No matter what line of work you happen to specialize in, we could all use a little help when it comes to managing our web content for the masses. Even when we find ourselves perfectly satisfied with our work, you’ll find yourself visiting your website a week later wishing you’d changed the format on one page or perhaps even gone with a completely different template altogether.
Rest assured that this feeling is normal. In fact, the frustration we experience from this constant process is precisely why successful business owners make it a point to invest in web management and marketing services. No matter how hard you work to keep up with technological trends, the time that goes into content management will inevitably interrupt your professional progress.
You might be able to manage your business on your own, but you’ve also earned the right to invest in yourself. Two Trees PPC can certainly help you with this when the time comes. Until then, we want to do everything possible to help you manage your time more effectively. This begins with your very first impression.
In fact, it all begins with your Landing Page.
Table of Contents
Are you one of those people who uses the terms “Home Page” and “Landing Page” interchangeably? Well, never fear! While it’s absolutely possible to design your Home Page into a very user-friendly Landing Page, there’s actually a huge difference between the two. If we don’t understand the purpose behind each of these pages, how can we expect them to work the way they were designed to?
The Home Page is the main page that your customer will see when they click on your domain. Its purpose is to summarize the business in a nutshell. Offering links to professional services, location, contact info, and links to partner companies and any other info you might like your customer to find with ease.
The Landing Page is designed to specifically target one product or offering. This could be an invitation to join your mailing list, the offering of a coupon code, etc. The Landing Page often serves up an incentive to your audience within seconds of visiting, and is designed to promote your most recent and relevant advertisements. The Landing Page can be used for a variety of products or offers, or it can be designed to function as a standalone page – which can be added to the main menu to promote new products, sales, or your most recent campaign.
The goal of each page is to offer as much information to your visitors as quickly and efficiently as possible. This is why you’ll often find Home Pages and Landing Pages full of large, easy-to-read headings and interactive content. It can be hard to predict the motives behind every visit, but we can do everything in our power to create the best possible experience for those that do. We do this by relaying as much information as possible in bite-size pieces, while offering an open invitation to “learn more” with every click.
The more options a person has, the harder it is to make a decision. We experience this first hand when we visit new restaurants or indulge in online shopping. You wouldn’t want to scare off potential friends by info-dumping the first time you meet up for drinks after a year in lockdown. Why would the design of your website be any different?
While it’s true that some brands choose to list story after story after story on their home page, we like to advise new business owners to keep it short and sweet. The shorter your content is, the easier it’ll be for your customers to go through. It can be tempting to use larger, more colorful paragraphs of words. It can be tempting to list all your favorite products on the homepage for all to see, but too many options will cost precious seconds that you simply cannot afford to waste.
Time is money, and first impressions are everything. This is why it is so important to optimize your content on a regular basis. The best Home Page design comes with a K.I.S.S. So, “keep it simple, silly.”
And yes, the same goes for your landing pages too.
Why do we choose to spend money on anything? Why would we offer our phone numbers to some people, while saving a more public social media account for others? The answer to both of these questions boils down to Connection and Desire.
You may be wondering: How do we use Connection and Desire to engage with our customers? You might sooner ask: How does your business serve to fill a common need?
Take the “starving artist” archetype as an example. Working artists who tend to “succeed” make a point to invest in regular public engagement. Whether that happens to be via mailing list, social media, or some other means makes no difference. These artists maintain their fanbase by pouring genuine effort into their engagement, or by hiring a team who can do it on their behalf. Whatever they post will elicit regular feelings of Connection and Desire. This occurs through active visitor engagement.
Engagement is key to expanding the reach of your mailing list. The same applies to your conversion rates. Instead of simply requesting an email address, consider adding a discount code in exchange for that info! Instead of adding an extensive bio to your homepage, consider throwing a quiz to the mix! People love content that draws them in and keeps them guessing. We’re all children at heart after all.
In the end, posting meaningful content is just as important as high-quality customer service. Customers who feel invested on a personal level tend to buy more, comment more, will often demonstrate more loyalty than any friend or family member who pays a visit to your website. Never forget the importance of playful and meaningful customer engagement.
This goes without saying, but it’s just as crucial to point out that Calls-To-Action must be clear as crystal. If there’s a specific action you want your viewers to take, don’t create a maze of solutions for them to navigate. You need CTAs that ring loud and clear using short, easy-to-read terms.
This can be done using one of two ways:
1. By offering the classic and perfectly direct 3-Word Instruction. Such as: “Request a quote,” “Create an account,” or some other variation of three.
2. By using clear, recognizable phrases. Common options include: “Sign up for your free trial,” “Subscribe to my newsletter,” “Shop <insert product name> here,” or something of the like.
No matter which words you choose as your CTA, the point is to compel your viewers to ACT NOW. It makes no sense to spell out the details of your services when visitors won’t stay long enough to read what you have to say. Keep it simple. Be specific. Use words that inspire connection and enthusiasm. Remind your readers of the desire that drove them to find you in the first place, and use that CTA to bring them home.
There really is no greater secret to successful marketing. When you design a clean, direct, easy-to-navigate website, your customers will remember how easy it was to explore. When they join your mailing list and find discount coupons in their inbox, they’ll remember that your brand can be trusted to keep promises. The final secret to all of this lies in Consistency. It makes no sense to polish your brand online only to fall off the map. Small businesses simply cannot afford to forget about customer engagement.
First impressions are everything, and the way you design your Landing Page is a perfect example of that! If you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed by the ever-growing list of promotional tasks, please feel free to contact our team. We’d be happy to lighten the load for you so you can focus on the work ahead.
Once you’ve optimized your Landing Page, it’ll be that much easier to create lasting and meaningful connections with your customers. Take a good, critical look at that content you’ve already published. Are you using it correctly? Do you need to simplify your Home Page and add more engaging content?
The sooner your team can apply these changes, the sooner you’ll see improvement in your SEO stats. Remember that engagement is key. Remember your audience, and create clear CTAs for your Home Page and Landing Pages. You have the power to improve your business on your own terms. It’s all a matter of putting those steps into practice.