While a landing page can be very useful part of any  SEM strategy, it’s not always easy to convert users. However, there are a few things that you can do in order to catch your readers’ attention and make them want to know more. Let’s talk about these strategies. But first, what is a landing page?

So What Are Landing Pages?

Landing pages, also known as splash or squeeze pages, are pages that are dedicated solely to collecting information from leads. This is usually done in the form of a free offer such as a webinar, an e-book or free course. And it’s usually a way to get visitors to sign up for an email list.

While landing pages typically consist of only one page, many companies still have a hard time optimising it. While some landing pages are compelling, engaging and hold the audience’s attention, others fall completely flat. Those that fall flat usually fail to execute some of the most important strategies below.

1. Develop a Persona

The key to converting visitors is marketing to the right audience.  And the best way to connect with the right audience is to develop a persona. This is a profile that you create of your target audience. It includes demographic information such as their gender, age, and location. It also includes deeper information such as the things that inspire them, their opinions and goals they wish to achieve.

The more you know about who you’re targeting the better because it helps you to create copy that resonates well with your audience. You’ll be able to craft an offer they can’t resist. So don’t try to appeal to everyone. You only have a few seconds to catch your visitors’ attention and this is easier to do when you focus on a specific group.

2. Focus on the Value of Your Offer

One of the biggest reasons why landing pages are great for converting visitors is because they’re dedicated to a specific action. And they don’t contain anything that would distract from it. This means your landing page should be free of menus, links or any other choices. They should only be given one option–conversion. And this option should be very clear and easy to understand. However, this won’t be enough to persuade visitors.

You must also have a great offer. Users aren’t going to give you their information without getting something in return. And it has to be something of value–something you know they’ll want. A good way to determine if your offer is valuable is if it’s something that you, yourself, would actually want. Would you take the action that you’re requesting of your visitors? If you’re unsure about what to offer, search for a valuable piece of content, repackage it and then offer it in the form of a free download.

3. Write a Captivating Headline

Now that you’ve found the perfect offer, it’s time to work on the headline. Your headline is one of the first things your visitors will see when they reach your landing page. In fact, it tends to be the difference between someone who converts and someone does not. So your headline needs to be captivating.

It needs to be centred around what benefits you can offer and what visitors can gain from taking the action. If you’re unsure about how to word the headline, you can always use the language of your audience. You should also put a lot of thought and effort into writing the subheading. The subheading is a second chance at convincing people who are still unsure after they’ve read your headline.

4. Write Persuasive Copy

Another element of your page that requires you to use the language of your audience is the actual copy. Landing page copy can be an invaluable part of your SEM strategy as the higher the quality, the better it sells. It’s a tool that helps you get your message across. Though, it’s very important that you figure out the perfect length for your copy.

If you say too much, the page could be overwhelming for your readers. However, if you say too little, you risk not being able to fully express your message. The length will usually depend on what you have to offer. If the offer is simple, the copy should be short. If it requires extensive explanation, it should be longer. No matter the length, remember that it’s not about you, but the customer. Instead of words like “we” and “our”, use “you” and “your.” Solve their problems.

5. Make Them Visualise

When using images or videos on your landing page, only use those that help your visitors picture how taking the action will improve their lives. Remember, everything on the landing page has to have a specific purpose and cannot distract from their taking the action. So if your visitors will feel happy after they have taken the action, use images of smiling people. If you sell a service, use a picture that shows the stellar results of that service. The great thing about images is that they can make the offer come across as more human. Your audience may not be able to touch the product, but they certainly can visualise its effects.

6. Introduce Social Proof

No matter what type of landing page you create and in what niche, the audience will always ask themselves if this is something they really need. The best way to answer this question is with social proof. When people see that others have taken the action and gained from it, they’ll want to do it too. It gives them a reason to trust you–to believe that your services or products will work as you claim.

Reviews and testimonials can be great social proof. They give visitors an idea of how their life could change from taking the action. Let the opinions of your past clients do some of the talking for you.

7. Use a CTA

One of the most crucial elements of a landing page is the call-to-action button. If you want your audience to know what step they should take next, then this button needs to be very clear and visible. Not only that, but the words you use for your button can make a huge difference.

Use words that are descriptive and that drive action. For instance, the word ‘Download’ is actionable, however, it’s not descriptive enough. What are your visitors downloading? Also, your button should be distinctive. The colours you use should make it stand out from the rest of the page.

8. Analyse Results

Without analysing the results of your landing page, there’s no way to truly understand if what you’re doing is working. That’s why it’s a good idea to use Google Analytics. Not only will it let you know how many people visited your landing page, but also how many of them converted.

One of the key metrics to pay attention to is the bounce rate. This rate shows how many people accessed your landing page, but never converted. High bounce rates could indicate that you’re not using the right keywords and are not attracting the right audience. It could also mean that the design of your page is of low quality; perhaps visitors are confused by the layout and have no idea what action to take.

9. Test and Then Test Again

Another key way to figure out if what you’re doing is working is to A/B test. More specifically, you should perform split tests and find out how different versions of your landing pages perform. You need to know which version of your landing page gets the most traffic. You also need to know which gets you the most conversions.

This can be especially helpful when it comes to testing your headlines. Just keep in mind that you should never try to test every element of your page at once, but instead aim to change one thing at a time so that you have more control over the results.

The Takeaway

The basic function of any landing page should be to make visitors convert. And this should be done by encouraging them to take a single action. In order to succeed at SEM Singapore website owners should understand who their customers are and the type of language they speak. It’s important that they design their pages so that it doesn’t distract from the desired action. And it’s also important that they understand that testing and analytics is the key to ensuring that their landing page hits the mark every time.