Landing Page Optimization

It's a mistake to send traffic to your home page when running a PPC, email, or banner ad campaign.  Drive that traffic instead to a landing page specifically designed to convert.  Your landing page should be independent of your web site and focused entirely on conversion. 

A landing page is a single page, with a single focus on a single idea.  That focus is the action you want the user to take -- the conversion.  A conversion could mean a purchase, an email lead, or any other clearly defined action.

Because of its singular purpose -- conversion -- landing pages work best when they are single column and contain no navigation elements.  You want to keep momentum moving forward. The only choice a user should have is to move forward thorugh the conversion process, or leave.  All copy and graphic elements should relate to the offer.

A landing page has 8 seconds to convince a user to stay.  Keep your critical elements above the fold.  Your headline is all a prospect may read before deciding to bail.  Good headline copy is critical.  Above the fold is also a good place for your hero shot (product image).

Critical landing page elements include headline copy, calls to action, forms, graphical elements, and body copy. Other vital elements are point of action (POA) assurances like guarantees and privacy statements.  Testimonials can also make a big difference. Optimizing these elements is critical.