A Quick-Fix Landing Page Checklist: Don’t Send Prospects to Your Website. Do This Instead…

 
“Why do I need to use a Landing page? I can send them to a website where we have a lot of information!”
Yes, sending prospective families to your website in the early stages of their Buyer’s Journey makes sense. They can browse around your programs, day-in-the-life videos, check out your staff bios and generally warm up to the idea of enrolling their child at your school.

However, when we are dealing with warm traffic, and we want them to take action, we need to use a landing page instead. Why?
Landing pages contain copy that is tightly related to your call-to-action, whether this is an event registration, an inquiry form or even a resource download.
Landing pages do not contain any links or information that is not relevant to the intended goal.
Consequently, landing pages have a much higher conversion rate.

There are lots of moving parts to juggle when it comes to a landing page. If some elements are missing, you will lose out on valuable conversions.

One of the best ways to cope is to have a checklist on hand. That is where we come in.

How to structure your landing page content
Actionable, Value-driven Headline
Your landing page headline is the most important part of your landing page. It should entice people to do something. In this case, that something is filling out a form or downloading a resource. Make sure that your copy uses action-oriented words. For example, "Free Checklist: Your Go-To Guide to Landing Pages" instead of "Landing Page Ebook." Check out this headline analyzer by Co-Schedule to optimize the headline..

Concise Subheader
Your subheader is a more practical extension of your headline. Your headline should be flashy yet indicative of what people will get by filling out the form. The objective of your subhead is to give people more context and get people to read the rest of your landing page. A great use of a subhead is to address objections and concerns. Some important objections you could address:

1. I don’t really NEED this
2. I don’t have the AUTHORITY to buy this or switch to your offering
3. I don’t want to be SOLD TO (especially if closing requires a phone conversation)
4. I have to PRIORITIZE other things above this right now
5. My EXISTING SOLUTION works well enough
6. Your company doesn’t have the CAPABILITY or the CREDIBILITY
7. I don’t think your PRICES are reasonable
8. I will have to spend a lot of time and energy CONVINCING OTHERS around me

Scannable Body
People shouldn't have to read the entire body of your landing page to know what you are all about. Make sure it's informative and enticing, yet easy to scan. Bullet points and short sentences are key. A good rule of thumb is to minimize words above three syllables.

Customized button text
Does the button that submits the form say "Submit?" STOP. This button should have action-oriented language, too. For example, you could change that bottom copy to, "Find Out More Now". Much less generic.

Layout
 

• Blink Test or 5-second test
  You need to step back and take the "blink test." Meaning, look at your page for five seconds. Do you know what your landing page is about? What is the value proposition? If not, tweak the above items again.
• Add a Hero Shot (bonus: hero looks at the form)
  A hero shot is a large image, above or next to your form. It can be a person (parent, student or teacher for example) or a picture of your facilities or event.
• Leave a lot of white space
  You might feel the need to pack a lot of information onto your page. Don’t. White space is your friend, it makes people at ease, and it focuses attention on what is important. Your form and your button.
• Add Trust Signals
  Adding testimonials, awards, reviews, rankings and other trust signals around your form helps decrease your prospects’ resistance and encourages them to act.

User Experience

• Responsiveness
  Mobile-optimize the content on your landing page. People should be able to fill out your form no matter what device they use. Make sure your landing page layout is responsive so people can access your form no matter the width of their browser.
• Use multi-step forms
  They just work better. See here. The reason is that a long form might seem daunting. When we see a gradual form, we are encouraged to start filling it in. Then we don’t want to stop.
• After Submission
  Make sure the entire conversion process is functional. After people fill out your form, are they taken to the thank-you page? Do they get a kickback email? Make sure this is all working correctly before you launch.