When a visitor arrives at your portfolio website, they encounter the landing page which is their initial point of entry. This could be the homepage, or it might be a specific page linked from an ad, social media post, or search engine result.

Regardless of the entry point, the website design should guide users towards your products and services. Essentially, a landing page serves as the initial touchpoint for website visitors. While the homepage often fulfills this role, it could also be a dedicated page showcasing your services, your online store, or a booking page, depending on the website's core focus.

Studies have demonstrated that companies experiencing a surge in landing pages from 10 to 15 witness a remarkable 55% increase in leads. Moreover, businesses boasting 40 landing pages often surpass 500 leads.

In this blog, we will walk you through the strategies to design compelling website landing pages that maximize user engagement and drive desired actions.

Important elements of a landing page

Imagine encountering an advertisement on Instagram for a product. Upon clicking, you're directed to a dedicated webpage solely focused on enticing you to purchase that specific product. This is the essence of a landing page.

A landing page is a distinct web page designed with a singular objective: transforming visitors into customers, subscribers, or leads. Unlike traditional website pages that encourage exploration and browsing, a landing page operates like a skilled salesperson, strategically guiding visitors towards a predetermined action.

The primary distinction between a landing page and a website lies in their respective goals. A landing page is crafted with a single, well-defined objective in mind. Every element, from the written content to the imagery and layout, is strategically positioned to compel the visitor to take a specific action.

In contrast, a website serves a broader range of purposes, including information dissemination, product showcasing, online shopping, customer support, and more, encouraging user exploration. See the table:

High-converting landing pages share several key characteristics:

• A Headline: A compelling headline is crucial for grabbing attention and maintaining visitor interest. Opt for impactful and concise headlines that directly address the visitor's needs, such as "Build stunning portfolio websites for creative businesses" instead of a generic "Welcome to our Website Builder."
• A Single, Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Overwhelming visitors with multiple choices can lead to indecision and inaction. Identify the single most desired action and present it prominently with a compelling CTA.
• Social Proof to Build Trust: Incorporating elements such as customer reviews, testimonials, and logos of companies utilizing your product or service effectively builds trust and credibility with potential customers.
• Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features: Highlight how your product or service enhances the visitor's life. Emphasizing benefits, such as "Build portfolio websites in seconds with no coding expertise," resonates more strongly than simply listing features like "Website templates."
• Minimal Distraction: Eliminate any unnecessary elements that might divert visitor attention. Remove navigation menus, footer links, and related articles to maintain a laser focus on the primary objective.

How to create landing pages

1. Identify Your Objective

Two primary types of landing pages exist:

Lead Generation Landing Pages

These pages are designed to collect user data, such as name, email address, phone number, and mailing address, for subsequent use in sales campaigns.

If data collection is your primary goal, carefully consider the specific information you require and the valuable incentive you will offer in exchange. This could include access to exclusive content, a discount code, or subscription to a newsletter.

Click-Through Landing Pages

These pages are designed to drive immediate conversion, such as a product purchase. They prominently feature a compelling Call-to-Action button that encourages user interaction.

Click-throughs can lead to various destinations, including user review pages, detailed product pages, appointment scheduling pages, or directly to the shopping cart.

Determine the desired outcome of the click-through and plan the subsequent steps in the customer journey accordingly.

2. Consider Your Target Audience

The core function of a landing page is to effectively communicate to visitors how taking the desired action will benefit them. A deep understanding of your target audience is paramount to achieving this goal.

Thoroughly analyze your target audience's demographics, needs, and pain points. Most importantly, clearly articulate how clicking on your CTA or providing the requested information will improve their lives. Will it save them time, money, or effort? Will it solve a problem they are currently facing? Will it provide them with valuable information or access to exclusive benefits?

Consider creating multiple landing pages to cater to different audience segments. By tailoring your messaging and offers to specific audience characteristics, you can significantly improve the effectiveness of your campaigns.

For example, one audience segment might be targeted with a specific set of ads and social media content, encouraging them to take a particular action, while another segment is presented with different messaging and a distinct call to action.

A/B testing your landing pages provides valuable insights into audience behavior. By experimenting with different variations of your landing pages, you can identify which versions perform best and gain a deeper understanding of your target audience's preferences and responses.

3. Choose a landing page builder

When designing a landing page, selecting the right website builder is a critical step that determines your page’s effectiveness and ease of management. The ideal platform should offer flexibility, robust design tools, and seamless integration with other website elements. Key considerations include:

• Ease of use: A user-friendly interface with drag-and-drop functionality ensures quick design without requiring coding skills.
• Customization: Look for tools that let you tailor layouts, colors, fonts, and elements to match your branding.
• Responsive design: Your landing pages should automatically adjust for optimal viewing across devices, from desktops to smartphones.
• Built-in marketing and SEO tools: Features like SEO optimization, marketing tools, payments, and social media integration amplify your landing page’s reach and impact.

4. Write compelling copy and add CTA

High-performing landing pages employ compelling copywriting that persuades visitors to take the desired action. The messaging should effectively convey the value proposition and highlight the consequences of missing out on the opportunity.

Crafting Compelling Headlines:

• Click-Through Headlines: Consider using intriguing questions to pique visitor curiosity, such as "Want to know the secret to achieve LinkedIn success and how to get it for yourself?"
• Lead Generation Headlines: Focus on the long-term benefits of engagement, such as "Never miss out on a limited edition hardbound Jane Austen again."

