Landing pages are a perennial topic for marketers, and as 2018 is more than halfway over, it’s the perfect time to examine what companies have been doing recently to improve their landing page design.
Of course, best practices are slow to change, but we’ve noticed a few particular trends this year (both good and bad!) that companies should note.
Focus Your Value Propositions
These days, it’s not uncommon for the average website to have 10, 20, or even 30 different landing pages strewn around. This is a good thing: Research by HubSpot found that companies with numerous landing pages (in the 10-15 range) saw 55 percent more conversions than those that had only 1-10.
More landing pages also means more opportunities for SEO and more chances to address specific, segmented markets. But therein lies the problem. Companies see these statistics and create page after page without putting enough thought into what each is trying to accomplish.
The best landing pages in 2018 are focused on a single campaign objective. They’re clear with direct value propositions that users can take in at a glance. It pays to have more, but don’t sacrifice quality for quantity in your landing page push.
Video Is Booming
We’ve seen a big jump in landing page video in 2018, and for good reason. Consumers love video.
Consider research by Frost and Sullivan in their Analysis of the Global Online Video Platforms Market report. They predicted that the global online video platform market will reach $800.2 million by 2019, and from where we’re sitting, that seems about right. From YouTube to Instagram to streaming video-on-demand (VOD) platforms like Netflix, our consumer appetite for video content isn’t going away any time soon.
Its popularity is partly why video is a great addition to your landing page, but its use runs deeper. When used correctly, videos can safeguard your landing page against bounce and help you get your message out there. Check out Dollar Shave Club who are well known for using video to bring life to a boring topic like shaving.
Keep Their Attention
According to research by Statistics Brain via Neil Patel, the modern human attention span is around eight seconds. But this number does NOT apply to video viewing. The average time users spend with an online video is 2.7 minutes.
This presents an interesting opportunity for landing pages. While your landing page isn’t the right place to go off on a long diatribe, a brief (1-3 minute) clip can give you time to restate your value proposition and make one final push while viewers are engaged.
Message Matching
A surprising, common error we see in landing pages, even in 2018, is poor message matching.
Message matching involves coordinating the copy, content, and images of the ad that connects your CTAs with the landing page itself. Your ad copy CTA should offer a clear and direct offer to readers that entice them to click. And when they do, your landing page headline should restate, and reinforce, that message with similar text.
Here’s an example of a display ad from Xfinity and its complementary landing page.
The ad copy promises students the offer to bundle internet and TV for $39.99, however when you click through to the landing page, you find that the cheapest bundle is actually $49.99. The visual aspect is also off slightly. Most students I know would close the page instantly due to this type of click bait!
Now consider the ad below. The ad copy promises glowing skin in one minute with a clear CTA to Buy Now. The landing page takes you to a Walmart shopping page for Aveeno Positively Radiant 60 Second Shower Facial. Walmart did a great job here keeping their ad consistent with their landing page.
It may not be something that all consumers will notice, but it’s a great example of the subtleties of landing page design. Landing pages built with this type of contextual consistency are a cut above those thrown together and will see much higher conversions as a result.
Above all, this attention to detail is your most important takeaway. Your landing pages require a measured and focused approach if you want them to convert, so make sure you put thought into your layout and be ready to adapt with the changing times.
