Easy-to-implement tips and tricks to create landing pages that convert.

A landing page can go by many names: static page, lead capture page, destination page — the list goes on. No matter what you call it, it’s a great marketing strategy to take a user from an organic search result, paid search ad, or marketing promotion straight to a page on your website that delivers a clear message. But what should that message be, and how can you ensure your page is set up to convert? We’re glad you asked.

These 12 elements are great to keep in mind when building your landing pages — so you know you’re set up for success.

1. A killer headline

A great, eye-catching headline can be the difference between someone bouncing from your landing page and actually completing the desired action, like filling out a form. Software company Crazy Egg highlights a few elements worth keeping in mind: such as clear prospect targeting, full transparency (AKA no sensational promises you can’t actually keep), and emphasis on the benefit you’re offering.

2. A strong call to action (CTA)

The point of a landing page is to start your visitor on a journey — and that journey should include a CTA telling them the next step to take. Whether it’s completing a form, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a consultation or demo, you want the CTA button to almost jump off the page, grab the viewer’s attention, and entice them to click.

3. A thoughtful design

Your landing page’s design should be both intuitive and correlated to your website and overall branding. Add too many elements and you risk your CTA getting lost in the shuffle. Add too few and you risk underwhelming the user and having them bounce. Our roster of successful landing page examples illustrates how a good mix of imagery, graphics, and verbiage can create a successful landing page that converts.

4. A conversion rate optimization strategy

There are a few essential factors that can transform a regular ol’ landing page into one that’s fully optimized and ready to boost conversions. These generally include a headline, a possible subheadline, a concise and value-centric offer description, an image, a form, and, optionally, a badge or client testimonial to drive your point home. As you continue to optimize:

• Use CRO tools like a heat map to track where your visitors are flocking
• A/B Test singular elements like photo choice and headline copy
• Review this data after a statistically significant amount of time

5. An easy form

There’s a delicate balance to strike between asking for the information you need and not turning off the user by asking too much. The less you ask for, the higher the conversion rate, and landing pages are where you’re most likely to gather this crucial data. It’s a good idea to ask for the minimum info you need to qualify a lead — you can conduct some testing to determine the best form for your business. Some CRM tools even offer smart forms that limit fields if the visitor is returning. If you’re already tracking someone who has signed up for your newsletter or previously made a purchase, for example, you don’t need to ask for their email address again.

6. A consistent message

If the messaging in your ad is drastically different from your landing page, you risk confusing your user (which we’re guessing isn’t an emotion you want people to associate with your brand). That’s why consistency in your messaging is key — your ad verbiage should very closely mirror your landing page verbiage to properly drive your message home.

7. A streamlined process

You don’t want anything to get in the way of someone going to your landing page, filling out the form, and submitting it. So, it’s a good idea to remove unnecessary features on these pages — such as your main website navigation bar — even if they appear on your regular website. The fewer distractions you offer, the higher your chances of conversion will be. Plus, you can always show a secondary CTA after they complete the form.

8. A thorough plan

Once you have a goal for your landing page, the planning doesn’t stop there. Mailchimp advises you to keep the conversation going — luckily, there are a few different ways to do just that. You can create a “welcome” campaign that automatically goes out to those who submit the form, introducing them to your business, offerings, and brand. You can also use this as an opportunity to ask for feedback, thank them for making a purchase, or recommend other products or services they may like.

9. A special offer

Not to blow your mind or anything, but it’s a fact that limited-time offers serve as stellar marketing tools. People love to get a deal, so if you promote a special discount, time-sensitive offer, or even a freebie, your conversion chances go up. Of course, this offer should make sense for your company, both fiscally and from a brand standpoint. Maybe you offer a 10% discount if someone schedules a consultation within a certain amount of time, or you waive the setup fee you usually charge.

10. An easy way to share

I know we previously mentioned keeping landing pages minimal, but social sharing buttons are a worthwhile addition. By making it easy for users to share your offer on social media (via social share buttons), you can instantly expand your reach into networks you may not have been able to access otherwise. Oh, and bonus points for an email forwarding option to boot, since people like to share in different ways.

11. A mobile-friendly experience

One big part of effective marketing is meeting your potential customers where they are. Often, that means on their phones. Because of this, it’s crucial to make your landing pages mobile-friendly. But beware of mirroring desktop landing pages for a phone environment. As experts point out, trying to fill out a form via your cell phone can be a nightmare. For mobile landing pages, it’s best to ask for as little information, at least in the first step, as you can.

12. A consistent testing practice

ABT — always be testing. Though these are best practices for both conversion rate optimization and landing page optimization, your audience may surprise you. That’s why you should continuously be testing your landing pages — things like:

• CTA locations
• The number of form fields
• The type of validation (such as a quote, review, stars or accolades)
• Colors
• Verbiage

There’s no crystal ball that will tell you exactly what will inspire a person to do exactly as your CTA says on your landing page. But with the above advice, you’ll know you’re well on your way to creating optimized landing pages that turn prospects into customers.