Landing pages are vital to your marketing strategy. All your efforts – and investments – to drive traffic to your website are like tossing your branding dollars out the window if your website visitors don’t convert.

In marketing parlance, the term “conversion” simply means that visitors to your website landing page take the actions you want them to take. Completing a purchase, subscribing to your newsletter, requesting more information, scheduling a consultation – these are the “conversions” that lead to new business.

It’s all well and good if an email recipient clicks a link in your campaign message, but if they abandon your landing page without converting, you’ve lost value on your email campaign.

The Secret Sauce of Conversion? It’s Connection

If your website visitors are able to build a meaningful connection with your business, they’ll take action on your landing page – the action you want them to take.

Although connection can be intellectual, logical, and rational, the most powerful connections are emotional. Emotion, along with a splash of desire, is more than twice as effective as logic in marketing. If you persuade someone that your service or product will fulfill their needs and desires, you’re likely to increase your conversion rate.

Most landing pages need to be optimized to achieve a healthy conversion rate. Here are a few tips and tricks to optimize your landing page for conversions.

Use Elements That Boost Landing Page Conversion Rates

  • An eye-catching headline
  • A persuasive image
  • Customer-focused content
  • A visible call-to-action
  • A convenient response form
  • Credibility builders

Headlines: Make Every Word Count

Whatever your marketing message, make it all about your users. Right off the bat, using the words “you” and “your” can build instant rapport. It’s also the simplest way to strike an emotional chord. After all, prospects have come to your landing page because they have a problem they need to solve!

You know you have the solution, but first you must let your prospect know that you understand their pain.

Images: Show Them a Mirror

Do some A/B testing to find the type of imagery that connects with your market. Does your photography reflect your market demographics? Do facial expressions reflect the pain your prospects are feeling or the relief they’ll enjoy when you help them? Do they respond better to graphic concept imagery and color?

Content: Keep It Simple, Relevant, and Personal

Your landing page visitors want to know that you understand their problems, wants, and needs. This is not the time to explain your solutions. Remember that the objective of your landing page is not so much to inform or convince as it is to lead the visitor to take action. That action enables your company to begin the sales process with a virtual or literal conversation.

Call-to-Action: Power Words for Landing Page Conversions

These might be the most powerful words on your landing page:

YOU should do this FREE [action] NOW BECAUSE…

The word YOU is more persuasive because it speaks directly to your customer; the word FREE is more influential than any other discount; the word NOW creates a sense of urgency to make a decision; the word BECAUSE indicates you are able to provide a solution.

Response Form: Make It Easy on Me

Whether you choose a pop-up or an embedded form, make it easy for visitors to respond. “Required” fields can cause incomplete conversions if visitors feel your information requests are too much or too personal. Decide what you really need in order to “create a connection” and limit info fields to a maximum of four or five. Remember to post your abbreviated cookie policy when you ask visitors to submit a form.

Credibility: Build Trust in Your Business

Some subtle page elements whisper, “You can trust us to solve your problems.” Use these to your advantage. For starters, a carousel of customer or partner logos gives your prospect confidence that others have been satisfied with your service. Of course, a more direct boost to trust comes from authentic, energetic, and specific testimonials. Help your customers translate their goodwill into interesting copy!

Does your call-to-action (CTA) invite visitors to transact a purchase through e-commerce? A secure website URL, a valid security certificate, and a recognizable third-party payment engine ensure that your customer won’t have second thoughts about providing a credit card.

Cha-ching! You made the sale and started a new customer-for-life relationship!

Contact the marketing professionals at Cox eLearning Consultants for assistance in getting the most from your marketing efforts to help your business grow and prosper.