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8 Tips To Create A Landing Page
By Ayat Shukairy (c) 2007

Introduction

You need copy for your landing page but you're not sure where
to start. First let's clarify what we mean by a landing page. A
landing page can be a page that visitors come to after clicking
on a promotional banner or link. Ultimately, the landing page
must convince the visitor that they should stay on your site.
You may also have a goal that you want accomplished, such as:

• Signing up for a newsletter or filling out a form
• Buying a product
• Reading informational pieces

What's going to keep them there? The structure, the language,
and the visual appeal all play a part of it. Check out these
tips to create a great landing page, or reinvent the one you
already have.

The Structure

People arrive at your site looking for answers. They scan to
see if they're in the right place and assess whether it's going
to be a quick and easy visit or a long grinding one. Your
landing page is the welcome wagon inviting them in and feeding
them the information they need. The structure of the page will
either pull them in and encourage them to fulfill your goal, or
distract and cause them to cut out of there before getting the
whole picture.

The structure of the landing page in general should be matching
that of the banner, ad or link they clicked on to get them
there. So for example, if your PPC Ad is targeting SEO
articles, your landing page should discuss exactly that. If a
Victoria Secret's Ad for lingerie shows up and you click on it,
you will be transferred to a landing page with the exact image
and structure of the ad.

The Visuals

• Copy placement – Strategic use of copy and graphics will
catch the visitor's attention. Don't muck up the page with
large, distracting graphics. Use plenty of whitespace and place
your message in the central portion of the page rather than
placing information down the sides, where the focus can be lost
quickly. Keep the copy short. The visitor expects a precise
message, so don't choke it up with tons of mindless prose.

• Beauty is in the eye – Use a consistent color palette. If you
have advertising or banners that link visitors to your website,
make sure the concept and color scheme match across the board.
It's also a great visual indicator for the visitor because they
can easily identify that they're still in the right place.

• Simplify – Remove any distracting elements like advertising
banners, links, or additional blocks of information from the
page and get down to the specific message.

The Goal

Before you design the landing page, decide what the goal of the
page will be. If you're looking for newsletter subscribers, the
goal will be to have the visitor enter their information and
become a member of your mailing list.

Be a Sleuth

Do your research. Keep your visitors in mind when building your
landing page and tailor it to suit their needs. By narrowing
your options and focusing on your visitor, you'll stay on
target.

Keep Your Focus

Keep the focus on you. You've dangled a large poster board over
their head and pulled them in. Now that you've got them, don't
give your visitors a reason to wander.

Use a Call to Action

A call to action, such as 'subscribe now' or 'get this offer'
reminds the visitor why they are on your website. Place them
toward the top of your page. For users that want to click, it
allows them to find it easily. For those who are still
deciding, it's a great reminder.

Many sites place the consultation form or contact form directly
on the landing page, which may not be such a bad idea. Again,
you need glaring calls to action. Don't add several useless
links on the page that will take the visitor back to your main
site; rather include the links that will get them to actually
purchase your product/service.

Write Like a Pro

No, you don't have to hire one to look like one. What's the
best way to come off like a professional? Create landing pages
with no grammatical or spelling errors. I recently hit a
website offering 'discount holideys.' As I clicked out of
there, I pictured the four-star flea-bag motel by the swampland
I might have booked if I stayed.

Reassure

People get leery when they're asked for their personal data. If
you're asking for personal information, make sure you have a
credible privacy policy to back you up.
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Ayat is the Director of the writing department at INVESP. She
manages a team of writers that offer business writing services
such as Grant writing, http://www.invesp.com/webcopy  webcopy
writing and http://www.invesp.com/seo-articles optimized SEO
article writing.
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