How To Create a Landing Page: The Complete Guide

Because creating these are so essential for your business, we decided to share a few of our secrets to perfect landing pages. Buckle up for a detailed guide explaining tried-and-true practices that will help you make incredible landing pages.

What Is a Landing Page?

First, you need to know how to distinguish between landing pages and other parts of a website. While your homepage, about page and product pages tend to play an informational role, landing pages are pure marketing. They have one purpose: conversion.

Most landing pages are designed to nudge potential clients to make a purchase, and they are a vital part of the buyer’s journey. Learning how to make a landing page that generates valuable leads will have a large payoff in the long run.

What Are the Benefits of Landing Pages?

Mastering the art of the landing page can have major benefits for your ad campaigns. The average conversion for normal product pages on a website is around 1.5%. When you use well-designed landing pages instead, it’s possible to reach a 2.5–5.3% conversion rate or more. The top 10% of e-commerce businesses hit rates of almost 12%.

This is phenomenal compared to hoping someone happens to convert via a simple product page. Creating a landing pages that is targeted and focused can give you an edge against competitors, and that’s pretty valuable to have.

So keeping the real purpose of these marketing tools in mind can help you maximize their effectiveness. And how effective can landing pages be? Hint: very.

How To Create a Landing Page That Gets Results

Designing successful landing pages isn’t something that happens by accident. Taking a DIY approach to this type of content (perhaps by using a template) rarely produces good results. The best marketing teams and professional content creation services perform in-depth research to understand what customers are looking for and why.

What kind of information do these experts look for? We put together a guide that highlights the crucial parts of any good landing page. Follow these tried-and-tested methods to create a landing page that gets attention:

1. Identify Your Objective

Don’t know how to create a landing page? Stat by setting goals. Your objective affects everything from the colors you select to the layout you use. Keep long-term and short-term goals in mind.

Long-Term Goals

Determine what you are hoping to accomplish with a landing page. This might include obtaining valuable business leads from a PPC ad campaign or to increase the number of people who subscribe to one of your services. Large-scale marketing objectives help to determine what kind of landing page you need.

Short-Term Goals

What are some of the smaller goals you want to achieve? You may want to encourage visitors to register for a free account or to schedule an appointment. Email campaigns may use a landing page to promote direct sales. When creating a landing page or submitting a landing page request to copywriting services, make sure to specify the primary goal of the page.

This landing page from Uber is a perfect example of focused marketing. The objective, to get more people to drive for the company, is part of every element on the page. The heading states it, the signup form makes it easy, the additional content shows why it’s a good idea, and even the image is designed to make the target audience decide to start driving. If you want to know how to make a landing page, take lessons from Uber.

It’s a great idea to create a separate landing page for each of your marketing objectives. Going from 10 to 15 landing pages on your website can provide an increase of over 50% in lead generation. Some websites have 40 landing pages or more.

2. Highlight the CTA

The next thing a marketing content writer does when building a landing page is design the call to action. Content creation services experts always tie the CTA directly to the page’s objective. For example, if the goal is to get people to create an account, your CTA should say something like “Create Account.” Here a few popular options:

• “Buy Now”
• “Purchase”
• “Sign Up”
• “Download Now”
• “Create a Free Account”

All of these CTAs are direct and concise. They tell visitors exactly what you want them to do with the information on the page. If you’ve learned anything yet about how to create a landing page, be sure to always include some way for customers to act.

Gumroad’s mobile landing page uses a friendly “Show me” button that’s clear and concise. Even better, the text on the page is directly connected to that CTA button.

The CTA is probably the most important element on a landing page. All the other content should connect to the CTA somehow, either highlighting it or showing why to click on it. In a perfect landing page, the visitor sees clicking on the CTA as the logical action to take.

3. Keep Things Simple

If there’s one place on your website where less is more, it’s on a landing page. The next element of how to create a landing page is creating something that is clear, short and easy to understand. It should draw readers immediately to your call to action and provide the nudge needed to get them to click. You don’t need to include every possible bullet point and the kitchen sink in order to convince people that your company is great.

How To Avoid Using Too Much

One way to minimize distractions is to opt for a clean layout. Avoid including too much text on the page. If you find it necessary to highlight a few features or advantages of your product, stick to three or four max.

It’s hard to beat the minimalist style of this landing page from Quip. The simple text, sleek image and nice color contrast is a win. We especially like the way the “Learn more” invitation to scroll doesn’t distract from the main point.

Only mention one main point — at least above the fold. If your goal is to get people to take advantage of a special offer, focus on that discount, perhaps saying something like “Save 75% Right Now on the Best Immune System Booster!”

What you don’t want to do is launch into a massive wall of text sharing every detail about your product. That’s what product pages are for. Including too much info on a landing page can be distracting and confusing.

Finally, use simple language and short sentences. Knowing how to create a landing page is mainly just about you telling visitors what to do and why. This simplicity adds motivating power to your words.