Concise and Impactful Copy: Keep the written content on your landing pages concise and to the point. While detailed information is valuable in other contexts, brevity is key for driving immediate action. Utilize bullet points to highlight key benefits and create a sense of urgency, such as "There's never been a better time to learn music production."

Clear and Obvious Call to Action: The CTA should be prominently displayed and clearly communicate the desired action. Use concise and impactful language, ideally within three words, to effectively convey the desired action, such as "Shop Now," "Learn More," or "Get Started."

5. Engage Users with Graphics, Images, and Layout

Visual elements play a crucial role in driving user engagement and conversion on landing pages.

• Impact of Visuals: A visually appealing design, incorporating high-quality imagery and typography, significantly influences user perception and decision-making. Effective visuals enhance brand awareness and shape user sentiment towards your business.
• Prioritize User Experience: A simple and clean layout, combined with legible text and easy-to-understand iconography, significantly improves user experience and encourages desired actions such as purchases, content engagement, or newsletter subscriptions.

6. Design Your Landing Page

Now that you've carefully considered the content and messaging of your landing page, you might be wondering how to bring it all together.

• Leveraging Pre-built Templates: Start with a high-converting template to streamline the design process.
• Arranging Content Effectively: Utilize the drag-and-drop interface to easily position your text, images, and other elements on the page. This allows you to visualize the overall layout and make necessary adjustments to ensure optimal visual flow and readability.
• Maintaining Brand Consistency: Ensure your landing page seamlessly integrates with your overall brand identity. Incorporate your business logo, utilize your brand's signature fonts, and maintain consistent color schemes. This creates a cohesive and immersive brand experience, enhancing audience recognition and increasing brand awareness.

  
  

7. Get Feedback and Publish

Before publishing your landing page, it's crucial to thoroughly preview its appearance and functionality.

• Device-Specific Previews: Assess how your landing page renders on different devices, including desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Gather Feedback: Share the landing page with your clients or colleagues for their valuable feedback.
• Publish and Optimize: Once you're satisfied with the design and functionality of your landing page, it's time to publish it and make it live.

Best practices and tips

1. Define a Clear and Singular Goal

To maximize conversion rates, establish a single, well-defined goal for your landing page. Avoid sending mixed messages and focus on a single, clear CTA both in your advertisements and on the landing page form itself.

2. Choose a Relevant and Engaging Hero Image

The hero image plays a crucial role in capturing visitor attention and conveying your message.

• Target Audience Appeal: Select an image that resonates with your target audience, appealing to their interests and emotions.
• Message Reinforcement: The image should reinforce the key message or value proposition of your landing page.
• Strategic Placement: Position the hero image strategically to guide visitor attention towards the CTA.
• Image Quality and Loading Speed: Prioritize high-quality images that load quickly to ensure a smooth user experience and pass the "Blink Test."

3. Craft Effective CTAs

• Focus on Benefits: Frame your CTAs around the benefits that visitors will gain by taking the desired action.
• Concise and Action-Oriented: Keep the CTA text concise and use strong action verbs, such as "Get," "Download," "Click," "Register," or "Start."
• Visual Prominence:
  • Negative Space: Utilize negative space to visually isolate the CTA button and draw attention to it.
  • Strategic Placement: Position the CTA strategically within the visual flow of the page, guiding visitor attention towards it.

4. Conduct A/B Testing for Continuous Improvement

• A/B Testing Methodology: A/B testing involves creating two slightly different versions of your landing page and comparing their performance to identify the most effective version.
• Focus on Single Variables: When conducting A/B tests, modify only one element at a time (e.g., CTA button color, headline text, hero image) to accurately isolate the impact of each change.
• Prioritize Testing: Utilize the ICE framework (Impact, Confidence, Ease) to prioritize which variables to test first, focusing on those with the highest potential impact and easiest implementation.

Conclusion

Here are some final reminders to keep in mind:

• Understand Your Audience: Thoroughly research your target audience, identify their pain points, and tailor your landing page messaging to address their specific needs and concerns.
• Guide the User Journey: Clearly define the desired action and guide visitors seamlessly towards the CTA. 
• Provide Ongoing Value: Continue to provide value to your leads and customers even after they have converted.

FAQ

How do you create a landing page?

To create a landing page:

1. Choose a platform like Pixpa that offers customizable templates.

2. Define a clear goal (e.g., capturing leads or promoting a product).

3. Add compelling headlines, concise content, and a strong call-to-action (CTA).

4. Include visuals like images or videos to engage visitors.

5. Optimize for mobile and SEO.

What is the format of a landing page?

A landing page typically includes:

• A headline and subheading to grab attention.

• A concise description of your offer or product.

• A visually appealing hero image or video.

• Bullet points or short paragraphs to explain benefits.

• A prominent CTA button or form.

What is the best layout for a landing page?

The best layout for a landing page is:

• Above the Fold: Clear headline, supporting text, and CTA.

• Middle Section: Benefits, testimonials, or features with visuals.

• Bottom Section: A secondary CTA or FAQs to encourage action.
  Keep the layout simple, scannable, and focused on conversions.

What is a landing page example?

A landing page for a photography portfolio might feature:

• A bold headline like “Capture Moments That Matter.”

• Stunning images of your best work.

• A CTA button like “Book Your Session Now.”
  Pixpa provides templates designed for effective landing pages tailored to your niche.