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The Ultimate Guide to Rocking Business Landing Pages

Stuart Crawford

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Business landing pages are simple web pages with one purpose: to make visitors act in a particular way. Learn how to make high-converting ones!

The Ultimate Guide to Rocking Business Landing Pages

You have likely heard a lot of buzz about the importance of creating killer landing pages that convert more leads and drive sales. But what’s so special about it? Why are business landing pages such a big deal today?

Sit down and prepare because I will let you in on some secrets! 🤯

Business landing pages are simple web pages with one purpose: to make visitors act in a particular way. This can range from joining your mailing list, downloading an e-book, signing up for a webinar or even buying your flagship product.

Unlike typical web pages that do too much and distract, landing pages remove all the causality. They concentrate solely towards guiding visitors towards that sole cardinal conversion you want them to achieve.

And why is this so important? Dedicated landing pages are essential for businesses, especially in our digital world, which offers many distractions as they help:

  • Increase conversions by eliminating extra navigation and choices
  • Deliver hyper-targeted content depending on each promotional push
  • Track, test and improve conversions over time
  • Maximise return from paid traffic sources
  • Quickly move potential customers through your sales funnel

Simply put, they are fantastic conversion engines that savvy companies cannot ignore! These are the mainstays of effective digital marketing.

Therefore, now that you know the worth of landing pages, let us look at how you can create high-converting landing page magic guaranteed to grow your business!

Start with a Crystal Clear Goal

This may sound obvious, but defining your primary conversion goal is the critical first step. What exactly do you want landing page visitors to do? Sign up, schedule a call, make a purchase?

Having laser-focused clarity here is non-negotiable. If your page has multiple competing goals, it's doomed to underperform and confuse visitors.

Every element on your landing page—from the headline and body copy to the lead capture form and call-to-action button—must seamlessly steer people towards completing that core desired action.

Once you nail down that goal, optimise everything to facilitate and incentivise visitors to take it. Remove any distractions, links, or exit ramps that could divert them from the conversion path.

Think of it like a giant glowing runway leading them exactly where you want! Your goal is to get people to sign up for your weekly newsletter…

Craft a Magnetic Headline to Hook Them In

Getresponse Lead Gen Landing Page

The most significant aspect of your landing page is the headline. It is the first thing visitors see; therefore, it needs to grab their attention instantly and make them want to read.

An unclear, tasteless headline could be the end of a marketer. You would be shouting into thin air. At the same time, headlines which are too “clickbaity” or salesy may turn people off before they even begin.

It would be best to have a benefit-driven headline that clearly articulates why someone should sign up for your newsletter. Here are a few examples:

“Grow Your Online Business 325% Faster With These Proven Marketing Hacks”

“Finally, A Weekly Dose of No-Fluff Startup Advice From the Trenches”

Can you notice how these immediately communicate the core benefit while arousing curiosity regarding what else there is? Spend more time workshopping your headline and test different versions – it’s that important!

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Use well-known ‘power’ keywords such as ‘finally’, ‘proven’, ‘ultimate’, etc to bring attention. Do not overdo this either; you still want it to sound authentic rather than like a tacky infomercial.

Tell a Captivating Story to Deepen the Connection

Humans are hardwired to love stories from birth. When done well, stories activate brain activity, captivate us emotionally, and make concepts much stickier and more memorable.

Instead of just listing out dry features and specs, tell a narrative about the transformation and “after” state what your ideal subscriber will experience. Get them to visualise and internalise life after joining your tribe.

For that newsletter example, you might share a personal story about how you struggled with XYZ business challenges and wasted years/money until discovering a proven system that simplified everything (which you'll unpack in your newsletters).

Suddenly, subscribers can see themselves going through a similar empowering journey under your guidance. They're hooked and more likely to opt in to get access!

Create a Simple, Mobile-Friendly Lead Capture Form

Mobile App Landing Page Examples

At this stage, your prospect feels the desire and momentum to take action. So don't fumble the handoff with a clunky lead capture form that looks like a DMV application!

Design a clean, mobile-responsive form with only the most essential fields required. Anything non-critical creates unnecessary friction and drop-off risk.

Conventional wisdom says the fewer fields, the better. But feel free to buck tradition if you need to qualify leads better. Just make sure each extra field directly serves that purpose.

For example, a simple newsletter signup might need an email address field. However, a high-ticket coaching offer could benefit from asking key qualifying questions upfront about budget, goals, etc.

Pro Tip: Place the form “above the fold” near the top without needing to scroll. This increases visibility and conversions. And be sure to include a benefit-reinforcing call-to-action like “Send Me the No-Fluff Biz Tips!”

Overcome Objections and Fuel FOMO

Even if someone is feeling excited and ready to claim your offer, they'll likely still have lingering doubts and objections in the back of their mind:

  • “Is this going to help me or just more fluff?”
  • “How much time/effort is involved?”
  • “What if I'm just throwing money away again?”