4. Create Powerful but Concise Copy

The best landing pages are like espresso. They contain all the flair of longer pages, but they’re compressed into a few strong sentences. This is the kind of copy you can expect from professional content creation services. When you use phrases that are memorable, bold and concise, it takes only a few seconds to make an impression. Getting the attention of customers and keeping it is a big part of how to write a landing page.

Notice how much information Netflix manages to convey on this landing page in just 10 words. In reality, anything more would be superfluous. We love the no-pressure tone of the clear “Try it now” CTA as well.

Never Cut on Quality

Minimizing the text on a landing page doesn’t mean sacrificing quality. Attention-grabbing copy is the lifeblood of effective landing pages. It motivates the reader, bringing to mind positive images and stirring emotions.

Here’s an example of sentences to avoid: “If you contact us, we can help you become even more successful in finding out what your customers are looking for. Our product has been used by 100,000 business owners, and they’ve been very happy with it.”

How would copywriting services specialists fix that meandering text? Look at this punchy phrase: “Discover the secret to total customer satisfaction. Try the software that 100,000 owners love – for free!” Both paragraphs state the same idea, but using strong copy provides a much more exciting and motivating result.

5. Use the Power of Persuasion

How can you persuade visitors to click on your CTA or fill out a form? Learning how to create a landing page that persuades customers takes effort. You need to show people why they should care about what you’re offering. Here are a few effective ways to do just that:

Tell A Story

Some customers respond best when you paint an attractive mental picture. For example, a working mom who feels tired may respond to “The time-saving cooking miracle for supermoms!” or “Treat your skin to ultimate luxury and relaxation.”

Present a Problem and Solution

One of the most effective ways to persuade is by presenting a common problem and showing how your company can solve it. As long as you choose something target customers relate to, you’re practically guaranteed to grab their attention. Here’s a good example: “Are electricity bills costing you an arm and a leg? Install energy-efficient heating and air-conditioning today!”

Highlight the Benefits

Include a few bullet points highlighting the advantages your product provides. You can even use your primary text in this way. Notice the impact of this example: “Discover the only outdoor pizza oven with wireless temperature control.” Features and benefits are excellent motivators.

Use a Powerful Statistic

A powerful statistic can engage readers and hold their attention. Specific numbers often create strong emotions in people, often due to their desire to fit in. Saying “75% of smartphone users trust us” suddenly adds incredible weight to your company’s reputation and your call to action.

This landing page from Casper relies on a dynamic statistic that tells the reader, “I made a great choice when I clicked on this link.”

Take Advantage of Urgency

Few motivators are as effective as the fear of missing out. When attractive discounts are paired with “Two days only!” they can be especially hard to resist. Other expressions that create urgency include exclusive offers and temporary holds.

Share Customer Reviews

A recent study revealed that 69% of shoppers look for product reviews when deciding whether to purchase. Over 40% want to see customer testimonials. This is why many landing pages use product ratings (stars) and positive testimonials to convince readers of the best choice.

The most effective methods of persuasion depend on your target audience. Some age groups respond strongly to peer reviews. Other customers are looking for product benefits and trustworthy statistics. Know your audience, and you’ll know how to create a landing page for them.

6. Choose Custom Landing Pages

Templates and cookie-cutter pages simply aren’t enough to convince people. It’s vital for your business to make sure your content says exactly what customers need to hear.

To accomplish this, the best SEO copywriting services take the time to get to know your business identity and your customers. Using content personalized to your target audience lets you answer the right questions and provide ideal solutions.

Knowing your business also helps copywriting services teams select a CTA that offers the best results. If a small business doesn’t have time to invest in social media, sending potential customers to Twitter or Facebook may leave them with a negative impression instead of a positive one. Better alternatives are to use a phone number in the CTA or a contact us form to fill out.

7. Stick With Your Brand Voice

Even though landing pages need to be simple and concise, there’s still plenty of flexibility for being yourself. It’s important for this type of marketing to fit in with the rest of your content so visitors have a positive transition. If you’re laid-back, humorous or quirky in your blog, use the same style on landing pages. Knowing how to create a landing page with personality has its perks.

This advice also applies to your call to action. You may see benefits from giving your CTA a more personalized twist. “See Plans and Pricing” is a great fit for serious business professionals, while high-energy CTA buttons such as “Yes, I Want To Lose 20 Pounds!” are exactly what you may expect from a company offering weight-loss secrets.

8. Keep the CTA Button Visible

It’s impossible to overstress the importance of your CTA. How can you make sure it’s easy to click on?

First, make it big. The CTA should stand out on the page. Position the button so it’s the first thing people see when the page loads. Scrolling CTA banners are a smooth option — they stay at the top of the screen no matter how far you scroll.

Always keep this all-important element above the fold. If bullet points or short paragraphs are necessary to convince readers to take the plunge, put them below the CTA, not above it. Readers should never have to scroll down to take action.

Here, Moz does a great job at making sure the CTA stands out from everything else on the page. With this type of B2B landing page, it’s appropriate that the company included a few high-value headings, and their simplicity doesn’t take away from the page’s focus at all. Knowing when and how to make a landing page with these features often comes down to style and readability.

