What is landing page optimization? We hear this all the time and, although it may sound complicated, it’s easier to get started with than you might think. Landing pages are where you send users and leads to get them to take a particular action, usually one per landing page. This could be anything from making a direct sale to gathering lead information. 

The importance of landing page optimization cannot be underestimated. It might be the first impression you make on a new lead or the only opportunity you get to close a sale with that particular user. That’s why we’ve put together a quick and simple guide to help anyone get started. Whether you’ve been building landing pages for years, but want to improve your conversions, or you’ve never made one in your life, here are some of our top tips for creating killer landing pages that actually work:

1. Find Out Where It Hurts
2. Make One Specific Offer Per Page
3. Use a Landing Page Design Tool
4. Hand Out a Free Gift
5. Take Time to Writer a Catchy Page Headline
6. Grab Attention With Images and Videos

1 | Find Out Where It Hurts

• The most effective landing pages are the ones that hit viewers’ pain points dead-on.
• It’s worth investing in some in-depth research to find out: a) who your target audience is, and b) what they worry about.
• Craft your entire landing page around that specific worry – or, if you have a few different audience segments, create a separate Google Ad and landing page for each group, targeting that group’s pain point.
• As you design those ads and pages, keep asking yourself, “Does this ad/page promise to take away this person’s pain?” If not, keep working and revising.

2 | Make One Specific Offer Per Page

• Make sure your audience understands exactly who you are, what you’re offering, and how it helps them.
• Only ask visitors to do one thing per landing page – buy your product or subscribe to your email list, for example. Keep the entire landing page focused solely on that one action.
• Test your page relentlessly, and fix any messaging that’s not razor-sharp and precisely on target. Delete anything generic. Clear out the clutter. Be straightforward and direct.

3 | Use a Lading Page Design Tool

• Landing page design is a science. Seriously. Experts have invested years of their lives to find out exactly what works and what doesn’t. Don’t reinvent the wheel: use an expert-designed landing page creation service and take advantage of the knowledge gathered by those who came before you.
• Tools like Instapage, Unbounce, and Leadpages will help you get started. They come with field-tested page templates, already optimized to convert your leads.
• Don’t forget to set up an auto-responder, so you can communicate with your audience as soon as they sign up or make a purchase. Studies have found that even a short auto-response helps drive sales.

4 | Hand Out a Free Gift

• Before you ask people to do anything – even subscribe to a list – give them something helpful for free. You could offer a short ebook, a report, an article, a tool, or even a phone consultation. These freebies are called lead magnets.
• Whatever free gift you offer, make sure it actually helps with your audience’s pain point. Again, market research is well worth the investment.
• Visitors will be much more likely to buy from you if your free gift demonstrates value.
• Plus, the more popular your free gift becomes, the more landing page traffic you’ll get – and the more chances you’ll have to generate sales.

5 | Take Time to Write a Catchy Page Headline

• A lot of users will never read beyond your page’s title – and if that title doesn’t grab their attention, you need to fix it.
• The best titles tell viewers what the page is about, while also making them want to read more.
• Instead of just stating what your page is about (for example, “House Painting Services”), change your page title to raise a specific issue or selling point (for example, “Mess-Free House Painting – See For Yourself!”).
• The rest of your page should deliver what your page title promises and answer the questions the title raises. Remember: if you don’t deliver on your promises, people will lose interest just as fast as with a boring headline.

6 | Grab Attention With Images and Videos

• Studies have found that people respond to images 60,000 times faster than to text. In fact, 90% of sensory information is visual.
• What’s more, visitors spend 100% more time on pages with videos.
• Take time to consider how your target audience will respond to different types of images and videos. Will they think stock photos look professional, or corny? Do they want to see beautiful models or ordinary customers? The answers are different for each audience.
• One possibility is to use photos of you and your team hard at work. Try including screenshots or videos showing your product or service in action.

Some Final Thoughts

This may seem like a lot to add, but don’t feel like you have to do it all at once. In fact, it’s often a good idea to change things up gradually, so you know exactly what effect each change had. Over time, you will start to learn what your target market responds well to and what they don’t. 

Once you’ve ticked everything on this list, don’t dust your hands off your landing page for good. Keep testing and experimenting with it: there’s always new things to try and new leads to convert. It’s an ongoing process that will support your business with new growth. 

If you’re keen to get started but want some more individual advice, don’t hesitate to reach out to us. We’re always happy to get you started on your path to a winning landing page!