Landing pages – 8 pieces of advice to follow

As we’ve already seen in our tips for a successful website redesign, the key to a good website is to keep it simple. The same goes for landing pages – the first page that a user sees after he’s clicked on an advertisement – it’s not because there is a call to action that it needs to assault the user. To create a landing page that will make users take action, follow these simple guideline:

1. Visually engage the user. The old saying “a picture is worth a thousand words” has never been so true. A long paragraph will act as a repellent. Instead, use a picture to sell your product or service.
2. Focus user experience. A landing page has only one goal: to direct the user to where he can take action. Keep your landing page simple and focused by having short calls to action and few links.
3. Be credible. Web users are used to being spammed and know what a spam website looks like, you want to be the opposite of that. Use logos, customers testimonials and link to legit websites to convey trust and reliability.
4. Use a direct headline. To reassure users that the page they’re viewing is of interest, use a simple and direct headline. The headline should be a short statement about why users clicked on your ad.
5. Leave plenty of whitespace. Web users have very little patience and do not read long paragraphs of text. If your graphic and statement were engaging, the customer will start scanning the text but not read it. To help them in doing so, leave lots of spaces between the different elements of your landing page.
6. Make your benefits clear. Customers will wonder why they need your product or service. Answer their doubts by clearly stating what your benefits are. Use bullet points and numbers to go straight to the point.
7. Buttons are key. The only way for users to take action is to click on your buttons. They should be large, in an obvious location and easy to spot. Use bright colors or unusual shapes to catch the user’s eye.
8. Soften the call to action. Customers are usually afraid of commitment. Words like “Buy”, “Checkout”, “Register” may refrain the customer from clicking. Instead, use softer calls to action such as “Try it Now” or “Demo”.

If you respect these guidelines and your SEO has been well targeted, your click-through rate should increase and you will start seeing the results.