How to design conversion-oriented landing pages

Written by Rocío Rodríguez

Users arriving at landing pages are prospective customers with a high probability of generating a conversion.

As we probably can infer from their name –landing pages– they are the first page the user visits from our entire website, it is the page they land on. To get there, they had to click on a link situated on a third-party website: be it a search engine, other sites, Google AdWords or Display ads, etc. This proves the user has a real interest in our products or services. It is up to us to show relevant content to them, and, at the same time, based on this fact we either increase our conversions, or on the contrary, we lose them. In the end, our business’ success is going to be measured via conversions, which is why the landing page’s design is so important.

What is a landing page?

They are pages, created for the purpose of the user carrying out a specific action when visiting one: sign up, make a call, buy a product or a service… The user carrying out an expected action on our page will represent a conversion. For this to happen, first there needs to be an initial encounter between the user and the page, which will create an affinity relationship between the two. The page has to empathise with the user and satisfy their needs. For that reason, it’s important to take care of every design-related aspect and its content, because our getting this conversion will, for the most part, depend on us.

How do landing pages work?

Every landing page must be capable of capturing the attention of anyone entering it, from the very first moment. This way, the user will feel the need to further investigate about the product or services we are offering. However, to get this lead, capturing their attention won’t be enough. We also have to create the optimal user experience that will encourage them to stay on the page. It’s exactly during that moment when we will show them the necessary elements that will manage to persuade them, our only goal being to get them to convert.

Catching the user’s attention, creating memorable experiences, and using persuasion in a correct way are three key elements to get a conversion.

Elements and aspects to keep in mind when creating landing pages

There is a series of aspects we shouldn’t ignore when creating an efficient, optimal and conversion-oriented landing page. Below, I am going to explore the most relevant points:

Create an eye-catching title

The title is the first element users will see when they enter the page, which is why we shouldn’t neglect it. This piece of text is key when we’re trying to capture the users’ attention. An attractive headline will provide us with more possibilities to convert a visit into a conversion, than a headline that isn’t as attractive. It’s important that our page title summarises in a brief and concise way what we are offering, while being clearly related to the page’s content.

In short, the main title must be:

• Easy to understand.
• To the point.
• Contain the most relevant information.
• Brief.
• Attractive.
• Related to the content of the page.

Show relevant content

When the user enters a page, they should feel they’ve found content that is relevant and related to what they were looking for, i.e. they must see their search intent being satisfied. If we don’t provide them with the content they’re looking for, they won’t hesitate in exiting the page, which will lose us a possible conversion.

In general, using a large amount of text is not advised. Users are impatient and are looking for immediacy, so they’ll make a quick “scan” of the page. For that reason, the content must include the necessary elements to keep their attention fixed, and get them to carry out a specific action.

The way in which a text is written is also highly significant. It is recommendable that we speak the language of our target users.

Describe the benefits of the product or service (Value proposition)

Do not forget to point out the advantages of the product or service you’re offering. This will be your value proposition, making you stand our among your competitors. The user has an infinite number of offers from which to choose, so if yours isn’t convincing enough, they’ll just abandon the page.

If the user gets an offer that is sufficiently attractive, they will go through with the set action on the page, resulting in a new conversion for your business.

You can offer access to exclusive content, additional information, free courses… It will all depend on your business type and the product or service you’re providing.

Use bulleted lists

Bulleted lists and numbered lists are highly recommended. They will help us summarise in simple steps the product or service we’re providing. It’s one interesting way to show relevant content, in a direct, brief and concise manner.

Place the contact forms inside the above-the-fold section of the page

The above-the-fold section is the first thing our users see on our page, without having to scroll. We recommend placing the contact form within this section, because it’s the first location of our landing page that the users will see upon entering.

Internet users like it when we make their life easier for them. They don’t have much time to search and decide, so the easier is the process, the better.

Things to keep in mind when designing forms:

• There should be no confusing fields (if there are, we must provide the required indications to help the users successfully finish the process).
• Easy to understand.
• Fewer fields.
• We should request as little information as possible.

Do not create never-ending forms. The users will get bored and won’t go through with them. Just include the minimum number of fields that will enable you to collect the required information.

Include eye-catching buttons

An element your page cannot go without are eye-catching buttons. Use buttons with attractive colours, or buttons that change their colour upon being hovered over. You will get the user’s attention, and additionally, you will be “inviting” them to perform a click.

Use call-to-action (CTA)

Do not forget to include calls to action. We must make the most of them to showcase all our business’ competitive advantages, and that is all the benefits the user will get, which will help us to differentiate ourselves from our competition: free subscription, discounts, free trials, call now, request a free quote, etc.

