10 Ways to Optimize Landing Pages

One of the most important elements of lead generation is the landing page. In fact, according to MarketingSherpa’s research, landing pages are effective for 94% of B2B and B2C companies.

Landing pages enable marketers to direct website visitors to a targeted page and capture leads at a much higher rate. What’s great about landing pages is that they direct your visitors to one particular offer without the distractions of everything else on your website.

1. Elements of an Effective Landing Page

The main purpose of a landing page is to have visitors complete the lead capture form and collect contact information.

Landing pages consist of:

2. Remove the Main Navigation

Once a visitor arrives on a landing page, it’s your job to keep them there. If there are links on the page to move about your website, it will distract the visitor and decrease the chance of them converting on the page. One of the best ways to increase your landing page conversion rates is to simply remove the main navigation from the page.

3. Match the Headline of the Landing Page to the Corresponding CTA

Keep your messaging consistent on both your CTA and the headline of the landing page. If people click on a link for a free offer and then find out there’s a catch on the landing page, you’ll instantly lose their trust. Similarly, if the headline reads differently than the CTA, it might lead to confusion, and the visitor might wonder if the CTA is linked to the wrong page.

4. Less is More

It is a best practice to keep landing pages simple. A cluttered page means a distracted visitor. Be brief and to the point; it’s in the offer itself where you give more information.

5. Emphasize the Benefits of the Offer

In addition to your headline, include a brief paragraph explaining what the offer is, followed by a few bullet points outlining the benefits of the offer.
It’s more than just listing what the offer is comprised of; it takes a bit of spin. Instead of “Includes specifications of product XYZ,” say something like “Find out how XYZ can increase productivity by 50%.” In other words, convey the value of your offer clearly and effectively.

6. Encourage Social Sharing

On your landing page, you can include buttons to enable your prospects to share content and offers. Include multiple social media channels as well as email, since people have different sharing preferences. When your offer is shared more, more people land on the page, and therefore more people fill out your form and become leads!

7. More Landing Pages Equal More Leads

According to a marketing benchmarks report, companies see a 55% increase in leads by increasing landing pages from 10 to 15. The more content, offers, and landing pages you create, more opportunities to generate more leads for your business.

8. Optimized Forms

Forms are the key to a landing page. Without them, there is no way to “convert” a visitor into a lead. They come in handy when it’s time for people to sign-up, subscribe to your site or download an offer.

There is no magic answer when it comes to how many fields your form should contain but the best balance would be to collect only the information you really need. The fewer fields you have in a form, the more likely you will receive more conversions.

You can also make the form look shorter by reducing the spacing in between fields or aligning the titles to the left of each field instead of above. A longer form looks like more work and sometimes it will be avoided all together. But on the other hand, the more fields you require, the better quality those leads might be. The best way to determine what works best is to test it.

9. Thank You Email

If someone completes a form on your landing page, don’t stop there. Increase engagement by sending a triggered thank you email. Use the email as an opportunity to promote more offers and content.

For example, if a visitor on gridirect.com downloads a guide on email marketing, we can offer them a chance to get a free marketing assessment.

10. Reduce Anxiety With Proof-Elements

People are more resistant to give up their information, especially because of the increase in spam. There are a few different elements you can add to the form or landing page to help reduce a visitor’s anxiety to complete the form:

• Add a privacy message (or link to your privacy policy) that indicates their email will not be shared or sold.
• If your form requires sensitive information, include security seals, a BBB rating, or certifications so that visitors know their information is safe and secure.
• Adding testimonials or customer logos is another great way to indicate social proof. For example, if your offer was for a Free Trial, you may want to include a few customer testimonials about your product or service.

About the GRI Marketing Group Inc.

Our mission to help organizations acquire, retain, and upsell/cross their customers. Most our clients are in professional services, IT/Information services, publishing, education/non-profit and financial services.

The GRI Marketing Group, Inc. was founded in 1987 and designed around creating marketing campaigns that drive engagement and produce a greater return on investment for our clients.

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Contact: Brian Snider [email protected] Tel: 203-261-3337 x 111