5 More Landing Page Best Practices

We've previously blogged about the importance of landing page design as a means of maximizing leads delivered by online advertising, email campaigns, and other Internet marketing activities.

The PPC Hero blog recently published a post on this subject entitled "Discover 5 Landing Page Design Changes that Build Authority and Boost Conversions." The 5 "tips" as explained by blogger "John":

Tip #1: Keep It Above the Fold

The "fold" is the part of the landing page that displays to visitors before scrolling vertically. The number one priority for a landing page is to position your call-to-action above the fold. "John" contends (and we agree) that your landing page will fail if visitors do not immediately know what action you want them to take. Options include placing the call-to-action in a headline, or displaying the call-to-action as a button that is above the fold. If your landing page includes a lead form, it should be above the fold (see eLawMarketing example).

Tip #2: Limit Navigation

Experience shows that removing your standard website navigation from a landing page typically increases conversion rates. As "John" puts it, "by removing navigation, you are creating a 'sterile' conversion environment . . . In other words, you want to be in complete control of what the visitor sees, interacts with and hopefully this will lead them directly to the conversion." In contrast, if a landing page is just another page on your website with all the standard navigation, the visitor may leave the landing page before converting to browse other pages on the website (to be sure, Wall presents counter-arguments to this strategy from folks who disagree).

Tip #3: Reduce Clutter and Increase Whitespace

Too much "stuff" on a page will confuse visitors and keep them from quickly finding the relevant details of your pitch and your calls-to-action. Internet users also tend to want instant gratification so if they have to take more than a few second digesting your landing page, they will bail. So take stock of all the elements on a landing page and leave only that which is truly important to the objective of converting visitors.

Lot's of whitespace helps users more easily scan a page for key messages. Anything that distracts from the key message should be removed.

Tip #4: Barrier Scanning

As "John" explains, barrier scanning is "the process of scanning your landing page for objects (design elements, videos, images, columns, text, etc.) that distract or lead users away from your conversion trigger." To me, this sounds alot like Tip #3, but "John" explains that barrier scanning is more - essentially a "walkthrough" of the path by which visitors will move from arrival to conversion. Perhaps he is distinguishing between examining the "forest" (#4) versus examining the "trees." (#3).

Tip #5: Use a Coherent Design

As "John" explains, "coherency is an overall sense of your design 'hanging together.' It’s a congruity and harmonious consistency in the relation of all landing page parts to the whole."

This also seems somewhat redundant of the prior tips, but essentially boils down to testing different designs to see which works best. We've previously blogged about one of our own experiences where a minor adjustment to a landing page boosted results dramatically.