Kill Your Landing Page Conversions By Forgetting These 4 Elements

I’ve seen countless of landing pages just wasting opportunities to convert their visitors by neglecting the content. And you’re right — most landing pages DO have a headline and call-to-action. But just having them isn’t enough. They actually need to perform their job well. Here are four elements you need to include in your landing pages to maximise your conversions.

A CAPTIVATING HEADLINE

Captivating? What the hell? Yeah, captivating…like ‘her gaze from across the ballroom was captivating’ kinda captivating. Your headline needs to CAPTIVATE your visitors. An ‘interesting’ headline simply isn’t enough. You have precious seconds to win them over with your headline. You can make yours captivating using…

• The testimonial — That’s right, you can use a testimonial as a headline. It’s an amazing combination of social proof and benefits-oriented text. The right customer testimonial sings your praises, talks about how your product or services improved their lives, and shows evidence (numbers or statistics) to prove it. Example: Highrise.
• The empathiser — Empathising with your prospect proves you know them well enough to solve their problems. It also builds trust and engages them in a relevant conversation. Example: Muzzle.
• The promise — What key benefit will your prospect get out of using your product/service? Narrowing down to focus on how you’ll improve their lives is a powerful way to keep your audience reading. Example: Teambit.
• The gift — In marketing, reciprocity is a powerful force of persuasion. Give your audience something free, and they’re far more likely to reciprocate. It could be a free trial, product, or useful information. Example: Kissmetrics.

HOLY CRAP! SOCIAL PROOF

The kind of social proof that makes them go “HOLY CRAP, I want that to be me!”. Customer quotes and testimonials are so extraordinarily powerful because SOMEONE ELSE is blowing your trumpet for you — and that someone else is likely very similar demographically to your reader.

• Get benefits — Social proof that discusses how your product or service improved their lives for the better is a powerful way to win your prospects over to your side and keep them reading. Example: Chownow.
• Relates to readers — The testimonial-giver should fit the demographics of your target audience and relate to their situation or predicament, or else they’ll fail to relate and are far more likely to bounce from your page. Example: Taskforce.
• Show statistics — Cold, hard proof of the results you can deliver is an effective way to reinforce the case that your business is the right choice.
• Use photos — Images — especially of people — will connect with your readers and build trust. Even better, use images of real customers that demographically match your target audience. Example: Booker.

ENGAGING, RELEVANT MEDIA

Put the damn generic stock photos away. Chuck the low-res screenshots in your PC’s recycling bin. Wipe the cheap Fiverr explainer animation you had done 4 years ago from your memory. Your landing page is precious real estate. The media that appears there needs to seamlessly fit with your brand’s identity, inform your readers, and complement your landing page copy. Use…

• Real people — Cheesy stock images will often damage your chances. Use real images of employees and customers will help you engage with the people you want to engage with. Example: Articulate.
• Product shots — Whether it’s a real-life product or a digital tool, show what you’re offering. Whether in image, GIF, or video, people want to know what you’re selling them. Show the most important aspects of your products. Example: Mailcube.
• High-quality — Low res, badly-cropped images will damage your brand image. Make sure the media you use is well-captured and high-quality.

A DESIRABLE, COMPELLING CALL-TO-ACTION

This is probably the most important element of your entire page. Your landing page — by nature — IS BUILT for your call to action. So are you really going to waste the opportunity with a dull, ‘subscribe or ‘purchase’ button? You need a CTA that’s truly going to compel your readers to click. Here’s how…

• Offer something — The principles of reciprocity are powerful. Give something for free — e.g. a free trial, a gift, a taster of your tool/services — and your prospects will be far more likely to give you what you want (normally, their contact details). Example: Netflix.
• Use action words — Start, Discover, Learn, Save…powerful action words that communicate a key benefit will be sure to increase your landing page conversions. Example: Manpack.
• Use time-sensitivity — Few things encourage urgency of action as time. Add a time limit to your offer to encourage your visitors to take action before it’s too late.
• Make it stand out — Your call-to-action should be visually distinctive. That means a large size and a colour that contrasts with the rest of your website. Example: Openmile.

I hope the above will help you in creating a high-conversion landing page! If you have any comments or questions, add them below.