We’ve devoted a lot of space to Content Marketing , but we haven’t yet delved into the intricacies of content that can be chosen to improve your company’s online performance.
We’d like to focus on a tool that has seen exponential growth in its usefulness , not only because of its effectiveness, but also because marketers have now fully understood the use of online and social media advertising. They’ve realized that an ad can’t lead to an impersonal home page, even if well-designed, or to an online shop filled with a wide variety of products.
When generating online ads, you also need to create content that users who click on them will “land.” We didn’t use this original term by chance. The content that users who express interest in an ad see is actually called a landing page (although, as we’ll see, there are different variations of “landing page” and, consequently, different names, such as opt-in page, squeeze page, etc.).
What is a landing page? What are the secrets to writing exceptional ones? Why include them in your content marketing strategy ? Let’s explore these in the following lines.
What is a landing page?
DEFINITION = A landing page is a web page specifically designed to elicit a certain response from users.
It is useful not only to ensure that online surfers land on an attractive page after clicking on an ad, rather than on an anonymous website page, but also to convince visitors to perform a specific action , such as purchasing a product, subscribing to a newsletter, or downloading free content.
In short, a landing page has the challenging task of taking users one step further in their customer journey, a little further down the sales funnel. In fact, well-designed landing pages are more effective at converting visitors into actual or potential customers than other pages on a site, as they offer a more consistent and enjoyable user experience, increasing the likelihood that the visitor will take the desired action.
Why create landing pages?
We’ve seen the initial benefits of a landing page, but that’s not all. These contents are part of a broader set of strategies, defined by the term ” lead generation .” In marketing, leads are potential customers who have shown interest in a company’s products or services . Generating leads means collecting the contact details of potential customers to then subject them to targeted marketing activities and lead them to the purchase of a product or service.
Lead generation helps you identify new market opportunities and expand your potential customer base, improving your sales and profits.
Landing pages and all their derivatives are a fundamental part of lead generation. What are they?
The different types of landing pages
Marketing is full of definitions, and its glossary is immense. We’ve added this brief section of landing page terminology to satisfy your curiosity and because it might be useful in the future, both when a client asks you to create this type of content and when you implement your own content marketing strategy.
While a landing page is a web page designed for a specific goal, such as converting a visitor into a lead or customer , used as a destination for an advertising campaign or a link in an email or message, a squeeze page is a type of landing page designed to obtain contact information from a visitor, such as their name, email address, or phone number. Typically, a squeeze page includes a registration or signup form and a free offer or incentive to encourage the visitor to provide the requested information.
There are two other types of landing pages widely used in content marketing. I’m talking about opt-in pages and bridge pages . The former is similar to a squeeze page, but focuses on collecting contact information to send a newsletter or other marketing content. The term “opt-in” refers to the visitor giving their consent to receive information from the company.
The second is an intermediate page between the main landing page and the sales page. The bridge page serves to provide further information about the product or service offered and to persuade the visitor to take the desired action, such as purchasing a product or signing up for a service.
These aren’t rigid content governed by predetermined structures. Rather, they’re useful distinctions for understanding communication objectives and creating tailored pages that help each company or professional achieve their marketing goals.
These pages are important for increasing conversions, improving user experience, reducing distraction, providing greater tracking, and improving SEO. However, these goals can only be achieved if the landing page is well-designed and structured to maximize conversion rates. How do you create the perfect landing page? I’ll offer you a few tips.
How to write an effective landing page?
Creating a perfect landing page is essential to the success of any online marketing campaign: in fact, content that is carefully crafted down to the smallest detail, whether in terms of graphics, content, or text, can increase conversions, generate quality leads, and improve brand reputation.
Before starting to create your landing page, it’s important to define your goals. These goals could be converting a visitor into a customer, collecting contact information, or generating leads. Based on the answers each content marketing professional provides, you can decide which landing page format to create and which sections to include.
It’s important to understand your target audience to create a landing page that meets their needs and expectations. Communication must always be tailored to its intended audience.
Attention to design
A landing page is made up of three elements: design, media, and copy. Aesthetically, it should have a simple and organized structure , containing high-quality media, such as videos or 4K images. The colors used on the landing page should be consistent with the brand and the message you want to convey. In this regard, remember that colors have a profound impact on people’s psychology.
