{"id":1254,"date":"2014-09-13T04:26:09","date_gmt":"2014-09-13T04:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/postcron.com\/en\/blog\/?p=1254"},"modified":"2016-09-09T18:12:17","modified_gmt":"2016-09-09T18:12:17","slug":"optimizing-landing-pages-checklist-beginners-especially-professionals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/postcron.com\/en\/blog\/optimizing-landing-pages-checklist-beginners-especially-professionals\/","title":{"rendered":"Optimizing Landing Pages: checklist for beginners and especially for professionals :)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Perhaps the idea of \u200b\u200bcreating a PERFECT\u00a0Landing Page<\/strong> sounds a bit ambitious right? But believe it or not, IT’S POSSIBLE!<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are so many studies that allow us to see users’ behavior while browsing a website. So with that info, we’ve put together the following series of FUNDAMENTAL steps that will help you create \u00a0one.<\/p>\n

Keep reading this article where I’ll explain each of the steps you should follow and which elements you need to implement to get your Landing Page to meet its objective.<\/p>\n

Before telling you about the FUNDAMENTAL elements to get your Landing Page to be PERFECT, we must understand two things very well:<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

What’s a Landing Page? and What’s the difference between a Landing Page and Home Page?<\/h2>\n

Normally we use the term “Landing Page” to refer to the page the user sees the moment they “land” on our page once they’ve clicked on a link and\/or banner. In most cases, the landing page is an extension of an ad or promotion, to detail the product or service we offer.<\/p>\n

The “Home Page” is the main page, or front page of our site. Most of the organic, social, and direct traffic we receive will point to this page. Although some ads might point to it, as we’ll see below, each ad should be redirected to a page specifically designed to sell: A Landing Page.<\/p>\n

What is the purpose of the Landing Page?<\/h2>\n

 <\/p>\n

TO CONVERT<\/strong>. That’s it. That simple word.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

We say that a page achieves its “conversion” when the user who got there finishes by BUYING<\/strong>\u00a0our product, SUBSCRIBING\u00a0<\/strong>to our service and\/or DOWNLOADING<\/strong>\u00a0something we offer. If any of these actions occur, it means we’ve done a great job.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many companies in their desire to quickly get on the market, mistakenly invest heavily in public advertising without first doing an overview and auto-criticism of their landing page(s), which precisely, is most important part for convincing the user to “BUY” what is being offered.<\/p>\n

For example, if we make an analogy with sports, it wouldn’t make sense if a player scours the entire field perfectly dodging defenders, gets to the goal area and in matters of seconds, due to a simple mistake, the play doesn’t end in a goal ?…<\/p>\n

Well, in this sense, the Internet works in the same way! Once we get the user’s attention, once we’ve got them to \u200b\u200bCLICK on our ads,<\/strong> WE’RE ALREADY IN THE GAME! We have just SECONDS\u00a0to get them to stay on our site, and convince them to make the CONVERSION.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

The 6 factors that come into play when it comes to optimizing a Landing Page<\/h2>\n

We said that the goal of a landing page is get conversions, get the user to act, CONVINCE them to act<\/strong>, and we only have a few seconds to do so.<\/p>\n

There are 6 factors that influence the process, and help us convince our client (later I’ll cover them in detail). Take notes because they’re really important!<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1- PROPOSITION\u00a0VALUE<\/strong>: we mean, what’s\u00a0unique<\/strong> about the proposal;<\/p>\n

2-\u00a0URGENCY:<\/strong> customer’s urgency, their need to purchase;<\/p>\n

3- RELEVANCE<\/strong>: The importance of our proposal for the client;<\/p>\n

4- CLARITY<\/strong>: the clarity with which it is explained;<\/p>\n

5- DISTRACTIONS<\/strong>: distractions that may arise during the process;<\/p>\n

6- ANXIETY:<\/strong> \u00a0the customer’s\u00a0concerns (or anxiety) about the product or company.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The Model “LIFT” (Landing Page Influence Function for Tests \u2122) designed by Chris Goward<\/p><\/div>\n

To make a perfect Landing Page, we need to work methodically<\/strong> <\/em>to improve each of these factors.<\/p>\n

The value proposition must be unique<\/strong> and relevant<\/strong> to the customer and should be explained as clearly<\/strong> as possible.<\/p>\n