Be careful with elements redirecting the user’s attention

One of the most common mistakes made in the design of landing pages is the inclusion of elements, which redirect the user’s attention, such as navigation menus or links to related content. We must remove all elements that could throw them off. For this page to work, we want their attention to be fully focussed on its content, as it’s the element that will ultimately lead the user to fulfil the conversion cycle.

Include multimedia content

Without doubt, pictures and videos are the most attractive types of content for the user. The user doesn’t read, they simply scan the content of the website, and it is during this short amount of time when we must show enough visual stimuli to make them stay at our page. The inclusion of multimedia content can be the decisive factor in getting or not getting a conversion.

Include attractive, appealing and top-selling pictures to your landing page. Discard images that anyone with an Internet browser can get their hands on, and make your own images. Being original will play in your favour.

Video material also usually works very well, because it allows you to show in just a few seconds your value proposition. Make an attractive video from your users’ point of view, and show them interesting content. Do not go overboard with its duration though, summarise in a few seconds the benefits they will get. Go straight to the point and don’t beat around the bush, the user doesn’t have time to waste.

The importance of testimonials

Testimonials from satisfied users will foster trust in new visitors who arrive at your page. When faced with a situation of uncertainty, where the user is yet unsure whether they’re going to fulfil the requested action, these testimonials can be key in developing trust and encouraging the users to go through with the process. This section will be especially useful on landing pages where the offer requires some sort of payment.

Showcase your awards and certifications

Awards and certifications give value and prestige to your products or services. However, do not fall into the trap of shameless self-promotion. Simply mention the awards that will strengthen your offer.

Include sharing buttons

Sharing buttons linking to our social profiles are a positive addition to get our content to reach a much wider audience. They should be placed at the footer of the page, so that they don’t create distractions. If a user who reaches our page considers our content to be relevant and wants to share it, they can do it in a quick and easy way.

Do not forget about privacy policy

Users are increasingly more concerned with the privacy of their data, and they mistrust how their personal information can be used, so be sure to include this section on your page. Privacy policy should always be related to sending of data, so it should be linked below the contact form, and it should involve ticking a checkbox in order to fulfil the action.

When we include this field, we must be very careful with its design, as we do not want the user to be taken outside of the page when they click on it. To prevent this from happening, we should include this information inside a pop-up window or a lightbox.

Conduct A/B testing

It’s incredibly important to test your landing page to see what works best. Only this way we will be capable of creating an optimal and effective landing page. Ideally, we would create two types of templates, which will display the content in two different ways. Let them be for a while, and then measure the results. Which one of them has generated a higher conversion rate? Which one of them produced a higher bounce rate? Which elements worked better? The conclusions will help you to create an optimal and revenue-generating landing page.

Use metrics that will allow you to measure conversions

It is of utmost importance to use metrics that will allow you to analyse the visitors and conversions of the page. Measuring our conversions helps us improve. It’s recommendable to use analytic tools like Google Analytics, and to connect your account to Google Search Console. While Analytics will provide us data on bounce rate, average session time, etc.; Search Console will contribute information on the total number of clicks received, CTR, position in the SERPs, impressions… By analysing all these elements we will see which aspects of our page are not working correctly.

It is also interesting to analyse heat maps to find out about the behaviour of the user when they enter the page: areas where they click, places towards which they move their cursor… Using tools like Hotjar we’ll be able to analyse things like these. By examining the user’s behaviour we will get data that will help us improve our conversion.

Take care of the design of your page

While it may not seem like a very significant aspect, users pay a lot of attention to the design of a page. When a page has a professional appearance it generates trust, while a neglected design will create a sense of insecurity.

If we want our users to go through with the conversion cycle, it’s important to take care of all little aspects. Even if it doesn’t seem like it, they can lose us many leads.

Create landing pages suitable for all devices

Nowadays, the vast majority of users access the Internet using their mobile devices. This percentage of users keeps growing, so we can’t just ignore them. If a user arrives at your landing page and has to zoom in to read your content, they will quickly get tired and leave (unless they’re VERY interested in your products or services.

Create responsive landing pages to avoid losing potential users. Ignoring mobile devices will make you lose a great amount of conversions.

Common errors we shouldn’t fall into

• Showing little relevant content or unrelated to what the user is looking for.
• Creating a very long contact form that is hard to understand.
• Not tracking your conversions.
• Including outbound links on the page.
• Landing pages not ready for use on mobile devices.

As you can see, the creation of a landing page goes through a laborious process, during which we need to pay attention to many important elements throughout.

I hope this post will help our readers create efficient pages, but it should not used as an exact model to follow, because –at least for the time being– there isn’t a precise formula to design landing pages. Each business is different, and there isn’t a blanket solution for all. However, the aspects and elements cited in this post are the most relevant ones, so they should be taken into account in the creation of successful conversion-oriented landing pages.