Wayne Lockwood: 3 Next-Level Landing Page Best Practices for 2019

Wednesday 6 March 2019

3 Next-Level Landing Page Best Practices for 2019

Landing pages are Marketing 101—or at least they should be. Top-notch marketers must know how to build compelling landing pages specially designed to convince customers to engage and convert.

They need to understand the importance of grabbing readers’ attention with catchy headlines, making text easier to consume with short paragraphs and bullet points, and using striking images that create emotional connections.

(Of course, we could all benefit from tips, tricks, and secrets to creating effective landing pages.)

But here’s something marketers may not know: There’s more to building high-performing landing pages than meets the eye. And that’s why I’ve compiled three of my favorite next-level landing page best practices to help you raise the bar on your campaigns in 2019.

1. Vary your landing pages according to your goals

There are two primary types of landing pages, and each has significant benefits:

Hub-style landing pages: These pages contain multiple offers—infographics, ebooks, videos, whitepapers, and more. People arrive at them when they’re educating themselves about a topic. And while they attract a lot of eyeballs, they generally result in fewer conversions. So, if your goal is to engage top-of-funnel prospects, hub-style landing pages can be a great option.

Single-offer landing pages: These pages include only one asset—a research report or a buyer’s guide, for instance. They’re designed for people who are already aware of a problem they need to solve. Single-offer landing pages may not generate as much traffic, but readers who wind up there are more likely to convert. So, if you’re targeting prospects further along in the customer journey, deploying single-offer landing pages is a wise move.

Clearly, there’s a place for both styles of landing pages in your marketing strategy. You just need to think about what you’re trying to achieve before building your pages.

2. Tell a consistent story across your campaign materials

As crucial as they are to generating leads, landing pages are only one small component of your larger integrated marketing campaign. They need to fit tidily into the overarching story you’re telling your audience.

Think of your campaign like a book. Your digital ads and email messages are the introductory pages. They draw in readers and set the stage for what’s to come.

The asset you ultimately offer users is the conclusion. It’s the reason they engage with your content—or pick up your book—in the first place.

That makes your landing pages the oh-so-important middle chapters. Fail to inspire your prospects at this critical juncture and they’ll quickly abandon you. And if they jump ship at this point in the journey, they’ll be a lot less likely to hop on board again in the future.

So, how can you guarantee your landing pages resonate with readers? For starters, make sure they’re not repetitive of other pieces in your campaign. All your materials should be different, offering enough value and intrigue to convince prospects to take the next step.

3. Collect data as you go—not all up front

One purpose of your landing pages is to provide valuable content that educates readers and helps audiences make purchasing decisions. But they’re equally vital in teaching you more about the people interested in your product or service.

Unfortunately, many marketers have taken this way too far by asking their prospects for a seemingly endless amount of information, from annual income to department budget.

But why do you need all that insight right away?

Studies have shown that fewer fields on landing page forms generate higher conversion rates.

Of course, there is a way to reduce the number of form fields, increase conversions, and collect all the data you need. It’s called progressive profiling. And while some marketers have embraced this approach, many have avoided it. Why? Because they haven’t mastered the tools or processes involved.

Here’s how progressive profiling works:

You start by asking your prospect for their name and email address. This gives them access to the resource they want. Then, through an email follow-up or a thank-you page, you offer them a bonus asset—but only in return for some additional information.

If you still have gaps in your data, you can fill them with third-party data enrichment tools, like web scraping, reverse IP lookup, and social profiling. Marketers commonly use these methods to gather key information, including company names and job titles.

Collecting data incrementally allows you to meet KPIs and nurture your leads without turning off prospects by asking them for too much up-front information.

Put it all together with innovative marketing automation software

Now that you know these next-level landing page best practices, you might be wondering how you can best follow them.

Marketing automation software can help. It serves as a central hub for managing the many components involved in improving your landing pages.

You can use it to decide which style landing page would be most effective for your unique purposes, weave a consistent story across your campaign materials, and strengthen your data-collection strategy.

Building better landing pages is all about creating better customer experiences. And by leveraging innovative marketing automation software, you’ll undoubtedly be able to take your landing pages up a notch as 2019 barrels on.

The post 3 Next-Level Landing Page Best Practices for 2019 appeared first on Marketo Marketing Blog - Best Practices and Thought Leadership.