How to create an effective landing page

Landing pages can be created with several goals in mind; let's see what these goals may be and what features or key elements they must include to be successful. Take note!

What is a landing page?

Landing pages are landing pages designed with the main objective of capturing the attention of users and converting them into leads. The content of this kind of page must be very specific and direct, to avoid distracting the user and to encourage them to take a specific action: downloading an e-book, viewing a video, filling in a form, etc.

What are the possible goals of a landing page?

The key function of this type of page is to capture users over the Internet. Besides this, there may be other goals in mind, including the following:

1. Generating leads: As explained, this is one of the main goals and consists of a web page containing material with valuable information to be downloaded by the user, such as e-books, tutorials, resources or guides. This type of landing must include a form to gather details, to enable the user to download the content.
2. Selling a product or service: Selling through a landing page is usually very frequent, given that, in theory, more leads are generated this way than through a website. It must include a specific explanation of the product or service, the main benefit for the user and a clear call-to-action, capturing the user's click.
3. Gaining followers: Another goal of a landing page may be to improve social bookmarking and increase the number of followers on social networks. In this case, the landing usually features content of value for users and the option to share or follow on social networks.

Features of an effective landing page

A landing page can include different elements depending on the goal it has been set, but there are some features that are common to this type of web page to ensure it is effective and fully optimised:

1. Clear benefits: At the start of the landing page it is vital to clearly explain the benefit being offered. You will often see pages that make the error of explaining the features before the benefits. To include them, it is recommended to display lists or bullet points or create multimedia content.
2. Form: Forms are an essential part of a landing page, giving you the power to gather users' details and convert them into leads. The number of fields in a form must be equal to the benefit that the user will receive for filling it out.
3. Remove browser menus: It is worthwhile removing any leak point that can mislead the user and prevent the main goal of the landing page from being fulfilled. This will help users to focus only on what is being offered and to boost the conversion rate.
4. Striking title: About 75% of a landing page's success depends on its title. It is worth creating striking and catchy titles that are related to the product or service offered.
5. Picture of the product or service: A landing page must include one or, at the most, two images to avoid distracting the user. These must clearly depict the product or service.
6. Call-to-action: This feature is essential to a landing page. The copy must contain a verb and must not exceed 4 words. It is important to place the button in an easily accessible and attractive location for the user.
7. Friendly URL: Avoid long URLs or ones with words that do not define the content of the landing page. It is recommendable to create a link that is easy to follow and that relates to what the user will encounter when entering the page.

Now that you know how a landing page should look, start to create yours and make sure the benefit for the user is always clear. This, accompanied by good copy and a translation of the content, will stimulate your website's conversions.