Landing Page Best Practices: the DOs and DON’Ts

Landing pages have never been more critical to your business than they are today. Your potential customers’ attention span is short and they have dozens of listings to scroll through and choose from, so you’ve got to maximize your chance with them.

If they’re looking for a service and your landing page doesn’t strike the right balance of interest, appeal and accessibility within a small timeframe, they’ll move on to find one that does. So how do you make sure you don’t waste your chance with them and actually turn a click into a conversion? Here are a few landing page best practices from the digital marketing experts at VitalStorm that will hopefully help you tailor yours to perfection.

DO: Optimize Your Landing Page “Above the Fold”

In newspaper terms, “above the fold” refers to the space in the upper half of the front page, which potential customers would see at the stand as they walked by. Ideally, whatever was placed there would be interesting enough to entice them to purchase a copy.

The concept is still the same in digital marketing, even if the execution is a bit different. In our field, “above the fold” refers to the part of your landing page that pops up immediately when someone clicks on it – it’s what they see without scrolling. And you need to make an impression right then and there.

What works for some businesses doesn’t work for others, so there isn’t a secret strategy to optimizing this space.

– For example, if you’re a well-known entity already, your call-to-action can go here. Customers know what they’re getting and don’t need convincing.

– But a more niche, under-the-radar business, however, should use this space to draw the customer in more. Place your CTA farther down so that the customer has the necessary info to proceed first.

DON’T: Stuff Your Landing Page Full of CTAs and Other Fields

Some businesses think that a landing page needs to be a comprehensive layout of everything they offer all at once. While it might make sense, all this does is confuse and overwhelm the customer.

Think about it: if you’re checking a landing page out, would you want a dozen different links or CTAs that point you in different directions? You wouldn’t even know what you’re supposed to do! With that in mind, keep it simple. Present a clear conversion with a simple CTA so you can maximize opportunities.

DO: Contrast the CTA with Everything Else

Nothing’s more infuriating as a customer than deciding you’d like to proceed with a business or service, only to be stumped while you try to figure out where you’re supposed to do just that. You’d be surprised at how many businesses hurt themselves by making their CTA blend in too much with the rest of the landing page.

Make sure the CTA is clear and contrasts well with the other elements. You want to draw the potential customer’s eye in and have it focus on the part you need them to click on.

DON’T: Ignore the Metadata

Your landing page blends in with a handful of others on search engines, and all that text starts to look the same after a while. Even if you’ve got the most appealing and drop-dead gorgeous landing page around, it won’t matter if the potential customer doesn’t click on your link in the first place.

Metadata is critical to separating your page from the rest of the pack. Making the most of those few short lines can sway the customer’s mind one way or the other, so make sure you’re knocking it out of the park! Here are a few handy tips for maximizing your metadata from the Weidert Group.

DO: Let VitalStorm Craft Your Perfectly Tailored Landing Page

There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re figuring out how to make your landing page stand out. And if you don’t know the ins and outs of how they work, your business may lag behind while the rest of your competition sprints ahead.

With VitalStorm’s help, though, that won’t be the last. When our talented team optimizes your landing page from scratch, you can be sure you’ll be right in the thick of things.

Get in touch with us at 1-877-311-5696 to take the first step in establishing your spot at the top of the market!