As a demand generation provider, we are constantly helping our customers build and test landing pages. We are often asked about best practices for boosting registration rates on forms. While we offer tips on maximizing registration rates on the form itself, such as using pre-populated forms, drop-down menus and pick lists, you can also increase registration rates by following best practices on the content and layout of your landing pages. Below we’ve listed a few best practices for optimizing landing pages for a Pay Per Click (PPC) campaign that 360Partners shared with us.
1. Keep your layout simple: Use only elements necessary to convince the visitor to fill out your form. Use images to communicate what the visitor receives when they register, where they are, and how it is relevant to what they are looking for. For example, if you’re offering a whitepaper, you would want to include an image of the whitepaper, your company logo and colors, and a headline that includes the search term they used to get to your page. Other visuals should guide the visitor to where you want them to take action – e.g. an arrow pointing to the form.
Limit the amount of text, use phrases rather than full sentences, and use bullet points to communicate major points. It is also a best practice to keep the information and the offer above the fold so the visitor does not have to scroll down.
2. Grab the Visitor’s Attention with the Page Title: One of the most important elements on the page the page title should immediately tell the visitor that a) they’re in the right place and b) you have something of interest to offer them. For example, if a visitor arrived at our landing page by searching on demand generation, we might use a title tag such as, “What can demand generation do for you? View online demo now”.
3. Have a Specific Call To Action: This tells the visitor what action you want them to take (e.g. “Fill out the form for a free quote”). The call to action should be the most prominent thing on the page and should be in the middle of the page rather than the very bottom.
4. Keep the Landing Page Customer Centric: Many marketers make the mistake of immediately launching into a pitch on their product in a landing page. Remember to keep your content focused on meeting the needs of the visitor. Unless the search term is brand-specific, information on your company should be toward the bottom.
5. Make the Call to Action Button Prominent and Specific: Use bright colors, outlining and shapes to make your call to action button stand out on the page. It is also more effective to be specific. Using a customized button like “Get Free Whitepaper” is more effective than using the standard “Submit” button.
6. Use Privacy and Security Assurances: Many people are hesitant to provide their contact information through an online form. It is best practice to provide some kind of privacy or security assurance close to the spot where you are collecting personal information. This boosts registration rates and helps to ensure accuracy of the information submitted.
It is always a good idea to run A/B tests with landing page content and layouts. Even when you follow best practices, landing pages are a work in progress and the best way to determine what works best is to try it. Other good posts providing tips and best practices for creating landing pages are below:
Viget Engage: http://www.viget.com/engage/intro-and-landing-pages-best-practices
Be Relevant!: http://www.b2bemailmarketing.com/2008/11/landing-page-be.html
