Marketers have started to realize that most web pages have a major fault: They’re not designed to win customers. Websites tend to be overwhelming, and they’re bad at guiding prospects through the marketing funnel. That’s why many marketers are now relying on landing pages to generate leads and make sales.
First off, as I’m sure some are not aware what a landing page is, allow me to explain. In the simplest terms, a landing page is any web page that a visitor can arrive on (or, you know, “land on”). Landing pages are the best way for businesses to turn online visitors into either leads or sales; however, while many businesses use landing pages, these pages are under-utilized. Research indicates that 62 percent of such businesses use just six or fewer landing pages in their marketing strategies.
Why does your business need them?
Too often, website visitors fail to convert because their click sends them to the homepage instead of a specific landing page that guides them through the sales funnel. An effective strategy can improve conversions by over 50%!
Conversions – Just as your website contains information that influences a visitor’s decision to take action, a good landing page will do the same. A landing page sets up a clear action for users to take and makes it as easy as possible for them to take that action. This is known as your call to action. As a result, you will see more of that action being taken (also known as conversion). Landing pages benefit your business because more conversions typically leads to more customers and more money for your business.
Lead generation – Nothing makes gathering online leads easier than having landing pages on your website. Links that are distributed through different channels such as social media, email, and search traffic are lost to your website’s homepage. Reclaim those lost leads by steering visitors to your landing pages.
SEO value – When is the last time you visited the second page of search results? Do you remember? More landing pages means more chances to rank higher in searches. When you rank higher, you convert higher. The first five search results account for 67.6 percent of all clicks, whereas positions six through 10 account for only 3.73 percent. It pays to be at the top. Literally.
Collect demographic data – When you link a landing page to a specific campaign, a piece of content, action, or source, you can see which channels are bringing in the most leads, which topics and offerings are of most interest, or which campaigns are the highest performing. Tracking user behavior is one of the best practices for landing pages that can produce valuable insights. These types of insights can help you refine your knowledge of your target audience and your campaign strategies, and improve your effectiveness overall. In addition, if your landing page contains a form, you can use the information requested in the form to learn more about your visitors, such as their specific challenges, preferred date and time for a consultation, or specific information they want you to know.
Content to pair with marketing offers – Marketing offers can have a hard time finding a home on your website. Offers seek to incentivize users to purchase your product or service. So naturally, the best place to put them is with pages designed to convert.
If you’re looking to generate more leads, rank higher in search, score more conversions, pinpoint your demographic, and increase the effectiveness of your marketing offers, then it’s time to develop a killer landing page strategy.
Landing pages are meant to facilitate a specific action you want a user to take in relation to your business objectives. They help to improve relationships with customers, intelligence about your business, and the success of your marketing campaigns. Try using one in your next campaign and see for yourself!