A landing page is the first page a user lands on after following a link. A good website design professional will create a landing page with the aim of providing user information within the first two clicks. As this is the first page a searcher lands on after clicking on a link - the page should clearly define the information being searched. Landing pages are normally more detailed pages and provide additional information on the text followed in the link. A landing page does not necessarily have to be the Homepage. Any internal page providing more information on the queried search term would be a landing page for the visitor.
There are different ways of reaching a landing page:
a. Through a link on the homepage.
b. Following links from syndicated articles, blog posts, press releases etc.
c. Following a link displayed in the organic search results.
d. Clicking on a displayed add etc.
Designing an effective landing page that holds a user's attention and clearly helps him understand what is expected of him can contribute a lot to improving conversions.
While creating a Landing page make sure that the page has sufficient information laid out in a manner that is easy to follow. This would make it easy and helpful for users in making a buying decision. While designing a landing page website design professionals keep certain parameters in mind so as to maximize the full potential of the page. Some of these are mentioned below.
Each page should outline a clear path that a visitor can follow. The headlines should be in context to the theme of the page and sum up what the landing page is promoting. There should be a logical sequence assigned to the path. Headlines should match the goal of the page.
Call for Action
A prominent Call for Action (that prompts a visitor to take the next step) should be well highlighted. It should directly take the user to the conversion page. This should be in synchronization with the goal of the site. CFA's should be consistent and relevant and whatever you choose should deliver value in exchange for the user's action.
User Benefit
The page should identify how the offering would benefit the user, if the website services are availed.
Highlight Areas
Add important points at the beginning of paragraphs. Bulleted points provide better readability as most users tend to read the beginning and last paragraphs and mostly skim through the rest of the content. Highlighting and bulleting brings the eye to the area for which you want visibility.
In addition short paragraphs not more than 5-6 lines long have a better chance of being read than very long paragraphs. Text should be readable with a clear legible font and no grammatical or spelling errors.
The page should be readable by both human visitors and search engine spiders. Ensuring that the page is free of any search engine roadblocks will take the page one step closer to better search engine placement.
Keep in mind - How well connected is the landing page to the offering? The user should be able to complete the participation quickly without too much effort.
Faster Page Load
A page that takes a long time to load has a higher chance of being abandoned than a faster loading page. While designing keep in mind that heavy graphics, long coding etc contribute in slowing down a page load and should be kept to a bare minimum.
Testing
Testing the landing page by running it through a sample audience to rectify errors will help present a well designed webpage to the relevant searchers.
While creating a landing Page always keep the target audience in mind, your offering, how easily can the user retrieve information, what is required by the visitor to make a purchase or to participate in the offering, is the action easily achieved (how well connected is the landing page to the offering).
If the online user is not able to find the information that he is looking for as quickly as possible and if he has to dig deep into the site to get the information then the chances of a number of early exits from the site are quite high.
Keeping these parameters in account can help you decide in choosing the right website design firm to create landing pages designed for better conversions
Sabinder Kaur is the Director of Cranvas (www.cranvas.com) - a custom web development, website design and website optimization services provider. To get more information on web development services please visit:
http://www.cranvas.com/website-design-services.htm
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