Creating your landing page entails strategy around more than just design and user experience. A landing page strategy should always start with the content offer and the funnel around that content. Your landing page is your gateway to consumers, so you’re going to want to make sure that it’s both inviting and optimized to capture the most data. We live in a fast-paced society where time is a luxury; users don’t want to spend too much time navigating your landing page because they are lost, or the appearance is cluttered. We’ve listed some of the most important landing page features that make up a high-quality landing page and increase conversion rates.

Feature 1: Important content is first and immediately visible

You want to make sure that potential customers are getting the most important information at first glance. Don’t force the customer to scroll through your entire landing page to understand what your brand is offering, chances are low that they will make it all the way to the bottom. It might seem unnatural, but you’ll want to make sure at least one call to action is visible at first glance as well.
Your headline should be front and center with the proper strategy to pull in your target audience. Headlines aren’t a “one size fits all” for every industry; take the necessary time to strategize what the proper headline should be for your brand. For many website visitors your headline will be their first impression, so make it enticing and clever.

Feature 2: Link usage is limited or purposeful

Pay close attention to the necessity of links. You want to minimize exits from your landing page, so links might actually be doing more harm than good. The goal of landing page optimization is to direct the consumer towards your sales funnel and too many links or the wrong links might distract consumers away from your landing page altogether. It’s important to remember that your landing page is a different species from your website. Ideally you should limit links to your call to action and if needed, a link to additional information. Other than that, you’ll want to keep consumers on your landing page so anything else that could lead them away (even if it’s to quality content) should be limited or thrown out.

Feature 3: Intuitive design and layout

Make sure your layout design is clean with an organized flow. If you’re using a web content management system like Zesty.io, you can select from a variety of template options. Pay careful attention to the fonts and colors you’re using; you’ll want to go with colors and fonts that are easy to read. Website visitors will leave if your website is deemed confusing or hard to read. Depending on your industry some colors might be received better than others; take the time to test colors and do your research in order to find the best color scheme for your brand.

Aside from your headline, one of the first things a potential customer is going to see when they open your webpage is the images you’ve chosen. High quality images are another key component to consumer first impressions. There are many things you’ll want to consider when choosing your images. Choose large pictures over small ones. If you take a look at any successful businesses landing page, you’ll notice that most of them have images that span the majority of the screen. It’s important that the images you choose are viewable with clarity in mobile viewing formats as well so, make sure to test your images in mobile format before committing.

Not sure what images you should include on your landing page? Choose images that are applicable to the products and services you’re offering and pass on filler images that are likely to distract the attention away from your CTA.

Feature 4. Landing page guides visitors towards what they should do next

Your call to action (CTA) should be visible as soon as the consumer lands on your page. Don’t make the mistake of putting your CTA at the end of your landing page as a majority of website visitors won’t make it all the way to the end of the page. Make sure you’re using a strong command word that’s tailored to what your trying to sell in order to attract visitors to your call to action. For products and services, use words such as, “buy,” “limited time offer,” or “order.” If you’re looking to promote a newsletter or attract users to your email list use words such as, “subscribe,” “find out more,” and “instant download.” You can also choose to create an option for consumers that aren’t quite ready to buy. An additional CTA for a subscription form or a link to additional information is a great way to plant a seed for a future conversion.

Another great landing page feature to guide visitors in the right direction is the addition of a chat box. The first thing you should consider when adding a chat box to your landing page is timing. You don’t want the box to pop up as soon as the consumer lands on the page because they are likely to exit out of the box. At first glance, the consumer hasn’t had a chance to take a look at your landing page and therefore probably hasn’t had the chance to formulate any questions. Instead wait 30-45 seconds, by this time the consumer will have been able to scan the landing page and will be ready to ask a question or two when the chat box pops up.

Humanize your chat box and add a real picture and name. Avoid using those all too common stock photos of a man or woman smiling with a headset. Adding a real photo will help create more of a connection between consumer and brand and people are more likely to treat what they perceive as a real person nicer than an avatar or stock photo.

Feature 5. No absurd stock image

Designing pages with images included have been known to convert higher, but steer clear of the stock photo. The kind of image matters just as much as the shape of your button on your landing page. Always be testing out what works. To get started, try using photos with a relatable feel. There are resources out there to find free images for landing pages like Unsplash. You can add to the images later using tools like Canva or Pixlr. Don’t forget to view copyright rules laid out for each photo. If it’s for a product, hire a photographer or try using your smartphone combined with Wistia’s DIY Lighting Kit hack.

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Feature 6. Landing page form is the center of attention

The lead capture should be the focal point of your landing page. Therefore, you shouldn’t skimp on details when it comes to creating this landing page feature. For the best possible outcome choose to place your lead capture in two locations: above the fold, and at the very bottom of your landing page. Placing your first lead capture above the fold is imperative. Not all consumers chose to go through your entire landing page, so it’s important that the lead capture is visible as soon as you open the page.

Next, you’ll want to figure out how long your form should be and what fields should be included on the form. This will take some consideration in regard to how your industry works. Typically, with a short form you’ll end up with more leads but that doesn’t necessarily mean that these leads will convert. On the other hand, with a longer form you’re likely to get higher quality leads but in a lesser quantity. This is because consumers who are seriously interested will take the time to fill out a longer form. Take the time and do your homework as to what type of form is best for your brand. It’s always wise to test out both forms to see which leads to a higher conversion rate.