Typography should be legible and easy to understand , and should be consistent with the rest of the design. No cursive fonts scattered across the page, small fonts, or letters that are too tightly packed together.
Remember to include only relevant sections on your landing page, to maintain order and avoid distracting the reader. The typical structure is as follows (save it and use it wisely):
1 Header
Header with a catchy title and a first sentence that lets the user know what they are about to read.
2 Image or video
Supporting image or video, more engaging and direct than text.
3 Main message
Landing page’s main message to convince visitors to take the desired action.
4 Social proof
5 Form
Conversion/contact form or form.
6 Footer
Footer with brand information.
How to write an effective header
The title is what should immediately capture the user’s attention. It should be short and direct , easy to understand and remember, and spark curiosity to encourage the user to continue reading. To achieve this, you can write a title that uses catchy language and highlights the benefits and advantages of the product or service.
To improve the positioning of the landing page, the title should contain keywords relevant to the product or service.
To achieve these goals, we recommend using Content Row , a site that rates your titles and offers tips to make them even more effective. With the free plan, you can test up to three titles a day, while the Pro plan offers unlimited access.
Below the header, we recommend including a short sentence, no more than three lines, that briefly explains to the user what they’re about to read or buy . This is a small, informative section, not necessarily as persuasive as the title. For example, if your title says “You’ll never feel the need to light up again,” in the section below, you can explain that your quit smoking app was designed by former smokers who care about the health of those who want to quit.
This way, users know what product you are offering and feel intrigued.
How to write supporting text
We come to the most complex part of writing a landing page: what do I write to convince someone to leave their contact information or buy something? The text of a landing page should be concise, clear, and compelling. Nothing should be boring or distracting. Less is more when it comes to landing pages. There are some elements that certainly cannot be missing:
- Obviously, as already said, a catchy title;
- If the company is not very well known, it is better to introduce yourself and briefly tell your story, inspiring the user’s trust;
- Short and clear product description, supported by videos, graphic info or images;
- The features and benefits of the product or service you are selling;
- Testimonials from those who have already tried it;
- Call to action.
Landing page copy should be designed to encourage action, motivating visitors to make a purchase or provide their contact information. The language should be engaging, and the author must demonstrate their skills as a persuasive and communicative force.
Before writing, remember that it’s essential to conduct keyword research to make your landing page optimized and searchable.
What should the call to action be like?
A key aspect of a landing page that shouldn’t be underestimated is the call to action, a small sentence that can make all the difference . To be clear, the call to action is what leads your user to take the desired action.
How should it be to achieve your goals? First, it needs to be unambiguous. Some marketers create landing pages with two or more calls to action that can confuse users and cause them to abandon the page. Choose one that aligns with your goals.
Your call to action should be clear and understandable, without frills or circumlocutions. It’s true that some marketers today are experimenting with calls to action that go beyond the usual “learn more,” “contact us,” or “buy now” to put a smile on the user’s face, lure them in, and lead them to take a certain action. However, this is a double-edged sword. An overly creative call to action could confuse the user and fail to deliver the desired results.
Beyond the content of the call to action, its aesthetics and placement must also be carefully considered. Your call to action should be visually appealing, with a vibrant color or design that makes it stand out on the page. It absolutely shouldn’t be hidden: users must find it immediately. So, make sure it’s clearly visible, highlighted, and easy to reach.
The ideal position for a call to action on a landing page depends on the page’s layout and design. Marketers disagree on this. Some prefer to place it in the top right corner of the page: this position is highly visible and easily accessible, and works well for many landing pages. Others, however, argue that it’s better to place it in the center of the page, so that users can see it as they scroll.
Some place it at the top and bottom, others just at the bottom, so the user is forced to read the entire text before clicking. Opinions are many and divergent. We recommend testing different CTA placements to determine which works best for your landing page and your specific objective.
The following image, for example, is one of the calls to action on the “Unobravo” website . What’s striking is the use of common, to-the-point patterns: “Learn more” is clear and straightforward text, persuading the reader to click the button.
Conclusion
In this article we talked about landing pages, but we’ll soon cover other topics to help you improve your content strategy and your business.
Content strategy is a crucial strategy for businesses because it allows them to build relationships with their customers, increase brand awareness, generate leads and conversions, improve SEO, and reach new potential customers. So, never underestimate its effectiveness.
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