Squarespace Landing Page Design: Convert Your Ideal Client
Creating the perfect landing page can be a challenge but it is a critical component of marketing campaigns. You want to make sure that you capture your visitor’s attention and get them to convert into customers. Landing pages do just that.
If you’ve ever wanted to create great landing pages that find leads and covert them to customers, then you’re reading the right article. That’s because you’re about to discover my Easy 7-Step Method for Building Landing Pages that Convert.
And the good news is that you can use this method to create your own landing page even if you don’t have any design experience or amazing copywriting skills!
So, whether you want to create landing pages for your business or for one of your clients, keep reading this blog post. I’m going to show you how it’s done!
What’s a Landing Page?
A landing page, sometimes known as a lead capture page or squeeze page, is a web page which has been intentionally crafted for a specific organic or paid advertising campaign to either:
collect contact information from prospects and generate leads, or
convert cold traffic and warm leads into paying customers.
An effective landing page will direct users to take action and will move prospective customers through the sales journey.
Landing Pages that will Inspire You
Let's start with some examples of pleasing pages that will dazzle your audience. We’ve included everything from lead generation landing pages to product launch pages so you can get inspired by all sorts of different types of creative strategies.
Feel Good Social Club offers a great example of a landing page that leads the reader through a journey towards a purchase - in this case a membership in an awesome monthly service that helps its members create on brand social media posts that are fun, funky and fresh.
Remember the first time you heard about Netflix? The streaming service seemed almost too good to be true with unlimited movies and TV shows for less than $10 a month. Now there is Amazon Prime, Hulu, HBO Max and Disney Plus!
The Disney Plus landing page is on point without making it seem too complicated or difficult for anyone to sign up. (I’ve been catching up on my early 90s rom-coms this month!)
Why it inspires…
One-Field Form – Easy enough for your 12 year old to sign up to. Disney Plus makes the first step super simple—just enter your email to get started.
Drop-Down FAQ – Website developers are constantly struggling between long content (for SEO) and short content for easy readability by your ideal customers. A drop down FAQ offers the best of all worlds.
Sometimes a landing page is awesome because of the design and sometimes it is because of the content and every once in a while, the two come together in perfect unison.
Business 4 Social Good ticks every box with its clean simple, on brand messaging and it’s important message. Deb Alcadinho, the company’s founder, has created training for women entrepreneurs who want to make profit with a purpose by integrating social impact into every aspect of their businesses.
Everyone loves a deal and a deal that is disappearing before your eyes can create a sense of urgency among your prospects and drive them to action. Here’s a great example of a landing page from Harvest Hosts with a built in countdown timer that ticks away the longer you stay on the page.
7 Steps to an Amazing Landing Page
Now that you are inspired, here are seven easy steps to creating a landing page from scratch
Step #01: The first step is to come up with a hot headline that will get your audience's attention.
A catchy headline is the most important part of your landing page. It's the first thing that people see and it needs to be interesting enough to make them want to read more. Most people will only read the headline, so it's essential to make sure it's good.
Marketing expert, Neil Patel, says you should spend more effort on your headline than all the rest of your content and design combined.
There are a few things you can do to make your headline more catchy:
Include numbers or statistics in your headline. For example, "5 Ways to Lose Weight Fast" or "3 Simple Steps to Becoming a Millionaire."
Use strong adjectives in your headlines. For example, "Incredible! New Product Guaranteed to Transform Your Life". Here is my list of X irresistible power words to tantalize and captivate.
Make a bold promise in your headline. For example, "Lose Weight in Just One Week!" or "Earn $100,000 Per Month Working from Home."
Make it unique! Did you know you can put your headline into google with "HEADLINE", quotes around it and find out if there is another match on the internet.
Many of the tips outlined in 24 Hooks to Reel them in on Social Media can help you write a captivating headline for your landing page.
Step #02: You'll need some compelling copy that tells your story and sells your product or service.
The next thing you need to do is write your copy for the landing page.
When I first started writing copy, I made a lot of mistakes. And now that I’ve helped others do it, I see a lot of people have a tendency to make the same mistakes. So let me share with you the top 3 mistakes when it comes to copywriting and how to avoid them:
Mistake # 01: Not having a clear goal or purpose for your landing page.
When you don’t have a specific goal in mind, it becomes difficult to write copy that is effective. You need to know what action you want the reader to take, whether it be subscribing to your email list, buying a product, or downloading a white paper.
Mistake # 02: Not knowing who your ideal customer is
If you know exactly who your ideal customer is, you can write compelling copy that speaks directly to them. A buyer persona humanizes your clients and makes communication easier.
Mistake # 03: Not using strong language for your landing page copy.
Your landing page content needs to be attention-grabbing and compel the reader to continue reading. If it’s not interesting, your page visitors will leave your page without taking any other action.
When you’re writing your copy, you need to make sure that you are taking into account how it will be ranked by search engines. You want to use keywords and phrases that people are likely to use when they are looking for what you have to offer. This way you will draw more web traffic.
A few more tips to writing compelling copy:
use simple language instead of jargon
install Grammarly and watch for to, too and two
test your copy on mobile as well as desktop platforms
be consistent in your language and style choices as it relates to your other pages, and most importantly
write for your ideal potential customer not yourself or your sales team
Marketing Templates to Save You Hours of Work
There are a couple of digital marketing templates that are commonly used because they work!
AIDA is an acronym that stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. When you are creating your own landing pages, keep these four things in mind to ensure that it is effective at converting traffic into customers.
