With so many links and advertisements on every website you surf, it’s hard to keep track of which is which. Obviously you remember sites you visit on a regular basis, such as Facebook or Google, but it’s certainly not because of their captivating landing pages.
Social media websites or pages like Google have almost no need to capture your attention. The millennial generation has turned pages like these into necessities. That leaves every other page on the Internet almost nonessential.
So how do you turn your website or business page into a regularly visited page? Aside from having quality products and services people want, the answer lies in the landing page.
Information
Only include necessary information on the landing page of your business or website. This may seem like an obvious statement, but things you may deem a requirement may be what drives traffic away from your page. Collecting information from your visitors can only benefit you, but limit what you’re asking for:
- Name
- Job Title
Asking for too much information, such as addresses, website URL’s and more can turn someone off; especially a first time visitor. You want to generate leads and make the visitor do as little as possible. Once their information has been saved or entered, this gives you the opportunity to send them more information about your business rather than forcing them to fill out a form that they’re just going to mark as spam after your emails begin arriving.
Design and Layout
So Google can get away with having a fairly empty landing page with one search bar and a few extra links at the top. In fact, if you’re not familiar with Gmail or Google +, those links at the top might as well not even exist to the average user. Google is used for one purpose.
If you need the reminder: you’re not the inventor of Google.
Your landing page needs to enthrall the audience, not bore them. A poorly designed and set up website can drive traffic away faster than the one click it took to get there. Some examples of a successful landing page design are:
- Optimizing small spaces; don’t clutter the page!
- Use colors that contrast and are easy to read. Bright yellow text and orange background are not a good choice for a color scheme.
- Include your business name. You don’t want them to accidentally exit out of the browser and realize they didn’t see whose page they were viewing.
- If you have proof or reviews from clients via Twitter or Facebook, include a few if the space is available. People like to see positive statements from others, not just you advertising yourself.
Provide Instructions
Depending on what you’ve decided to include on your landing page, be sure to provide clear instructions as to what the customer or client is to do next. If your form is the only way to enter the site, make sure it is the first and only thing they can see.
Making an offer they can’t refuse is another great way to persuade a sign-up and generate new leads. Offering a free e-book or subscription to a newsletter can help give the visitor a reason to return as well as share their email for future offers.
Give directions. Make sure that each category available on your page is labeled correctly or clearly stated that signing up for the newsletter is a requirement before visiting any sub-categories on the site. Guidance is helpful when visiting a new page. Getting lost at a new website happens more than often than you’d think and it’s easy to exit the page and visit a different one.
If your business can manage a live chat operator to assist anyone in need, that can be a great way to keep visitors informed and help them through the website!
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