website.
This means there are already odds stacked against you that a user will even reach your website, it needs to be clean, on-brand, easy to navigate and use (desktop and mobile) and load fast - super fast:
47% of users expect a maximum of 2 seconds loading time for an average website.
In 2021 a compelling landing page should have all of the following attributes:
An engaging headline
Your landing page should be designed so a clear, easy-to-ready headline is the first thing their eyes are drawn to.
That headline should be styled on brand and be easy-to-read on all devices, but perhaps most importantly, it needs to entice the reader with what it says.
Use blogging headline inspiration to boost your landing page title’s chances of encouraging a reader to continue reading.
Think about visual elements
A picture or video can increase landing page conversion rates by 80% and in 2021 there is nothing more powerful than a video.
Video can communicate even more information than a picture and appeals to those who don’t wish to read information.
Above the fold is key
All of your core information must come above the fold and as it did 5-10 years ago, above the fold remains a high-value area of your website for any page.
Headlines, call to action and key benefits should all be listed in this area where possible, giving people enough reason to bother to scroll.
Remember we’re not all on large desktop screens, the latest Macbooks often have smaller screens than previous desktop computers or laptops, and more often than not your users will be viewing your content from a mobile device - more than half of all web traffic is now mobile.
List the benefits
If you’re buying a product online or thinking about purchasing a service of some kind, it’s always a pros/cons round-up for me. And that’s true of virtually any purchasing decision which is why you should spend time collating succinct benefits of your product/service.
Bullet points are a great way to create a skimmable section that tells a reader, “This is for you - and this is why…” - remember users only spend 0.05 seconds on a page deciding if it’s for them or not.
A clear call-to-action
As has always been the case, a clear call-to-action that compels a user to ‘take action’ is critical to having a visitor convert using your landing pages.
Don’t just skimp on the form and corresponding button, think about the fields you really need filling in, and make sure you’re asking for a reasonable amount of data in exchange for what the reader will receive.
Your call-to-action should state that the user will receive ‘An exclusive 119-page document filled with expert insights and industry-leading best practices’, so they’re compelled to click ‘Download now’.
Build trust
For landing pages it’s often recommended that you reduce external links, including our website’s main navigation, and largely, that’s true.
It’s worth considering building additional trust elements, however, to lower down the landing page, so if someone is coming to you from Search, they can still learn about your company, see testimonials and logos/badges from clients you work with, and accreditations your company has.
At every opportunity, your goal with a landing page is to build trust to convert visitors into leads (sales opportunities).
