Landing Pages are much like other website pages.  The main difference is that your Landing Page/s will be reduced to a layout that encourages a particular action from persons visiting the page.  Your Landing Page will omit extraneous links or options. You might consider developing a Landing Page for each distinct type of client that accesses your site.  There may be several well-defined groups that benefit from your product. If each group’s benefit is unique as well, you can craft your Landing Page and sales copy to uniquely address their particular need.   

Why do you use a Landing Page?

You have a much better chance of turning a visitor into a customer without the distractions you usually experience when you land on the front page of a web site.  A nice customized landing page can ensure the visitor is looking at only the information they need to trigger the desired action.

Here are some of the key things to keep in mind when developing an effective landing page:

(1)  Strategy

Your strategy should speak to the topic that brought the client to the page in the first place.  If your ad was for men’s watches, then the page should be completely dedicated to that one subject — nothing about handbags, shoes or neckties.  Elements like images and videos explaining the product should be compelling and appealing.

(2)  KISS

Again, the strength of a Landing Page is the simplicity and single-mindedness of the content.  It can be focused on one simple idea. Menus and widgets that usually make up a web page layout must be avoided.  We want the user experience to be like a greased chute sliding them irresistibly towards the desired action, (a sale, signing up for a newsletter, picking up the phone or whatever it is you want the prospect to do).

(3)  Focus

The Landing Page should send a clear call to action.  It should be obvious to the visitor what he is being asked to do.  The most compelling information should be above the fold and above the scroll line.  Using videos to explain or demonstrate your product at the top of the page — just under your headline — is an excellent strategy for this.  

(4)  Speed

The page must load quickly and be free of complicated queries and flash elements.

(5)  Targeted

The page must be targeted. Again, if the person searched for “Men’s Watches” that’s what the page should be about.

(6)  Layout

The layout must be simple and have as much of the compelling information above the fold as possible without crowding it.

(7)  Testing

Don’t presume you have it right.  Try different layouts. Make small changes. Try moving the action buttons around.  Try different colors for the text. Watch videos on Youtube that refer to the science of A/B and split testing to learn the basics.   It doesn’t matter if you think a strategy or a layout will work or not. Until you test it, you just don’t know.