Best Practices for Landing Page Design

The first rule of landing page design best practices is this: No matter how much time you put into it, they are JUST a starting point. Every client base is unique and will do their own things.  Be sure to experiment with A/B tests (we can help set those up!) to determine which color/headlines/layouts work best and let the customers decide what they think is the best converting page for the job.

But... there are best practices for landing page design that will give you a leg up over your competition and give you a good shot at getting a high converting landing page from the start

Jump to a Landing Page Best Practice

1. Show visitors what they expect	7. Use clear, compelling copy
2. Keep the action above the fold	8. Keep it fast!
3. Use directional cues to direct the eye	9. Design for the right device
4. Show your product or service in action	10. Test and update your landing pages
5. Remove distractions	11. Consider using a template
6. Include (authentic) social proof

1. Ensure your messaging matches your ads. Show visitors what they expect!

You should be using landing pages to ensure you’re sending people to a page that matches their expectations. Help your visitors know they are in the right place by making sureyour landing page copy (and design) match  the ads you’re running in search or social.

For example, an ad for fun t-shorts for kids that brings visitors to a landing page focused on whole family clothing will likely drive more visitors away than one that stays on message. In this example, the person click on the ad for kids t-shirts is expecting to see kids t-shirts for sale.  Show them what they expect!!!

2. Keep the action above the fold

The term “above the fold” is an older term that refers to the upper half of the front page of a newspaper. Above the fold was the first thing people saw when looking at a newspaper.  These days, it more often describes what’s visible on a screen before scrolling down. This is the most valuable place on your landing page and you’ll want to make the most of it.

Keep your headline, unique sales proposition (USP), and, most importantly, your calls to action (CTA's) highly visible by placing these elements above the fold. Don’t cram more than you need to onto the screen  (less is more)—too much above the fold can make it difficult to see your CTA—but make sure everything a visitor needs is visible from the get-go.

3. Use directional cues to direct the eye

Include visual indicators that draw the eye towards what you want the visitor to do is a good idea. These cues can include literal pointers, like arrows, as well as other shapes, images, animations, or even copy that keep visitors happily scrolling and reading.  Another great example is the hero image (first image on a page) that is "looking" in the direction of the main CTA button.

Similar directional cues should be used to help prospects find your call to action. Use bold, contrasting colors and an easily recognizable shape—buttons should look like buttons—so that the CTA pops out from the rest. Use arrows, animations, or even picture of pointing people to draw further attention to it.

It may sound cheesy, but these visual clues can make the difference between an OK landing page and one that is amazing at conversions!

4. Show your product/service in action

Showing your product or service in a real-life context helps visitors imagine themselves as your customer.  Apple does this better than anyone.  Every Apple commercial helps you to imagine "What if that was mine!"  The old iPod commercials were fantastic at this. Just a silhouette dancing with their entire music library in the palm of their hands. You could just imagine yourself as one of those people dancing listening to your music library.

Showing your product or service is also an effective way to show how your product or service works. Whether you use still photographs, step-by-step animations, or demo videos, visuals can help you to capture and keep their attention.

5. Remove navigation and other distractions

A great landing page focuses on a single conversion goal, so minimize other distractions that might carry visitors away.  So hide your header and navigation on a landing page.  Resist the urge to include unnecessary links away from your landing page, including site navigation, additional calls to action, or even links back to your homepage. Your landing page will work best if it stands alone.

6. Include Social Proof (real testimonials)

People are savvy and getting savvier all the time. No matter how good you think your offering is, including reviews and testimonials of satisfied customers and community members can adds authenticity to your claims . It provides the proof in the pudding!

What is more convincing... perfect and glowing reviews from Jane Doe, Anonymous, and Satisfied Customer?  Or real testimonials from real people?  If you can (and if you have their permission to) include personal details, like first name and last initial, job titles, place of residence, date of purchase, biographical details, portraits, or even video.

7. Use clear and compelling copy

Good copy shouldn’t read like a novel. It should be clear and straightforward. It should be as readable as the back of a cereal box. If you can make it entertaining and engaging, even better!  Though some offerings demand longer copy (and, as a result, longer landing pages), most benefit from keeping things short. Think fewer paragraphs, more bulleted lists.

Keep it simple and to the point.

TIP: Ask people unfamiliar with your business to read your headline and supporting copy. Then ask them what you’re offering and what problem you solve. If they can’t answer clearly, it's time to revisit your messaging.

8. Keep it fast.

According to Unbounce’s Page Speed Report for Marketers, 70% of consumers admit that loading time influences their desire to buy. If your pages are taking more than 3 seconds to load on a mobile device, you’re going to lose a lot of potential customers.

Use what your competition is doing a strong starting point, and then go from there.