Even with all the tools we have on hand, generating leads online is not easy. If it were easy, you probably wouldn't be here reading this article right now.
Arguably the biggest variable to gaining you more leads are your landing pages. A few simple tweaks or edits can sometimes see you double or even triple your opt-in rate without having to spend a single cent.
Struggling to convert with your landing pages? Then I bet you're making 1 of these 3 mistakes.
You're not putting referral links into context
Prospects don't magically appear on a landing page (I wish did they), they usually click a link from AdWords, Facebook, your company blog or some other traffic medium.
The link is often accompanied with a short copy enticing the prospect to click. How enticing and relevant is your copy?
I searched ” free email marketing tool” into Google and several organic and paid search results appeared:
The biggest keyword in my search phrase is free.
I've highlighted two ads, one from Mailjet and another from Mail Masters. The Mailjet copy contains the word free while Mail Masters tell me their cheapest place starts at £4.
If you take both copies at face value, which one do you expect to get more clicks from someone who wants a free email marketing tool? Mailjet of course.
I decided to click on the Mail Masters ad anyway to see where I was directed, and here's what I saw:
They actually have a free plan!
This is a pretty big error from MailMasters and will cost them many leads because their copy repels prospects. Someone who is looking for a free product will not click ads that state the opposite, even though they have a free plan.
Your landing page is either too long or too short
You can find case studies proving and dismissing almost everything on the Internet. I've found studies saying that long-form landing pages are best, and I've found studies saying the exact opposite.
Confusing isn't it?
The truth is this: if prospects are skeptical about your offer, your landing page needs more words. If you've branded your business well and prospects know you deliver quality, less content on your landing page is required.
Content Verve found that the more scrutiny a product is under, the most copy it requires to convince prospects.
How do prospects feel about your business and products? Add more content to your landing page if they have doubts, or streamline it if they almost never need convincing.
Pro-tip: If you have prospects who fall on both sides of the argument, create two unique landing pages and drive new website visitors to the long-form, and returning visitors to the short-form.
You must test your landing pages
No sane individual enjoys testing webpages, it's a very tedious and boring process. But if you're serious about generating more leads, you must test your copies.
KISSmetrics have a great article that shows 100 examples of businesses who ran A/B tests on their landing pages and saw a dramatic increase in opt-ins.
Testing landing pages is not writing two copies and seeing which converts the best, it's about understanding data and making educated decisions to find potential bottlenecks on your sales page.
For example, Google Analytics may reveal that the average website visitor spends 3 seconds on your landing page, this is a red flag that either:
1. Your headline is not engaging enough
- Your referring URL source has is not compelling or out of context
Perhaps a heatmap tool shows that nobody is engaging with your call-to-action, this could mean that it's:
- Not in a prominent position
- Colour is not engaging
- It doesn't sick out
With this data you can then begin to test elements of your landing page to optimise your opt-ins. Just guessing what the problem may be without using data is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Summary
A landing page is the entry point for customers to enter your sales funnel. You don't have to spend hundreds of pounds on hiring copywriters or expensive testing software, applying the tips above can result in big changes for your site.
