Consider this. The average person (you, me, your mum, your favourite barista) will experience the same level of stress during a ‘mobile delay’ as they would whilst watching a horror movie. Yep. We live in that world now.
So, why is this? In our changing-by-the-minute, which-way-is-up, frantically-paced, always-on existences, it’s no secret we’ve come to expect and demand everything in our lives to be instant. Looking for a relationship? All it takes is a swipe. Hungry but don’t fancy cooking? No problem, that’ll be one click please. Overwhelming choice is at our literal fingertips, and yet, it’s not actually making us happy.
Psychologist Barry Schwartz has spoken extensively about the ‘paradox of choice’. Although it may seem like a heavenly situation having an endless stream of fizzy drink flavours to choose from, too much choice actually has the opposite effect on us. Being faced with too much choice can paralyse us – and make us run away from making a decision at all.
Consider this whilst you think about how to get your ideal customer to convert. The purpose of a landing page is to drive conversions for one specific thing, whether that be an offer, a sign up to your blog, whatever. It’s not the time for confusing multiple messages and negatively contributing to your customer’s already ad-riddled day! Help them out and reduce their ‘cognitive load’; the simpler you make their lives, the better. The less they need to do when they get to your landing page, the better. Make sure every element of your landing page works together to answer their problem, give them what they want, and steer them in one clear direction.
Before we look at the nitty gritty elements of a perfect landing page, it’s important to remember that all the decisions we make in life are driven by our emotions. It’s why advertising works so well! If we weren’t so driven by how we feel, why in the world would a toilet paper brand have a puppy for a mascot?!
Decisions made with emotion are irrational, so it’s really important to place emphasis on how your creative and messaging make your customers feel. It’s what’ll make them convert!
Let’s take a look at some of the must-haves of a landing page.
First off, ask yourself, what is the need, want or problem your customer has?
Understanding your customer’s needs is very important. Once you understand them, you can target with the right offer. Their need, want or problem should be answered in your headline.
What’s the solution?
The solution is what you’re giving them! This is your sub-heading where you can give more detail on what you’re offering. The visuals you choose should also help to convey the solution. Remember that we make decisions based on emotion when you’re deciding on your visuals; they’re very crucial.
How does it work?
Need to give more necessary information? Want to include a list of benefits or features you didn’t get to mention before? Use this section!
Who says it’s good?
We’re social creatures so it’s no surprise that social proof is as important as ever – maybe more than ever, with sites like Tripadvisor built on the foundation of our need to know, and trust in, what our peers think. Nearly 70% of online consumers will look at a product review before making a purchase.
CTA
Your CTA is really important and it needs to stand out from the rest of the page. Consider making it a different colour – and don’t be afraid to give it vibrancy! It should also be super clear and should answer this sentence:‘I want to…’ Unsure of what words to use? The likes of “now” and “here” after “click” or “download” can increase conversions up to 48% so keep that in mind.
Onto some examples!
Take a look at this Spotify landing page:
What’s my problem?
I don’t like ad-filled music.
Solution?
Go premium! I’ll be happy then.
Why?
It sounds amazing, and I can use it on all my devices.
What else?
I like the vibrant blue, I want to relate to the excitable carefree girl in the picture.
CTA?
Simple, clear, bright, easy, one action required by me and I’m in.
Here’s another one from The Village:
What’s my want?
I’d love an affordable summer break somewhere.
Solution?
2 nights away for the price of 1!
Why?
I want to get away and it’s so affordable!
What else?
I like look of the property’s style, I relate to everything I can see in the picture.
CTA?
Simple, clear, bright, easy, one action required by me and I’m in.
Now, we’re almost done – here are a few final considerations to take with you!
Mobile speed
The days of putting mobile speed to the bottom of your landing page considerations list are over! Back to that horror movie thing we mentioned earlier, your landing page should load in 3 seconds or less to keep your customer’s attention.
Attention ratio
Keep your attention ratio at 1:1. Your landing page has one point, one purpose, one goal – it should only have the one link to click.
Message match
Remembering the chaotic world of ads your customer has to wade through each day to make a purchase, ease their frazzled minds a little by making sure your landing page creative and copy match the ad that brought them there. They’ll be instantly reassured they’re in the right place – and in the right mindset for the big C.
Fancy delving deeper into the details of a perfect landing page? We’ve written on the topic before, see here and here.