TIP TIP TIP.<\/strong> “The 5 second rule”<\/strong>: The potential customer must be able to understand what we’re selling in less than 5 seconds. That’s why the clarity and relevance of the message play a fundamental role. If we don’t present what the customer is looking for -immediately-, they could leave and never come back.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

However, a unique, clear and relevant proposal isn’t enough.<\/strong> To be able to sell, there must be a real need, an URGENCY<\/strong>, and it’s our job to generate it. Without this, a potential customer could, for example, “put the\u00a0purchase (or subscription)\u00a0off until next week” or whatever conversion for that matter; and the worst case scenario: never return to our site.<\/p>\n

What we mean is, our proposal works exactly the same as those so-called “impulse purchases”<\/strong>, that use the terms “free<\/em>“, “promotional price<\/em>“, “test now and get …<\/em>” which are crucial. If you review your own buying behavior, surely you\u2019ll notice that more than once, at the cash register ready to pay for your purchases at the supermarket for example, you suddenly wanted to buy a product you saw for “2×1”<\/strong> or some unique offer “today only, buy at sale price”<\/em>, “with your purchase of \u2026 plus ..$ get \u2026 for free ..<\/em>” and Yes! Surely, more than once you\u2019ve ended up buying it. Later, we reaffirm our actions with the excuse that “it was free”, “a great deal”, etc. This shows how the purposes of these proposals are perfectly fulfilled. They CREATE AN URGENCY<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Still, a single, clear, and relevant proposal doesn\u2019t guarantee that a client will buy urgently. E.g. If we were in the street and someone approached us with the latest Iphone and they offered it to us for $50, would we buy it? … We probably wouldn\u2019t trust them, and would think that it was stolen and not end up buying it. The same is true in the online world. Our Landing Page has to reflect that we are a credible company and eliminate any anxiety<\/strong> the client might have regarding the veracity of our company and\/or product.<\/p>\n

Finally, even with a perfect, clear, relevant proposal, a credible company and a sense of urgency, if we aren\u2019t careful, the client could get distracted during the process. Therefore, we must remove any source of distraction<\/strong>\u00a0on our Landing Page. We should order and align elements, in order to tell a story that has one single objective: THE CONVERSION.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Checklist: 10 essential items your Landing Page has to have in order to be successful:<\/h2>\n

Now that we know the fundamental factors, let\u2019s take a look at the essential elements of content your Landing Page should have. (Just as in the fashion world there are so-called “must haves<\/em>” for different seasons, in the digital world also have them :))<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

1) A unique, clear, and relevant proposal for the potential client (“Unique Value Proposition or UVP”).<\/strong><\/p>\n

2) A picture or “star” video of the product. (“Hero Shot”).<\/strong><\/p>\n

3) The benefits for the potential customer. (“Benefits”).<\/strong><\/p>\n

4) Testimonials from happy customers. (“Social Proof”)<\/strong><\/p>\n

5) People, brands, or recognized media (authorities) or brands that support the company. (“Authority”)<\/strong><\/p>\n

6) A call to action button that\u2019s clear, large, legible, attractive, and that stands out.\u00a0(“Call To Action”)<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

7) Prices and refund policy if any. Some say it’s not necessary, but not putting them generates mistrust!<\/strong><\/p>\n

8) Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.<\/strong><\/p>\n

9) Information about the company and multiple forms of contact.<\/strong><\/p>\n

<\/strong>10) Finally, but very importantly, the page should load fast!<\/strong><\/p>\n

So, why did we list them in that order of hierarchy? If you read carefully, you\u2019ll notice that it\u2019s almost like closing a sale<\/strong>. Indeed it is, and like all sales, the process must be respected. We must respect the process and the order<\/strong> so that the goal can be achieved<\/strong>, in this case what we call the “CONVERSION<\/strong>“.<\/p>\n

Below I\u2019ll explain what each one of these steps consists of, what design criteria and tone of communication should be applied to ensure SUCCESS.<\/p>\n

1) A unique, clear and relevant proposal for the potential customer<\/strong><\/h2>\n

As its name suggests, we’re talking about\u00a0your sales pitch<\/strong>; it’s important that you communicate it in parts in order to achieve and strengthen sales, thus an appropriate scheme would be:<\/p>\n