Jake Hasler
Why do we even make Landing Pages?
Harry Potter and his wand. It would be nice if our landing pages could be generated at the flick of a wand, but unfortunately, our magic skills haven’t quite arrived yet. Harry couldn’t use just any old wand he wanted. He went to Olivander’s, and the whole place nearly turned upside down just trying to find the one that was the best fit for him! There was only 1 wand that was going to work. It had the single phoenix tail feather, which was his tailor-made recipe.
With landing pages, it is vital that we take a similar approach. We must create them with our needs in mind. We need specific goals, and clear purpose, and a great design in order to have an effective user experience. The #1 purpose of a Landing Page is to instantly earn the trust of the viewer, so that they will input their information into the form – resulting in a conversion that injects potential clients into the sales funnel.
Remember, the more appealing the page, the better it converts, more leads that are generated and the happier we are.
Examples of Great Landing Pages
There is a phenomenal article about the best landing pages, and what makes them great. Through much of my research and findings, I discovered that this article had some of the greatest and most helpful points for the creation of our internal pages. Here is also another that describes some of the most common characteristics of pages that convert.
Here are a few more that I find very appealing:
Adroll
Unbounce
Here are a few of My Own:
Netigate
Life Liberator Labs
Key Points of Your Landing Page
1) Replicate The Website
I know that if I see inconsistency in branding, I instantly lose trust in that company. It is most often not by choice, but my mind just sees that they didn’t take enough time to ensure consistency across the board. It is most often not fault of their own, as they simply might not have design or brand replication experience. This is also why it is important for a designer to create and review the pages for consistency. It doesn’t have to be an exact clone, but just needs to be in accordance with the branding.
Things that must be kept consistent between the Landing Page and Website:
- The Logo. Size, Dimensions, Colors.
- Color Scheme. Precise Hex Codes are a must!
- Navigation Bar. This one is debatable, as it depends on the client’s preference. Some say that there should be no other distractions on the page, as their purpose is to eliminate distractions, simply perform the download and leave. Meanwhile, others claim that it adds more credibility and gives the user the ability to click through even more after they have downloaded. The choice is yours.
2) A Captivating Headline
Your headline should draw attention, and give the user a clear purpose for why they are on that page. Questions are common, or just simple statements that create interest and cause the user to read and investigate a little more.
3) An Appealing Form
The user should have no doubt that their goal is to fill out that form. A light form, on a dark background really helps the form to pop. If this requires an arrow, a cartoon, a lightbox, or some other strategy, it must draw attention, and have a clear, explicit purpose.
Another useful item to have below the form, is a brief privacy statement. It doesn’t have to be extravagant, but just something that states that the user’s information won’t be shared.
4) A Submit Button That Doesn’t Scare You
In our digital world, we are constantly tantalized with offers all over the internet that constantly nag us to download something or get something for free. These spammy sites carry things that damage our computers. A consistent item across these spammy pages is a button that can be terrifying. The ugly gradients, bad text shadows, and cheesy outlines work together to create a button that leads to no good. Here a few examples of buttons that scare me; ones that I wouldn’t want to click on!
With this reasonable fear, it is important that we style our buttons in the most clean, clear, modern, and effective way possible. The copy that is on the button is very important, as it is the Call To Action, the one that ultimately leads to conversion. Remember modern design trends, and try to replicate the sleek, simple colored, flat buttons that are enticing and not overwhelming. Here are a few of my favorites:
5) An Attractive Text Layout
Use those rusty CSS skills to add variety and contrast to your page! Remember, it doesn’t have to be exactly like the website, so you can try some new things! Here a few nifty CSS selectors that can really help to volumize the page and create a visual flow. Here are a few of the attributes that can make the most difference!
font-family:
text-transform:
letter-spacing:
weight:
line-height:
6) Overall Quality
The little things make a big difference. Be sure to use sharp images, a high (enough) resolution logo, and remember that people see everything. Be sure that the page is scaled correctly, and that it will work well on all browsers. They notice when the quality isn’t up to par, and that’s what they want, is quality!
Final Thoughts
Credibility. Remember, potential clients and customers need to trust in the page at first glance. If they see something that feels wrong about it, then credibility goes down, and the client has a much lesser chance of inputting their information.
Great Design. This is the main factor that attributes to the credibility of a page. If it looks good, it feels good, and they feel less risk, creating a peaceful. Always remember basic principles of design, and be sure to work effectively and efficiently.
The tools are in your hands; the ball is in your court. You have a clear purpose, and you know what needs to be done. Don’t cut yourselves short, and make the time to create a truly great landing page. Remember, more conversions, more clients, more growth. It is well worth the extra time that it takes to create something awesome.
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