11 Tips to Create a Lead Generation Landing Page [+Examples]

Creating landing pages should no longer be an afterthought for marketers as they provide lead conversion opportunities. Since a marketing campaign needs focus and direction both in terms of copy and design, it makes sense to have a separate page especially for it.

In fact, 48% of businesses build new landing pages for every campaign, achieving an average conversion rate of 9.7%. Here are three reasons why landing pages are the most critical asset in a B2B marketer's arsenal.

What is a lead generation landing page?

A lead gen landing page (aka a 'squeeze page,' 'opt-in page,' or 'lead capture page') is the start of the conversion funnel—where prospective customers enter their information in exchange for a resource, such as a free report or guide. It is a dedicated, free-of-distractions page designed to capture contact information in order to turn anonymous visitors into leads.

See a lead generation landing page example below from our own content library.

Our visitors interested in learning about the pandemic’s impact on digital ad spending can download this report for free. All they need to do is provide their work email address and name, which turns them into leads we can then nurture with relevant emails in the future.

How lead generation landing pages help businesses?

Building a separate web page to collect visitor information in exchange for a valuable downloadable resource—is the effort behind this really worth it? In a word, yes.

Here are three reasons why lead generation landing pages are one of the most critical assets in a B2B marketer's arsenal:

1. Robust goal-setting

Any marketing campaign aims to promote a product, service, or valuable offering to the target audience.

A landing page allows the marketers to make the audience focus on what they want them to focus on, i.e., the offer, and explain the value proposition that helps differentiate the business from other sites the customer may visit during the buying process. 

2. Increased personalization

In an age of hyper-personalization, where customers prefer to be marketed on a one-to-one basis, it is essential to use a landing page builder that allows marketers to place the messaging, CTAs, and visuals how they want to and address the needs of the target audience directly.

3. Greater business insights

Landing pages offer an incredible platform for businesses to track and study visitor behavior so that the company can deliver more relevant follow-up marketing communications.

Landing page strategy: points to consider

If you have decided to build one and do not know from where to begin, perhaps the following steps can guide you:

1. Figure out a goal. What is the purpose behind the campaign? What are you trying to sell? To whom are you selling? Sort out answers to these questions.

2. Choose the right tool for the job. Use a landing page builder that allows you to customize and launch pages without breaking a sweat.

3. Design a clean, streamlined, and user-friendly visual layout. Once someone arrives at your landing page, they should know what they are supposed to do there.

Do's

But building a high converting landing page is so much more. Marketers must never forget to do the following:

1. Put the most crucial information above-the-fold

When someone lands on your landing page, you want to ensure the most important stuff is visible first. This is particularly important to remember for highly actionable pages like entering a contest or buying tickets.

Therefore, do not beat around the bush. Instead, share your value proposition as soon as you can. Place a persuasive CTA, any case study, or client logos to hook the visitors and nudge them to scroll down the page.

2. Write to-the-point copy

When it comes to landing page copy, it is best not to get too verbose. You do not want your website visitors to stare down a wall of text that they have to comb through to get to the point. That is not why you are building a landing page.

Instead of writing along the lines of "This product is awesome because…," draft something like, "You'll benefit from this product because…". Mixpanel does a great job at convincing their visitors why they should download the report.

Therefore, your copy needs to clearly state how your visitors will benefit from your offer or service. It must focus on the desirable. For instance, explain what they will get in return if they sign up on the landing page. Define your terms and conditions on the page correctly.

3. Test your copy and CTAs thoroughly

You will never know what resonates with your target audience until you test your landing page and glean insights from it. One effective way to do this is A/B testing. Create two versions of your page, options A and B, and test them to see which performs better.

You can install a tool like Hotjar to see where the visitor is spending the most time on the page. In addition, check your CTAs. Test its placement, the wording of the CTA, the colors used in the button, and so on. Numbers always tell a story. You have to listen to boost your chances of conversions.

4. Keep your landing page mobile-friendly

According to Statista, mobile accounts for 54.8% of web traffic worldwide. There is no way you can launch a landing page that is not compatible across devices or is not viewable on multiple screens. Mobile is the present and the future.