Innovative landing pages always include “nudge” copy to proactively overcome these objections and remove final hesitations. Fuel a fear of missing out (FOMO) by clearly outlining:

  • The key benefits and outcomes they'll enjoy
  • Specific reasons why your offer delivers (unique mechanism, proof, credentials, etc.)
  • Any risk-reversal or guarantee to make it a no-brainer
  • Urgency and scarcity factors (“This discount ends Friday!” or “Only 27 spots left!”)

You can deliver these crucial risk-reversing details through bullet points, brief testimonial quotes, data highlights, simple graphics, and more.

People are hard-wired to avoid potential losses and risks at all costs. So, squash those objections upfront to allow their inner “gotta have it!” desire to kick in fully.

Sprinkle In Ample Social Proof

Copywriting Technique Social Proof

Objection unveiled and crushed? Nice! You've got a hot prospect on the hook now. But often, more is needed to get them to bite. They also need social proof to feel reassured they're making the smart move.

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Social proof is any evidence that your offer has been successfully validated by others “just like them” already. Some examples to consider sprinkling into your landing page:

  • Customer success stories and glowing testimonials
  • Genuine (ideally photo/video) reviews and ratings
  • The numbers behind your audience size and previous conversions
  • Prominent brand logos or “as featured in” media mentions
  • Stats and case studies around the results people are getting
  • Social media signals like engagement counts and shares

Even if your business is newer and without massive social proof, you can still sprinkle in what you DO have. Every little bit of validation helps persuade people to say yes!

Leverage This Gutsy “From the Trenches” Storytelling Tactic

One of my favourite ways to skyrocket conversions on a landing page is using a “from the trenches” storytelling approach. I don't see enough businesses utilising this killer persuasion tactic!

You start by sharing a brief personal story about a hard struggle or setback you faced related to the promised outcome (let's say it's growing an online business in this example).

You may have thrown money at programs that didn't work. Or you worked insane hours but couldn't break through certain revenue levels. Whatever the relatable “pain point” is for your audience.

After painting that vivid picture and building an emotional connection through the storytelling, you then reveal how ONE breakthrough finally allowed you to “make it” and attain the promise on the page.

You'd explain that one “a-ha!” insight or solution you discovered – but only at a high level. Enough to pique their curiosity and make them think:

“Wow, if they unlocked that after struggling for so long, then this is exactly what I need!”

See how powerful this is? You've already “stuffed the buffalo” (a persuasion technique for getting the big “yes” ahead of time) before even pitching what you have for sale.

From there, you cap off your “from the trenches” story by revealing how you've packaged that powerful breakthrough solution into the promoted offer on this landing page (your newsletter, course, coaching program, etc.).

With desire firmly kindled within them, you've just set the perfect stage to finally reveal all the juicy details about what's included in your program and how others are getting incredible results. Assuming you've stacked enough proof and logic on top of that emotional storytelling foundation, they'll be irresistibly clicked to opt in!

Reassure With Risk-Reversals and Bonuses

Even after all of the persuasive elements above, you may still find some reluctant fence-sitters hesitant to claim your offer. Risk aversion is deeply hardwired into all of us as humans at a core level.

To nudge those last few sceptics over the edge, savvy landing pages deploy strategic risk-reversal tactics and bonus incentives to eliminate any perceived gamble. Some ways to do this:

  • Bullet-proof money-back or satisfaction guarantees
  • Valuable bonuses (additional products/services valued at $$)
  • Free trial or sample periods to experience it first
  • Interest-free payment plans to reduce upfront cost
  • Extended customer support access and over-delivery

See how all these make your supposedly “risky” offer appear much more like a no-brainer value? Objections melt away, and claiming it becomes the only logical choice when you stack on enough of these reassuring elements.

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Now they're practically tripping over themselves to whip out their wallet and hop on board! Be bold and generously overcorrect when eliminating risk here – it'll only amplify your conversions and customer satisfaction.

Optimise These Often-Neglected Page Elements, Too

Call To Action Creating Landing Pages

While we've covered many of the essential landing page components so far, there are some other easy-to-miss areas worth optimising as well:

The Meta Title & URL – Don't leave these defaulted to some random jumble. Optimise them to reinforce your offer and messaging for visitors and search rankings.

Images & Video – Visual elements grab attention and allow people to digest your message quickly. Sprinkle in product shots, benefit visualisations, data visuals, and suitable videos.

Navigation & Links – Any links or menus can represent a “leak” from your conversion funnel, so remove or minimise them where possible. Navigation should be crystal clear.

Page Load Speed – Slow load times are a top conversion killer. Optimise all page assets and hosting to ensure lightning-fast load speeds. Compressed images, cashed files, and a quality page builder make this easier.

Mobile Experience – With over half of web traffic now on mobile devices, your landing page must deliver a premium mobile experience. Test this thoroughly.

Small hinges can indeed swing huge doors when optimising often-neglected landing page elements. Make sure to leave easy conversion wins on the table!

