Although there is no one size fits all formula to follow, there are elements on the most successful landing pages that are shared between them all. Building a landing page that is engaging, builds trust, and is visually appealing, is easier said than done. We’ll go over the biggest factors when it comes to making a killer landing page, and show examples of each.

1. The Headline

Everyone thinks their landing page headlines are already optimized, but take a step back and really think about it. To put it in perspective, let’s see what’s bad and what’s good.

On the left, we see a headline that says something irrelevant about a company acquisition, and then a highly vague subtext that has nothing to do with the headline. “See your brand in a new way” isn’t necessarily bad, but it just doesn’t mean anything without any context, and there is simply nothing to be found elsewhere above the fold.

Great headlines are never complicated with highly technical jargon, which the second landing page shows so well. Instead of bragging about something they did, this headline focuses on making the customer a better version of themselves, which is a great tactic. They then clearly describe how the title makes sense with the capitalized orange text below that precisely explains what they do.

One other thing to take notice of is that if you have any PPC campaign running, you should always have your landing page match the ad copy, either in the offer or in ad headline, otherwise your conversion rate will be abysmally low.

2. Creating a sense of trust

This is something everyone knows they should be doing, but few actually know how to do it. The best three ways to do this are

Properly constructing your brand image through visual elements on the page
Displaying testimonials, certifications, and success stories
Having images and stories of the team behind the brand on the home/landing page (less common)

There is clearly a balance to these three things that makes for the magic mix. Many companies slap on so many “certified by _____” stickers and testimonials they end up making themselves actually look untrustworthy. Here is a perfect example of this:

On the home page of this website, the only branding we see on this website is the name of the company itself as everything else is covered up by attempts to win over trust. The balance here is clearly way off kilter and only serves to make the visitor suspicious of the brand.

Instead, working to create a strong brand image is much more successful for any landing page. Here’s an example of how this SEO Company instantly creates an image for itself through imagery.

This company has carved out a very rich visual representation of their brand with crisp images of animals that instantly form a positive image in your mind. I mean, who doesn’t like cute puppies, c’mon.

With an engaging headline intelligently overlaid on a graph, the headline is working for them as well. As far as testimonials and certifications, besides a single quote at the bottom, this site created a separate page dedicated to that in order to be succinct and reduce landing page clutter. SeoWorks also carries each one of these themes onto all of their other landing pages.

However, placing testimonials on your landing pages is not a bad thing, just make sure you place them below the fold. Speaking of below the fold…

3. Call to action buttons and indicators

Something we hate seeing is a landing page get set up with a killer headline only to have the traffic confused on what they should do next. Creating a pathway for clicks to maximize the enjoyment in each visitor’s individual journey should be a priority, and CTA buttons are a fundamental part of this process.

Whether you are trying to get someone to read an eBook or sell a luxury sports car, these buttons can be easily and quickly optimized. Things to keep in mind when creating a CTA button:

Use all caps in most situations
Specific action descriptors like “Read The Giver for free” are better than generics like “free download” and please don’t use “Click here” if you can avoid it
Pay attention to visual balance, buttons are often not larger than 1/3 a page
Use white text on either a brand color or a color that contrasts with the other page’s colors
Don’t use highly noticeable button “mouse over” animations (distracting/cheesy)
Always have a version of your CTA somewhere above the fold

But don’t take my word for it, take a look at these and tell me which one you’d click on. And remember, your above the fold elements are by far the most important, so choose wisely.

4. Constant visual and textual content testing

After getting your website optimized with a modern look and the current best practices, it isn’t quite time to sit back and relax. Pulling the best conversion rates possible out of a landing page requires marketers to use A/B testing on a number of thing, like:

What images work best?
What content design elements are the most effective?
What kind of content resonates best on each page?
How many links to other pages is too much?
How well is the layout of your landing page working?
What color scheme works best?

If you have never used A/B testing, you’re missing out. Here are some reasons to consider it.

Because we know these four points are only the tip of the iceberg for landing pages, especially when it comes to A/B testing, we’re happy to consult with you on how to further your landing page’s success.

From design to content writing, we’d love to help you out, just send us a message and we’ll work hand in hand to get you where you want to be.

Image examples from: terradata.com, www.expion.com, anuvatech.com, SeoWorks.com, pushfire.com, and digitalpugs.com