What do we mean when we talk about optimizing a landing page? Quite simply, it’s about maximizing lead conversion. You need consumers to not only reach your page, but to act on it. In these days of tight competition in all markets it is essential that you take the time to ensure your landing page is as effective as possible, and there are several ways you can do this. Below, we look at the main areas of optimization, and how you can design a page that will engage and entice the consumer.
Choose a Strong Headline
First impressions count, and where a landing page is concerned the headline needs to grab the reader’s attention. A headline that is strong, sharp and – more than anything – relevant to your products, content and keywords is the first step to optimization. Many of your visitors will only read the headline, and then click through to where they want to be. Unless that first line is attention-grabbing you are losing some custom at the start of the process. Check your rivals and see what they have as the opening line and make yours better.
Related reading: How to do keyword research
Find Your Theme
Good website design will always involve a relevant theme which should carry through all pages. The design should naturally be consistent with your brand and corporate colours. A clean, modern-looking landing page with a professional appearance engenders trust in the consumer.
One that is professionally designed and created is easy to tell apart from a site that has been put together by yourself, so unless you are a website designer it is worth setting aside some of your marketing budget for a bespoke site. Make sure the website is pleasing to the eye yet also simple enough to navigate, as complex sites do put the average consumer off.
One final point regards this: take the time to select a main image that is relevant to the brand and product or service you provide.
Create Good Content
The old adage that ‘content is king’ may be a cliché, but it’s also a fact. Remember that you are not only optimizing your site for readers but also for the search engines, primarily Google. Google looks for relevance between the headline, your page copy, and ad copy when it comes to determining a landing page rank. It also looks for quality copy that is well-written and informative. In the early days of search engine optimization content would be keyword rich.
Now it is quality that counts, not simply stuffing an article with keywords. If you are not a writer there are many freelancers who can provide you with excellent copy at sensible rates. There are also AI copywriting tools that you can use to produce copy, and some are sophisticated and cut down on the time and cost of creating quality copy.
Keep your copy concise and engaging, and most of all relevant to the product or service you provide for maximum optimization. Make sure it gives enough information to inform the reader and to get across the benefits of your product. The aim is to entice the consumer to take the next step and make a purchase.
Devise an Engaging Form
Your landing page should include a form for your customers to fill in and register. However, there are some factors you need to consider. The first is that, in general, consumers are wary about filling in personal details on websites. While the form is primarily for your data collection purposes, they are aware of this. This is why you need to keep it simple.
Ask for only a few details – name, email, phone number – and no more. The more data you request, the less likely the consumer will continue. A call to action should be added to the form, perhaps offering a free guide or small discount should they sign up, thus giving further reason to supply you with the information you want.
Always create a ‘thank you’ message that is automatically displayed when the visitor submits the form, as this gives the consumer more proof you care about their business. Make sure that your privacy policy is also highlighted at the point. Getting the consumer to fill in the details is a step you need to complete if you are to gather data on conversions and leads, so take the time to get this step right.
Related Reading: Lead Generation Funnel; simple guide
Optimize Your Page Settings
Your landing page settings should be optimized fully to ensure you can gather data on its efficiency. Optimization should include your URL, a footer with any relevant links – such as a link to your home page – and your analytics codes and scripts. This is for your purpose rather than for the consumer. Once you have all the above completed, you should have a landing page that is correctly optimized to target the right customer base efficiently. A wise thing will be to examine how some respectable SEO agency handles the optimization phase, for example, look at some of the top SEO agencies.
Related Reading; Are SEO Agencies worth the cost?
Let’s have a quick summary of the above.
Conclusion
Optimizing your landing page is not the work of a moment. Search engine optimization may not be your strong point. If this is the case, then we recommend you engage the services of an SEO expert who will assess your site and help achieve the optimum. There are professionals who offer their services on a freelance basis, and they will be able to provide you with excellent results at sensible rates.
As we mentioned above, quality and informative content is the most important part of your landing page. This includes the headline as well as any content within the page including product descriptions and other information. We advise you check out AI tools for content creation – Anyword is a good tool that is easy to use and effective, for example – as these can reduce time and expense that content creation involves.
It pays to spend a good amount of time and your marketing budget designing and optimizing your landing pages. Make it a priority and get help where you feel it is necessary and you will soon see the difference in terms of lead conversion.