Landing pages play an important role in any digital marketing campaign. They allow businesses to showcase their products or services in a more compelling way, convincing visitors to take action. However, creating an effective landing page can be a challenge.

When it comes to crafting landing pages that convert, there are some key dos and don’ts to keep in mind.

‍

‍

Do: define your objective and keep it single

One common mistake is to have more than one goal, which often results in a page that isn’t enticing enough. Identify your primary objective and use it to guide your landing page strategy.

‍

Do: use heuristic guidelines to optimize your landing page

Heuristic guidelines can help you track what matters when creating or optimizing a landing page. Use them to clarify your page goal, identify unnecessary friction, build trust, and increase user motivation.

Key heuristic guidelines:

• Motivation: does the content encourage and motivate the user to take action towards the goal?
• Clarity: is the content on this page as clear as possible?
• Relevance: does this page meet user expectations regarding content and design?
• Friction: are there any parts of the page that could cause confusion or hesitation?
• Value: does this page communicate value to the user?

‍

‍

Do: create clear and scannable copy

Most visitors will skim the page, reading not much more than some headlines. Great headlines can pique your visitors’ interests and encourage them to keep reading.

Adding bullet points is a great way of communicating key benefits or addressing pain points while making the text more scannable.

‍

‍

Do: use social proof elements

Including social proof elements is a powerful tool to aid in persuading visitors to take action. Use testimonials, reviews, or client/media logos to build trust and credibility. Adding these above the fold has generated an uplift in conversions for our clients’ landing pages.

‍

‍

Do: optimize your content for mobile

Ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly and easy to navigate on small screens. Consider organizing key elements differently on mobile to make the content more scannable and easy to digest.

‍

Do: continuously improve your landing page

Test different versions of your landing page to identify which elements or sections are most effective at driving conversions.

If you have the resources, consider doing some research. Integrating customer feedback or voices of customer insights into your copy can make the difference between a landing page that resonates with its target audience and one that doesn’t.

‍

Don’t: neglect the above-the-fold section

The above-the-fold section offers one of the biggest opportunities for testing and optimizing. This first section can be a deal-maker or breaker in terms of motivating the user to continue on the page. To find out what motivates your target audience to keep scrolling, consider A/B testing the above-the-fold section.

Ideas for testing:

• Integrate social proof elements to inspire trust
• Add bullet points to make the text more scannable and easier to read
• Test different visual elements
• Test different headlines and subheadlines
• Consider adding objection-handling text below the CTA button

‍

‍

Don’t: use generic stock photos

Make sure to use relevant images and visuals that showcase your product or service. When possible, use images that point at or direct the visitor’s gaze upon the call to action section.

‍

‍

Don’t: forget about load time

Site speed is important for both search engine rankings and user experience. Slow-loading landing pages can cause visitors to lose patience and bounce.

To avoid this, consider optimizing images, minimizing CSS and JavaScript files, and leveraging cache and CDNs. Follow these key dos and don’ts to improve the effectiveness of your landing page to ultimately drive better results.