Many landing page builders have the feature built-in so that you can see common screen sizes before making the page live.

So here is a golden rule you can follow: keep only one CTA in a single-color background towards the center of a full-size page. That way, shrinking on a mobile screen would not take away the visitor's focus from it.

Besides, keep the sign-up form short and simple. Ask for the information you need. Typing with thumbs can be a chore on mobile. Do not make your visitors work so hard.

5. Leverage social proof and case studies

Show visitors that because others have enjoyed your product or service, they will also probably enjoy it. Include written testimonials from happy customers on your landing page. Use their photos, names, and job titles to confirm the authenticity of the review. Check out how effortlessly ActiveCampaign has pulled this off with a single social proof.

Alternatively, if you want to showcase the difference you have made in a customer's life (or business) through numbers, include a link to view case studies. Similarly, if your clientele consists of well-known brands, use their logos to bolster your authority.

6. Use visuals that attract and engage your visitors

This goes without saying, but if you want your landing page to make an impact, use powerful images. Even if your offering is highly technical, e.g., a SaaS platform, make it a point to represent it visually. Having said that, pick up images that feature images resonating with your audience.

If you are a financial advisory firm selling retirement plans to the 50-plus bracket, using photos of 20-something call center workers is not going to help. Best, pick up images from your own repository if you got them clicked specifically for your business. You can also use vector art.

Research shows that 30% of top landing pages use video content. If you can upload videos explaining your services or on customer testimonials, you might win more leads. Here's a great example of how you can use video content on your landing page.

Please also remember to keep the branding consistent and help website visitors instantly associate your landing pages with your business.

7. Remember to add a 'thank you' page

This page is a lead nurturing opportunity that is often missed. Businesses do not realize that they should be thanking the visitors for taking the time to fill out the form. More so, you would want to use it to reintroduce the website navigation and encourage them to explore a bit more.

You can use this page to share related content or resources that the visitor might be interested in on the page. Also, include social sharing buttons so that they can connect with you on other platforms if they like. Cover your bases.

8. Update your landing pages periodically

Just because you are not running a campaign anymore does not mean you should not keep its content up-to-date. Like any blog post or web page, you must ensure your copy is refreshed periodically. Not just that, revamp your background colors, CTAs, and visuals. This will signal Google to keep ranking it because the page was recently updated.

Don'ts

To minimize the chances of your landing page falling flat on its face, avoid doing the following things: 

1. Avoid cluttering your landing page

We understand you have a lot of information to share on your landing page. You want to convince your customers with everything you have. But as far as expression goes, less is more. This also applies to the landing page copy and buttons. For example, look at the cluttered button options in Chase’s landing page below.

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On the left, there is a “Learn More” CTA button, while over on the right another CTA button asks you to sign up for an account. And below this, five links take you to different pages. It all adds up to make for a confusing and inefficient landing page.

Besides using concise and to-the-point copy, go for a minimal design and ensure abundant whitespace on the page to ensure your visitors can consume information easily. In addition, use ample bullet points and subheadings for better readability.

2. Do not lead visitors astray

Giving too much information on your landing page can surely scare your visitors away. Eliminate unnecessary copy and links (even those that lead to your homepage). The best practice is to have only one strong CTA, one link, and short, to-the-point copy to increase the chances of converting on your landing page. This gated content page is a perfect example of how not to do.

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3. Stay away from confusing jargon

Please make sure your copy is easy to understand and free from any technical or industry-related jargon. Do not try to impress your website visitors with fancy language. Instead, use simple words and explain your offering in the easiest way possible.

4. Do not ask for a lot of information

If your data capturing forms are too long, you are showing potential customers away. No one likes to be bombarded with questions. Therefore, it is wise to ask only for the essentials such as name, company name, phone number, and email address. If you want more information, you can simply email them and initiate a conversation. Here's how Xero approaches data collection.

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Wrapping Up

So there you have it: 11 actionable do’s and don’ts to build an effective lead generation landing page.

Do your landing pages follow these best practices? Did we miss anything? Drop a comment below and let us know!