Website Landing Pages That Close The Deal

If you go to a website from either an online or offline advertisement, you expect to land on a page that provides more information about the ad. Hence the term "landing page." If the landing page works, you will read the page and take some desired action. For example, you might donate to a cause, sign up for email updates, purchase an item, or request more information.

For a landing page to work, the first step is a clear association with the ad. If your ad is about one of your products, services, or issues, it's best to have people land on a page that specifically addresses it. Don't expect people to look hard for something that resembles your ad--most will click away if they can't make a fast connection between your ad and your landing page.

Stick Like Glue

Next, stay with the ad topic. There are many ways to attack any given subject, use them. You may want to list common questions, provide examples, discuss features, or describe how your process works. Any of these can hold visitor attention and potentially make a connection.

You don't want to expound upon your other offerings or have links to related information. If you give people reason or opportunity to click away, many will. Some will even intend to return, but many of those will never make it back. There are simply too many digressions possible in our interruption-driven lives. When you've got a fish in your net, don't give it any opportunity to slip away.

It's Not About You

It's good to provide reasons why a landing page visitor should trust you, like a persuasive description of your business and testimonials from happy clients. But a successful landing page keeps the focus on its visitors. What will your offer do for them? How will it solve their problem? Make their lives easier, richer, or more fun? Emphasize the benefits for them, not the wonderfulness of you. To borrow a popular phrase, they're just not that into you.

Make the Close

The final job of your landing page is to tell people what you want them to do and make it as easy as possible for them to do it. Don't assume that they will determine the most logical next step by themselves, provide specific directions like "contact us" or "subscribe" or "buy now."

As much as feasible, let people decide for themselves the best way to do business with you. Your page should have a phone number listed as well as an email address and a sign-up, purchase, or send-me-more-information form. Speaking of those forms--keep them minimal. No one wants to give out too much information about themselves and people will leave rather than give you information they don't think you have the right to know.

If you do any advertising that leads to your website, whether that is postcards or flyers, TV or radio spots, online or magazine ads, give the landing page all due consideration. It's where the deal, or at least the next step to the deal, is made.