9. Test Your Results

There’s no magic landing page formula that guarantees ideal results every time. Humans aren’t easy to predict, so it’s often necessary to tweak online content to achieve your goals. That’s where A/B testing comes in.

Testing tells you ahead of time what works and what doesn’t with your target base. Even something as simple as a contrasting button color can have a significant impact on conversion rates.

Coordinating testing with digital content creation services also matters because there are exceptions to every rule. For example, to reduce page loading times, putting a video on your landing page should be a terrible idea. However, for many brands, including an interesting video increases conversion rates. With testing, you can know how to create a landing page with all the right features.

The Checklist: Essential Parts of Amazing Landing Pages

Now that you know the importance of keeping things simple and focusing attention on your CTA, how can you put it into practice in the creation of a landing page? Here are the essential things that every landing page needs:

Great Copy

We’ve put this first because it’s the cornerstone of knowing how to create a landing page. Always invest in the best content creation services for your landing page. Nothing motivates like expressive and imaginative copy.

Shopify intelligently uses a combination of benefit-focused bullet points, clear copy, video and specific statistics to wow visitors. This doesn’t happen by accident.

Appropriate Trust Symbols

Depending on your product, including trust symbols can reinforce your brand’s expertise in the mind of readers. Part of knowing how to create a landing page is knowing how to gain the trust of your customers.

If you’ve never heard of Fitness Singles before, would you feel comfortable giving the company information about your zip code and birth date? Probably not. However, as soon as you see well-known names such as Good Morning America, USA Today and the BBB, joining up now seems perfectly safe. That’s what trust symbols do for people.

Prominent Ratings and Reviews

For mobile-first landing page design, product ratings are one of the best elements to feature clearly. They have a large emotional impact on visitors, and they don’t take up much space. Reviews and testimonials can also be effective, as long as they don’t distract from your call to action.

Clear Images

Learning how to create landing page means you need to feel comfortable using mixed media. The right images can complement your storytelling and drive the point home for customers. Photos can also be helpful for breaking down a complex topic into something the audience can understand instantly.

This example from GetResponse shows when an image can make a big difference for landing pages.

Sleek Side-By-Side Comparisons

When a brand offers multiple products that are similar, a side-by-side comparison can tailor the call-to-action to individual customers. Subscription-based payment models with tiered services often use this technique to show exactly what you get with each option.

Norton does a good job with this side-by-side comparison, choosing the most important bullet points for above the fold.

Awesome Videos

If you want to create an exciting narrative or highlight products that are suited to a visual “show-me-how” presentation, a video may be perfect. Many people enjoy clicking on videos (and staying above the fold) more than scrolling down a list of headings with text.

Obviously, it takes some finesse to know how to create a landing page with these elements, and which ones to include for your brand. It’s not always easy to compress the essentials in a way that leaves the main points clearly in mind. That’s why using a template can’t compare to the quality you get from professional content creation services.

Common Landing Page Mistakes To Avoid

The incredibly short and simple style of landing pages makes it easy to accidentally go overboard when designing them. Here are a few mistakes to watch out for:

Focusing too much on convincing visitors. Stay centered on your primary goal of conversion. Remember that many people have arrived on the page via a PPC or marketing email, so they already have some purchasing intent. You shouldn’t need to go into too much detail about benefits and features.

Hiding the CTA below the fold. Don’t do it. Please. Putting the CTA at the end of a long page is like a salesman who keeps on talking when the client was already convinced five minutes ago.

Creating too many CTAs on the page. Each time you encourage the visitor to do something, such as “Contact us,” “Buy now” or “Request more info,” it’s a call to action. Using too many CTAs can confuse readers or distract from your main goal. Stick to one.

Additional Mistakes To Avoid

Misguided attempts to convince the readers aren’t the only mistake some companies make. Confusing the reader may cause even more damage. Here are a few mistakes you don’t want to make when it comes to the purpose and quality of your content:

Designing landing pages like they’re home pages. A landing page is dedicated to conversion, not to teaching people more about your company. Don’t link to your “About Us” page, products pages or services pages. Better yet, get rid of site navigation tools completely, leaving just the call to action.

Not investing in the best copy. Powerful text makes all the difference in the world for purchasing intent. If you want the best results, choose a marketing content writer with experience in landing pages.

Always design these pages with your target customers in mind. Getting inspiration from other awesome landing pages is great, but your conversion statistics tell the real story. If a red button provides better results than a green one, choose the red one.

Finalizing the Best Landing Pages

When everything is said and done, take a step back and look at your landing pages through the eyes of your customers. Do your landing pages draw your attention to the call to action and focus on your objective? If you notice that the page feels crowded or confusing, don’t be afraid to make edits. Simplicity is vital, and that often leads to trimming your text.

Toss out any statistics that are interesting but don’t really contribute to the call to action. Eliminate excess words and sentences until you end up with the pure essence of your message. A great marketing content writer knows how to say a lot with a few words.

What’s a landing page without the writers who create it? Take the fuss out of learning how to create a landing page by partnering with content experts. At BKA, our high-quality content creation services let you appeal to customers like never before. Drive conversions with smart phrases that make an instant impact.