13 Tips to Design a Landing Page That Actually Converts

When I first got into marketing, I didn’t know what a landing page was–let alone how to design a landing page. But I had to learn somehow, just like you, a beginner, has to learn now, too.

Sometimes the best way to learn how to do something is to dive right in, but tips never hurt anyone. Keep on scrolling for some structural, copy, and design tips to design a landing page that increases conversions. 

1. Make sure you have the right assets.

Client or internal assets are key components to complete your landing page design. Brands should always be presented in a consistent fashion to ensure or build brand notoriety. These assets could include logos, colors, fonts, and photos.  

2. Lead with a powerful headline.

Your headline has 3 primary purposes:

• Grab the audience’s attention
• Explain your product or service
• Persuade your audience to follow through the CTA

Oh, and you have to be short, sweet, and to the point. Space is limited thanks to our tiny attention spans, so be sure to “wow” your audience from the get-go.

3. Follow it up with a strong subheading.

There’s only so much you can put in a headline before it becomes cluttered. Subheadings are an opportunity to insert more persuasive elements that didn’t quite fit in the headline. Find a way to stand out, but stay on point and don’t deviate away from your messaging.

4. Visuals are a must-have.

Pictures are essential to having a great landing page. No ifs, ands, or buts about it. Not just any pictures–I’m talking large, high quality photos. The last thing you want on a landing page is a pixelated picture. It looks sloppy and lazy, and it’ll send customers away. In other words: this is not an area to skimp out on quality.

Also be sure that your photos are actually related to the product or service you’re trying to sell. Just because a picture is pretty doesn’t mean it’ll tell the right story.

5. Tell the audience who you are.

This one’s pretty simple: state who you are and what you do, even if you’re already a well-known organization. You never want to confuse your customers because they won’t stick around if you do.

6. Include your value proposition & benefits.

Address the biggest question of them all: “What’s in it for me?”

You should already know your primary customers’ pain points. After all, that’s why you’re in business. Let your audience know why and how you can solve their problems(s) by listing the benefits of using your product or service.

7. Talk about loss.

The theory of loss aversions mentions that we’re more likely to anticipate the pain of losing something than we are to feel the pleasure we gain from something of equal value.

Think about it in terms of money. It feels awesome to get $1,000, but how shitty does it feel to lose it? Like, extra shitty. And that’s because the feeling of loss is twice as psychologically powerful than the feeling of gains.

Same principle applies here.

Mention what a customer will lose–not just what they’ll gain–from using your product or service. Ignite a flicker of fear.

8. But don’t forget about pleasure.

Where there’s pain, there’s got to be pleasure. After you tug on your audience’s heartstrings a little, follow it up with how you’ll make the pain go away. One of the goals of your landing page is to show how pleasure is a byproduct of your product or service, thus inspiring your audience to contact you.

9. Add trustworthy quotes or testimonials (if they’re short & sweet).

If you have the space (don’t be too cluttered), try to insert a positive quote or testimonial from a current or past customer, as it’ll boost your trust and credibility. Generally, these should be placed toward the bottom of your landing page after your main copy.

10. Include a method of contact.

There are many methods of contact you can use on your landing page. At a minimum, you’re going to want to put a physical address and a phone number. If you want to be even more thorough, you can include a phone number, a physical address, an email address, and a pop-up contact form.

11. Never forget a Call to Action (CTA).

Your landing page must have a CTA. Otherwise, what’s the point? Depending on your brand’s identity, you can either write witty or engaging copy for your CTA, or keep it standard. Whichever way you swing it, just be sure it’s in there.

12. View the landing page on desktop & mobile.

Screen sizes can completely alter the design of your landing page. Make sure you see what it looks like (once it’s 100% finished) on both devices. 

13. Create variants.

It’s always a good idea to test a landing page. Create different variations of the same page, but make sure the changes are minor. For example, CTAs, pictures, colors, etc. If you do too much it’ll be hard to identify which variables are working the best.

After a few weeks of testing you’ll see which one of the landing page variations outperformed the other. That’s the one you’ll want to shift traffic toward.

Still need some help?

Marketing Supply Co. would be happy to build and design custom landing pages from start to finish. Get in touch today for a show-stopping landing page. You won’t regret it.