When it comes to landing pages, first impressions last.
Your customer will judge your landing page within seconds of visiting it.
That means your landing page design needs to be amazing if you want your readers to trust you and say YES to that big, bold call-to-action!
In this post, we’ll go over 10 tips and techniques on how to create a landing page design that works.
So you can skip the guest work and turn even the frostiest traffic into sales!
1. Write A Draft
Copy and design go hand in hand.
And in almost all cases, the copy should lead the design and not vice-versa.
An excellent place to start is by writing a draft.
Write down all the information you want to include on your landing page.
For additional resources, check out my article on “How to Write Landing Page Copy that Converts.”
All done?
Cool.
Next, you’ll want to create a layout.
Your layout will allow you to control how the conversation will flow on your landing page.
For this, I typically use my all-time favorite copywriting framework PAS: Problem, Agitation, Solution.
It’s my favorite because it works for all types of landing pages on all kinds of niches.
With PAS, you start by laying out your prospect’s problems–the one that your product or offer is trying to solve.
Next, you agitate the pain by mirroring what they are going through back at them.
Finally, you offer a solution that will take away all their problems.
You paint them a picture of a brighter, better version of themselves.
You tell them that a better life is only one click away. All they have to do is respond to your CTA (Call-to-Action).
Here’s an example of PAS at work from basecamp.com.
Note, while basecamp have placed all three phases of PAS in their hero section, this isn’t a requirement.
Spreading out PAS throughout your landing page design is just as effective.
Now you have a good idea of what information goes where from beginning to end of your landing page.
At this point, you’re ready to create your wireframe.
2. Create a Compelling Hero Section
Most landing page hero section includes the following elements:
- Headline
- Short description/ Unique Value Proposition
- Call to action
- Subhead
- Video and Image
That said, you don’t have to place all of these components above the fold.
Only include what makes the most sense for your campaign.
Here are examples of the two most common hero section format:
Here’s another hero section format example:
Here’s an example of this format from Unbounce.com:
Here’s an example from Webprofits.com:
3. Message Match
Take your ad’s key messages and make sure to place them on your landing page.
If you’re offering a 30% off coupon on your ad, that should be the first thing visitors see once they land on your page.
Or if you’re running an ad that offers a free e-book, that offer should be very prominent on your page.
What happens if your add headline promotes a discount coupon or a free e-book, but when clicked, it is nowhere to be found?
Simple. Your audience will click away. Now that’s a waste of a click, and ad spend.
If you’re running many ads with different headlines, create variations of landing pages for each ad.
4. Use High-Quality Images
Having an image in your opt-in is one of the best ways to capture your reader’s attention.
Here’s why:
- Humans can process information up to 600 times faster with pictures than text.
- Majority of readers are visual learners
- 90% of all the information sent to our brains is visual.
As you can see, humans are hard-wired to consume visual content.
So don’t skimp on including a quality image in your form.
If you’re offering something, like an e-book, pdf, or video, include a picture of that.
If not, use a photo that allows your readers to visualize the benefits of joining your list.
You can also include a photo of yourself if you’re trying to grow a brand.
Here’s a guideline for including images on your opt-in form:
1. Use high-quality images–> Your prospect will judge your landing page within seconds of visiting it. So the image you use needs to be amazing. If you want your customer to like and trust you, use high-quality photos.
1. Be Clear–> Most of your readers are busy and easily distracted. Ensure your image conveys what your readers are getting by opting-in, or they will leave.
2. Trigger Emotion –> As mentioned, emotions motivate people to take action. So, use an image evokes emotions, whether that’s highlighting your reader’s pains or pleasure.
3. Use images legally–> Don’t just take any picture from the internet and use them in your post. There are many quality images, both paid and free, that you could use legally.
5. Highlight the Benefits and Outcomes.
At this point, you’ve already told your prospect what you’re going to do for him or her.
The next step is to tell your prospect about the benefits.
Make your prospect see what he or she can accomplish by reaping the benefits of your offer.
Humans tend to take action based on emotions, not logic.
To get your visitors to say YES, so essential to focus on benefits and outcomes rather than features.
What’s the difference?
Features are a part of your product. Benefits and outcomes are the results of those features.
Whereas features describe what your product does, outcomes paint a vision of a better future for your prospects.
I once heard a marketer say this: “You’re not selling a spatula; you’re thanksgiving dinner.”
That pretty much sums up the difference between features and outcomes.
As Mark Ford puts it, “Sell to the heart first … not to the head.”
6. Support Your Claims with Proof
Another essential element in a landing page is PROOF.
Here’s the thing, your prospect wants to believe you.
She wants your product to work and make her life better.
Now, she wants you to convince her that what you say is true.
There are two main ways you can go about this.
One is to use research, numbers, and data from reliable sources.
The other is to use social proof.
You can use testimonials or case studies to support your claims.
For example, you can use a customer or user testimonial to reinforce what you’re claiming.
Or you can have an influencer or celebrity endorse your product for you.
And this section doesn’t have to be written either.
Video testimonials are incredibly effective. So use them when you can.
7. Include Features
At this point of your landing page, your prospect is primed to hear about your offer’s features.
Why?
Because if they are still reading your landing page up to this point, chances they’re already sold.
But as Mark Ford puts, “people need to satisfy their emotional decisions with logic.”
In his essay, How to Sell Anything, Mark Fords describe features and data to have “little to do with the prospect’s decision to buy.”
The features are not there to sell but to make your prospect feel good about the decision he’s already made.
In other words, it justifies the sale.
So, while it’s true that your prospect buys the outcome, it’s still important to include the features in your landing page copy and design.
8. Use Plenty of White Space
Use plenty of white space to make sure your home page easy to read and navigate.
While this may sound like a waste of real estate, it is essential to building a good landing page design.
White space prevents web pages from being too crammed and difficult to follow.
It allows your copy to be more digestible to your audience.
You also want your homepage to highlight only one call to action.
9. Pay Attention to Contrast
Don’t give in to the temptation to emphasize every element on your landing page.
While this may sound like a good idea, it will only lead to confusion and overwhelm.
Confused readers click away, so this is the last thing you want to do.
Highlight only the most essential elements in your design, such as your headline, subheads, and CTA button.
10. Focus on One Call-to-Action
Focus on one-call-to action and minimize the rest.
Do not include links that will take your prospect away from your landing page.
That means removing site navigation and additional calls to action.
You’ll also want to make sure that your CTA buttons pop.
Choose a color that stands out from the page.
Generally speaking, green, orange and yellow buttons tend to perform best.
But the right color for you will depend on the overall opt-in form and site design.
A better metric to make sure your opt-in button pops is color contrast.
Choose a color with high contrast from your overall design to make sure that your button stands out.
Also, make sure it has a recognizable shape and looks like a button.
Finally, make your text is large enough to draw attention and read quickly. But be careful not to make it too large that it completely overwhelms the rest of your form.
Conclusion:
Design is more than just having an attractive landing page. It’s about creating a good experience for your visitors. One that is critical to get your readers to say YES to your call to action.
In this post, we went over the best tips and techniques for creating landing pages that convert.
Don’t gloss this one over. Whether you’re creating a brand new landing page or already have one, take the time to make sure your landing page design is as exceptional as the products and services you offer.