When companies develop their online paid advertising or website strategies, many forget one key aspect: the landing page.

Landing Page Design: Why is it Important?

A quality landing page is just as essential as great ad copy or ad design. What’s the point of getting users to click on your ad if they are just going to bounce once they arrive on your website?

Similarly, poor landing page design is often a missed opportunity to learn more about your customers. There are many reasons why a landing page can drive users away, making them click out before they even find out what you’re offering.

We’ll go over how to design a landing page that makes customers want to stay, explore more of your site, and even convert! Presenting: the key rules of landing page design.

 

Landing Page Design Best Practices: 4 Key Rules 

 

1. Optimized Messaging 

The first rule of landing page design is to create a straightforward and simple message or goal.

When you narrow your focus and the goal of the landing page is more clear, it becomes easier for users to engage. If your audience is bombarded with multiple options to ‘sign up for our newsletter’, ‘buy our product’, and ‘contact you for more information all on one part of your page, it’s more likely they’ll leave (because they probably don’t even know what they’re looking for at this point!).

Develop a clear call to action and then ensure all accompanying content and imagery points to that CTA. This clear purpose will make it extremely easy for users to convert and get the landing page experience they expect--and deserve.

 

2. Eye-Catching Visuals

The best landing page design has great, eye-catching visuals. Images that capture attention, reinforce your message, and are cohesive with your brand will engage audiences and keep them on your page.

These visual elements can be either illustrations or photographs, but try keeping it consistent with the rest of your site’s style.

Also, landing page visuals shouldn’t be too distracting, but instead play a supportive role in your overall message. Think of how the images will make your users feel, and choose visuals that will spur visitors into taking the action you’d like them to.

 

3. Establish Social Proof

Say a potential customer clicks on an ad and ends up on your landing page. They’ve never heard of your company before, so why should they trust you?

One good way to showcase your value to any audience is with social proof. You can show social proof by incorporating these elements into your landing page design:

• Testimonials from previous customers

• Reviews of your products,

• Relevant case studies

• A listing of other publications or stores where you’ve been featured

These elements of landing page design really help to build that trust with your audience. Without that visual affirmation from outside sources, your users could see you as inexperienced or dishonest, making them less likely to convert.

 

4. Remember SEO Best Practices

The last rule of landing page design is to optimize it for SEO best practices.

First, consider your landing page’s load speed. When adding your visuals, you have to think about their file size. If someone comes to your page and it takes longer than 5 seconds to load, they may not stick around long enough to see what you have to say.

That being said, there’s no reason for your images to be any bigger than they need to be and subsequently slow down the page. By using software like Photoshop, you can compress your images even more.

You can also use image sprites for things like buttons and icons to reduce the number of server requests and save bandwidth.

Next, be sure to optimize your landing page design and copy for keywords. Using targeted keywords on your page will help your chances of showing up in a search ad, leading to more impressions and clicks.

After implementing these landing page design best practices, your page will be on the right track to accomplish your goals. Once you’ve designed with the above tips in mind, always remember to test, test, and test again. Refining your design choices to reflect your audience will help you get a better idea of who your audience is and what they need to convert.

About the author: Anna Allingham is a huge Moulin Rouge fan who has always called Chicago home. When she’s not geeking out over data visualizations and science fiction things, Anna spends her days planning her next trip – and a safari in Tanzania is at the top of her list.