Landing pages play a huge role in your advertising campaigns. Although creating a landing page is often the final step you take in your advertising campaign, it should always be at the forefront of your mind. We round up the top questions you need to ask yourself before publishing a landing page. If you can answer yes to every question below, your landing pages are off to a good start.
Does my landing page match my ads?
Well-crafted advertising copy brings people to your landing page. Whatever your ad offers, your landing page needs to deliver it. It can be tempting to focus on higher traffic, but when it comes to web traffic, quality is more important than quantity. It won’t matter if you get thousands of visitors to your site if they all immediately leave because the landing page is not what they expected. If your landing page delivers exactly what you are advertising, there is a seamless ad-to-landing page transition. As a result, the more visitors will stick around and potentially convert.
Does my headline clearly define my product or service?
Building a consistent ad-to-landing page experience can be achieved through your headline. Remember, your headline is the first thing visitors notice. This helps them identify whether or not your landing page matches their expectations. With your headline, you can confirm what you do and what your offerings are.
When crafting your landing page’s headline, keep it simple and straightforward. It should make a strong value proposition to your target audience. Instead of saying “Content Marketing SEO Strategies,” it is better to say “Expert SEO Strategies to Boost Your Content Marketing Campaign.” And don’t forget to include the exact terms that convinced a visitor to click on your ad in the first place. If your PPC ad says “Get a Demo Now,” your landing page should make it easy for them to find that demo. An inconsistent message will make your audience think that they are in the wrong place and they will likely leave the page.
Here’s an example from HubSpot
Does my content address my customers’ problems?
Advertising landing pages are not the ideal place to showcase your business. You see, your potential customers will not pay attention to your business unless it can help solve their problems. That said, use your landing page to highlight how you can address the common challenges your target audience faces. Once they understand the value they can gain from your product or service, they will be more likely to convert.
If you are giving away an eBook, it would make sense to offer a preview. Not only does this show that you proud of your product, it also builds your customer’s trust. Whether you are offering an ebook, a free trial, or product demo – if you can convince your prospects that what you are offering fits their needs and interests, it will be hard for them to ignore your offer.
Does my Call to Action urge readers to take action?
Your CTA decides the fate of your landing page conversions and therefore your overall campaign. Through a strong call to action, you make it easy for your visitors to decide what step to take next. But like all investments, you need to state what your audience can get in exchange for their contact information, money or something else. If they know how they can benefit from you, they will feel more compelled to do what you want them to do.
When it comes to the placement of your CTA, you might wonder whether it should go above the fold or below. While above the fold immediately draws your visitors’ attention to your CTA, below the fold can also work wonders for your campaigns. This article from Instapage might help you decide the right position for your CTA.
Does my landing page contain only relevant elements? 
Every element of your page – such as links, video, testimonials – should be aligned with the topic and goal of the page. If you want to include links to your social media profiles, it is better that you place them at the bottom of the page. Avoid unnecessary links as they can divert your visitors’ focus to another page instead of them sticking to your page and potentially converting.
On the same note, too many words and graphics draw your visitors away from the real message. Incorporate high-quality images that add, not distract, from your copy. If elements on your page cannot encourage your intended customers to take that next step, it is probably better to remove them.
Designing a high-quality landing page is half the fun. When it comes to creating the most effective landing page, optimization is integral. Thus, perform continuous A/B testing on your landing pages. Even the slightest test, like the placement of your CTA, can create a difference in your conversion rate. When done properly, landing pages can transform your website into a lead generating machine.
Struggling to create an effective landing page? Let our team of expert content strategists help you. Give us a call.