Spread The Word – Landing Page Promotion Strategies

With your dazzling new landing page ready to rock, the next critical piece is driving targeted traffic to soak in your conversion-boosting genius!

Here are some proven tactics to consider weaving into your landing page promotion strategy:

  • Paid advertising on platforms like Facebook Ads, Google Ads, etc.
  • Leverage SEO & content to rank organically in search results
  • Run social media campaigns highlighting the offer
  • Pitch relevant podcast & blog mentions as a guest expert
  • Send dedicated email announcements and make it a featured website element
  • Drive referral incentives with an affiliate program
  • Share landing page updates on your social following

Your chosen promotional channels should align with your goals and where your ideal prospects are already congregating. But always focus on your top 2-3 compelling drivers for best results.

Launch, Test, Optimise, Repeat!

A/b Testing Target Audience

By now, you should have all the juicy landing page intel to effortlessly captivate visitors and maximise conversions for any offer you're promoting!

However, your work is not entirely done yet…

Once you launch your sparkly new page out into the wild, you'll want to track its performance like a hawk. How are those conversion rates looking? Where specifically are people dropping off most in the funnel?

Be bold and constantly test different headlines, designs, copy elements, and even traffic sources while measuring the impact on your conversion metrics. That's the beauty of dedicated landing pages – they're inherently designed for focused optimisation over time!

Keep an eye on indicators like:

  • Overall Conversion Rate
  • Average Landing Page Visit Duration
  • Cost Per Conversion from Paid Ads
  • Mobile vs Desktop Conversion Rates
  • Opt-In form Abandonment Rate

By consistently iterating and refining your page based on cold, complex data, you'll uncover more opportunities to squeeze out even higher conversions at lower cost-per-acquisition levels.

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It's an endless game of marginal optimisation gains. But those minor tweaks start compounding into massive improvements over the long haul!

FAQs on Rocking Business Landing Pages

What is the ideal length for a landing page?

There's no single perfect landing page length, as it depends on the complexity of your offer and conversion goal. However, many effective pages hover around 600-1200 words with a straightforward flow. The key is packing just enough persuasive info without the fluff.

How many form fields should I include on my lead capture?

Generally, fewer form fields increase conversions by reducing friction. But you can have additional fields if they serve a clear qualifying purpose. The golden rule is to only ask for the minimum amount of info required.

When should I use video on a landing page?

Videos are great for increasing engagement if they concisely demonstrate your product/service value proposition in an easily digestible way. Don't over-produce long-winded videos – shorter videos are typically better for this use case.

What are typical landing page conversion rate benchmarks?

While it varies significantly by industry and offer, most businesses see landing page conversion rates between 2-5% on average. Lower than 2% may need optimisation, while over 5% is generally considered very strong.

Should I include navigation menus on my landing page?

Typically, you'll want to remove all navigation and exit links from your landing page to keep visitors laser-focused on the conversion goal. Меnus can create distractions and “leaks” where people depart prematurely.

How do I drive traffic to my landing page?

Popular promotion channels include paid advertising, search engine optimisation, email marketing, social media, and referral sources. Start with 1-2 channels getting traction before expanding further.

Can I use the same landing page for different ads/campaigns?

While tempting to save effort, it's best practice to create dedicated campaign-specific landing pages. That way, you can hyper-target each unique traffic source and offer for maximum relevancy.

What's more important: the offer itself or the landing page?

Having an irresistible core offer that people genuinely desire is job #1. But even a fantastic offer will only perform with a well-crafted landing page guiding visitors to convert to it successfully.

In Closing…

Well, there you have it! My step-by-step guide on dominating the world of high-converting business landing pages.

While there are indeed some nuances and specific techniques I couldn't fully cover in this single piece, you're now armed with a robust framework for crafting landing pages that:

  • Hook visitors from the start with captivating messaging
  • Tell a persuasive story igniting their desires
  • Overcome objections through logical proof and risk reversal
  • Leverage primal psychological triggers to deepen the craving
  • Optimise every element for a flawless conversion experience

By packaging all this into an enticing, no-nonsense landing page flow, you'll be well on your way to skyrocketing opt-in rates, demo signups, sales, and revenue for your business!

Sure, creating a killer landing page takes some strategic forethought and testing. However, the payoff from small conversion gains amplified over time can be game-changing.

Your prospects and customers deserve an exceptional, seamless experience tailored around their desires – not just another clunky corporate website slapped together. Give them that, and they'll eagerly shower you with their email signups or cash as a result!

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So whatcha' waiting for? Get out there and start turning more of your hard-earned traffic into profitable conversions with some sizzling new business landing pages!

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Written By
Stuart Crawford
Stuart Crawford is an award-winning creative director and brand strategist with over 15 years of experience building memorable and influential brands. As Creative Director at Inkbot Design, a leading branding agency, Stuart oversees all creative projects and ensures each client receives a customised brand strategy and visual identity.

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