Ready to build an amazing landing page? There are a few things you need to know. Make sure you check off the items on this checklist in order to keep the page effective.
Headline
The first headline on a landing page is the most important. It lets the reader know why they’re there, so spend some serious time on this part of the page.
- Match the page to the ad. This lets people know they’re in the right place.
- Keep it focused. The headline should make it obvious what people can expect from you and should relate to the actual offer.
- Give them a why. Make it very obvious immediately what the benefits of the product or service are.
- Shorten it. Your headlines need to be fairly short and easy to read. Eliminate any unnecessary extra words.
- Answer a question. The headline should tell your visitors exactly why they are on the page and what they will accomplish there.
Subheadings
Subheadings can break up the text on your page and give the reader a better idea of what they’re looking at. People should be able to scan the heading and subheadings and know what the page is all about.
Call to Action
- Your call to action (CTA) is one of the most important parts of the landing page. Make sure it fits with the following points.Easy to Understand. Simplify the CTA as much as possible to ensure compliance. If people are vaguely confused, they won’t do what they’re asked to.
- Matching Tone. The CTA should match the same tone as the original ad that enticed the visitor to click.
- Make It Obvious. Your call to action is no place to use small print. Instead, bold and enlarge the text so there is no mistaking it for anything but an out.
On Page Text
- The text throughout your page needs to follow a few guidelines.Readable. Use an easy-to-read font that no one will find difficult to scan or read. Avoid cursive or script lettering and opt for bold, clean fonts instead.
- Make It Easy to Scan. Your reader should be able to scan the page and get the general idea within seconds, so the font needs to be large enough to do this.
- Write at an Elementary Level. Avoid writing with large words and more advanced levels of English. While many people can read at those levels, you could lose a lot of your audience if you don’t keep things simple.
- Stick to Short Paragraphs. Each paragraph should be short and quick to read. Keep them to roughly three sentences.
- Use Bullet points. Present information in bite size pieces that your readers can pick up quickly.
Visual Content
A plain text landing page would be pretty boring and unattractive. Fortunately, you can use images and videos to add interest to your page and to help clarify some points. Make sure you follow these points:
- Use Alt-text. Adding alternative text to your images can improve your SEO and bring more people to your landing pages.
- Include a photo of your product or service. Seeing the product in action goes a long way toward creating interest.
- Brand your images. Every image should support your branding, in color and in style.
Overall Page Design
While each element is important for your page, everything needs to tie together to present a cohesive look that represents your company and branding. Make sure your page looks good as a whole, too.
- Brand Colors. The colors on the entire page need to match your branding.
- Leave White Space. Your landing page should have plenty of white space to make the text easy-to-read and to give the images a little extra pop.
- Use Background Colors and Indicators. Dividing the page into sections or using highlighting, arrows, and background colors can help draw attention to the areas you feel are most important. That’s not a reason to overload the page with information, though. Keep it simple.
Following this checklist, you will have a landing page that is not only visually pleasing, but one that provides the necessary information to your visitors. If done correctly, they’ll soon go from being buyers to being clients.
For more information about building landing pages in Online Sales Pro, click on this link to see all of the articles listed there on landing pages in our Knowledge Base. If you’re not an OSP client yet, use this link to sign up, and you, too, will have all of these resources at your fingertips!
