3 Quick Keys to an Effective Landing Page Layout
As a-dyed-in-the-wool geek, I sometimes find myself applying video game logic to real-world scenarios and then playing them out in my head. Like, for instance, wondering how Link from The Legend of Zelda might cope with the monotony of monthly reports, or what would happen if Mario’s boss asked him to come up with an entirely new emailing system. Mamma Mia.
Take landing page navigation as another example. As marketers, we need to create a landing page layout that not only appeals to customers’ needs, but also makes it easier for first-time visitors to complete an action. An intuitive navigation is critical to achieving a decent conversion rate. And a lot like characters exploring a dungeon within a video game, landing page visitors will need to find their way and overcome countless obstacles in order to reach that golden chest at the end.
Still with me? Good. Because when it comes to landing page layout, thinking of your visitors as characters making their way through a labyrinth will help you to recognize the many pitfalls, dead ends and hidden monsters which might hinder their progress. And once you recognize what they are, you can do everything in your power to avoid them. Here’s a few things to think about when coming up with your landing page layout:
1. Light the way
A brand new page is the equivalent of uncharted territory to first-time visitors. Make sure to provide the relevant information to set them on the right path.
- Establish the relevance of your page straightaway, with a clear and concise headline. This will reassure the visitor that his decision to click your page was the right one, and make it easier for him to understand why he’s there in the first place.
- Signpost your path with directional cues (such as arrows, etc) so that visitors know where to find important elements. This will make finding the most important elements for page visitors who are otherwise in the dark.
2. Avoid twists, turns and & traps
Getting lost and confused is one of the major reasons why visitors fail to complete conversion, and this is typically the result of poor, overly complicated landing page design.
- Avoid giving visitors more than one action to complete. Additional actions or goals is a lot like sending your visitor on a side-quest. It also complicates the layout of your landing page, presenting new ways to get lost and leave in frustration, never to return.
- Commit the flow of information to a single direction which feels ‘natural’. Don’t have your visitors backtracking from one area of your page to another before they reach the point of conversion.
- Condense hefty portions of text into easy to read formats, such as bullet-points and short sentences. Users get stuck on lengthy paragraphs of copy and give up altogether.
3. Keys, swords and magic spells
In order to get all the way to the end, landing page visitors will require certain ‘tools’ to aid their journey to conversion. Arriving at the destination unprepared will likely end in failure.
- Establish the benefits of sticking with your page first, then arm your visitors with enough reasons (value-points) to purchase. That way, they can progress confidently.
- Apply social proof (such as testimonials, positive feedback, trust shields etc) to areas of the page where the decision to act is made more difficult by unfamiliar information or choices. This will vanquish doubt and overcome otherwise impervious obstacles.
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