“Andrew Chen’s site is minimalist in nature; he knows the focus of the site is on content, social proof, and of course to get people to sign up for his newsletter which is the main conversion goal. However, the layout is not making use of the real estate above the fold as it should be. Elements like narrow text margin, a lack of vertical alignment, unclear
’s, and misuse of whitespace can harm conversion rates if used incorrectly.”
“Now, for the vinegar. Starting with the headline, if creating headlines was a waste of time, why do I need this product at all? And why write headlines at all in the first place? Do their customers really say to themselves (in their owns heads), ‘this is a waste of time?’ Probably not. They say something more like ‘I don’t want to do this,’ ‘I suck at this,’ or ‘I hate writing.’ Big difference. They attempted to call out a problem, but in this case there’s a big disconnect and it’s negative for no real reason. Instead, if they want to call out a problem, they need to pick one that the market connects to.
Sarah Pickersgill at Cancer Research UK says it’s important to be clear what the charity wants to learn from testing and how it will add to the supporter’s experience. “Simple A/B testing is a great methodology for us, as well as gathering insight from heat maps.” Ultimately, the interaction rate with its supporters tells the organisation how it is doing, she adds.
Next up is building an email newsletter. The best services offer several ways to do this; you can import your own HTML, start from scratch, or use a pre-designed template. Most of these services have drag-and-drop UIs that let you choose exactly the elements you want to include, as well as image libraries in which you can store assets such as your logo or company photos. Tools that let you test your emails for spam are also essential since there are some seemingly innocuous terms that may send up red flags and drop all of your hard work into your subscribers' junk folders or, worse, get your emails banned before they ever reach their recipients.
That small PDF symbol over the feature image helps set expectations for what format the download will be in. The arrow in front of the subheadline helps further direct your attention to important copy they want visitors to read. Like IMPACT, they also have an auto-checked box to subscribe to their newsletter on their form -- which, if turned into an opt-in check box, is a great way to increase subscribers. All of these small, seemingly insignificant details help bring together a solid, admirable landing page design.
The principal rule of opting page design: Avoid distracting your prospects with banners and advertisements. Many internet users despise pop-ups that appear once the page loads immediately and block them from seeing website content. Website visitors will exit a webpage when they cannot easily close an obstructing optin page. Keep your page clear from anything that the ready may dislike. Importantly, you opting page should have a big visible button to turn off the popup. You can also design a splash page, one with a prominent statement like, “No thanks, continue to the main site.” You do not want your visitors to leave before they see what your site has to offer.
Now, if your One Reader would define perfect parking as parking near my work that doesn’t cost half my paycheck or safe parking for my daughter who’s away at college—that is, if they’re planning for future parking needs—the headline and experience would change accordingly, of course. You don’t have to get that specific. But if you can get that specific in your headline, you’re more likely to convert your visitor. The alternative is writing a headline that serves a huge range of audiences. But, be forewarned: a hero to all is a boring character—and more likely to be ineffectual for the business.
If you're serious about finding your voice and discovering the secrets to success in business, one of the best people to follow is Gary Vanyerchuck, CEO of Vayner Media, and early-stage invest in Twitter, Uber and Facebook, has arbitraged his way into the most popular social media platforms and built up massive followings and often spills out the secrets to success in a highly motivating and inspiring way.
A landing page has one purpose – which is to make a sale or capture a lead. It is a single page used in digital advertising so that potential customers have a page to land on after they click an ad or post. Landing pages don’t link to other pages on your site and typically do not include a navigation bar. You do not want to distract potential customers with additional links because your goal is to make sure they convert. And you want them to convert on that landing page right then and there.
Running ads on Google? Use landing pages! Typically PPC ads direct users to a landing page rather than the companies home page. This is because landing pages have higher conversion rates. You will be able to target specific products or promotions so that when someone clicks your ad they are immediately directed to a page that is set up for conversion success.
Contain engaging copy. Kiss Metrics suggests using specific “hypnotic” words to entrance visitors. Using the word “you” makes your copy feel personal to visitors and allows for intimate conversation. The word “imagine” encourages readers to visualize using your product and increases desire. Including the word “because” explains to visitors why they should take a specific action. Try these mind-bending words on your landing page.
Every landing page should deliver a convincing first impression, consider the maturity of the market, and reflect the customer’s stage of awareness. The best way to see how the absence or presence of these elements alter a landing page is to review real-life examples. So, with the three foundational elements in mind, I’ve evaluated the landing pages of nine companies—from member management software to a vegan candy brand to a court date notification service. Here goes:
In September three of us went to Tana to teach on musculo-skeletal conditions. Phil Commons arrived first and taught about backache, neck ache and shoulder pains. She ran classes which helped participants (doctors and physiotherapists) to analyse systematically and treat with exercises. The fun then began and they worked in pairs, in circuits and to music. The photo shows them placing strapping where they thought best for shoulder pain.
There are ten essential types of marketing that can be done online. Some of these can be broken down into organic marketing and others can be categorized as paid marketing. Organic, of course, is the allure of marketing professionals from around the planet. It's free and its unencumbered traffic that simply keeps coming. Paid marketing, on the other hand, is still a very attractive proposition as long as the marketing pays for itself by having the right type of offer that converts.
Gaining Google's trust doesn't happen overnight. It takes time. Think about building up your relationship with anyone. The longer you know that person, the more likely that trust will solidify. So, the reasoning is, that if Google just met you, it's going to have a hard time trusting you. If you want Google to trust you, you have to get other people that Google already trusts, to vouch for you. This is also known as link-building.
Trulia did something very similar to Bills.com with their landing page. It starts with a simple form asking for "an address" (which sounds less creepy than "your address," although that's what they mean). Below this simple form field is a bright orange button that contrasts well with the hero image behind the form, and emphasizes that the estimate will be personalized to your home.
SXSW, Inc. – This lean organization organizes some of the most well-known events in the world, including the SXSW film, music and interactive festivals held every year in Austin, Texas. The goal of their marketing team is to increase ticket sales and attendees at these events, so they use email marketing to keep subscribers up to date as new artists and speakers join the lineup.
Webflow, a design tool for web developers, packs a lot of information into just a GIF and three form fields. Having the entire sign-up form on a single line is a nice touch here -- not only does it make the page shorter, but filling out each box from left to right shows users how close they are to clicking the fourth blue button and getting started for free.
Like all headlines, landing page headlines have to be concise, offer a specific, highly desirable benefit that solves the visitor’s problem, and deliver on the promise of whatever marketing brought the visitor to the page. For example, Moz’s home page has a headline that gets to the core of its visitors’ key issue: getting found in a crowded online landscape.
Every week, the folks at InVision send a roundup of their best blog content, their favorite design links from the week, and a new opportunity to win a free t-shirt. (Seriously. They give away a new design every week.) They also sometimes have fun survey questions where they crowdsource for their blog. This week's, for example, asked subscribers what they would do if the internet didn't exist.