First, make sure that you capture your audience's attention with a strong headline. The headline should be relevant to what the person is looking for and interesting enough to get them to want to read more.
Next, create interest by providing information about the product or service that is of value to the target audience. This might include explaining how it works, what benefits it has or why it is better than the competition.
Then, create desire by showing how the product or service can solve the reader's problem or improve their life in some way.
Finally, make sure to provide clear instructions on what the next step should be so that people can take action and become customers.
Here are a few examples of the AIDA template:
Attention: Dog owners are always looking for a great dog walker.
Interest: Our dog walking service is the best in town. We have highly experienced dog walkers who will take care of your pet as if it was their own.
Desire: You can trust us to take care of your furry friend while you're at work or out of town. We'll make sure they get plenty of exercise and love during their walks.
Action: Sign up for our dog walking service today!
Attention: Looking for a new fashion accessory to add to your collection?
Interest: Our glass pendants are the latest trend in high-end fashion. They come in a variety of colors and styles, so you can find the perfect one for your wardrobe.
Desire: You’ll love how our pendants make you feel – confident, stylish, and elegant. We know you’ll want to wear them everywhere you go.
Action: Purchase a glass pendant today on our website!
Another common copywriting technique is PAS - Problem, Agitation, Solution. On a well optimized landing page, you will state the problem your customer is experiencing, then agitate that problem by talking about how it's impacting their life or business in a negative way. Finally, you offer up your solution - which is usually your product or service. This resonates with most website visitors because they are on your page looking for a solution.
Problem: Dental problems can be incredibly painful and expensive to treat.
Agitate: A single cavity can cost $150 to repair, and that's not including the cost of dental insurance. If you don't have dental insurance, a root canal can set you back $1,000 or more.
Solution: Our dental services are affordable and convenient. We offer a variety of services from general dentistry to cosmetic dentistry, and we have locations all over the country. Plus, we offer financing options so that you can get the care you need without breaking the bank. Schedule your appointment today!
Problem: Bikes are valuable, and if you don't have a bike shop nearby it can be hard to find the time or money to get your bike repaired.
Agitate: You know that feeling when you're out on a ride and your chain falls off? It's not only inconvenient but also dangerous. Not to mention how much of an inconvenience it is when your brakes stop working.
Solution: Our mechanics will come right to your door with all the tools they need for repairs on any type of bicycle - from mountain bikes and road bikes, to BMXs and kids' bikes! We'll even offer advice about what kind of bike would work best for you based on where you live, what terrain there is in the area.
Step #03: Don't forget about images! They're a great way to capture attention and add visual interest.
Images improve your conversion rates. When you're creating your landing page, be sure to add high-quality images that are relevant to your offer.
They help to explain your offer and make it more visually appealing by breaking up text and creating an emotional response in your audience. People are more likely to stay on your site for longer periods of time than if there were just words on the screen - boosting engagement with your content.
As well as having an impact on conversions, images can also help you rank higher in search engines. The more keywords your page has, the better it will perform in organic searches. You can add image names and alt text containing keywords that improve SEO rankings.
Some of the best practices when it comes to using images on a landing page include:
Size them appropriately - the aspect ratio of your images should be between 16:9 for full screen.
Make sure they're relevant to the offer
Use high-quality, copyright-free images - you can find these on unsplash, canva and a variety of other free image sites
Use your brand colours in images
Save them to the smallest file size that still maintains image quality. A good landing page tool for shrinking images is tinypng.
Keep it real - real photos almost always out perform stock imagery
Use images to make information easier to digest - infographics are a powerful way to do this
Add text overlay on your images for more impact
Step #04: Make sure your form is easy to fill out and that you're collecting the right information.
A landing page form is an important part of your marketing funnel. The form allows you to collect the information you need from your visitors in order to follow up with them and convert them into customers in your marketing efforts. If the form is difficult to fill out or if you're collecting the wrong information, you'll lose potential customers. Make sure your form is easy to fill out and that you're collecting the right information and you are more likely to create a successful landing page.
When creating a form for your landing page, you'll want to make sure to avoid these mistakes:
Mistake #1: Asking for way too much information.
Have you ever faced an entry form that asks for your name, your email and your address, phone number, month of birth, job title, company website, annual income, pet’s name, bank account, mother’s cousin’s fathers name and more!
A good practice is to ask for only the information you must have: email and sometime’s first name.
Mistake #2: Designing for desktop
These days most people search the web using their mobile phones. That means that your forms must be designed to be easily filled out on a mobile phone. Forms that are difficult to fill out on a mobile phone will frustrate visitors and cause them to leave your page without converting.
Make sure you test your form's design on different devices, including mobile phones, before launching it live.
Mistake #3: Not testing your landing page form
Someone once said to me their best proofreading occurred immediately after pushing the send button. The same is true of forms. There is nothing like releasing a form, only to realize it is not collecting the information you need. Be sure you complete a/b testing on your forms.
Step #05: Add some trust indicators to help put your audience at ease.
People are more likely to trust your landing page if it includes testimonials from happy customers. Testimonials should be included in your overall marketing strategy.
When people are considering making a purchase, they often look for third-party validation in the form of testimonials before deciding to take the plunge. Bottom line - people don't trust brands, they trust people. Well placed testimonials can be critical in converting visitors.
That's why it's important to include testimonials as part of your landing page design - so that your target audience can see that you're an authority in your field and that other people have been satisfied with their purchases.
Testimonials are the new word of mouth. In fact, 92% of consumers say they trust recommendations over brands.
Need some ideas on how to collect testimonials?
look at your social media for customer feedback in comments and direct messages
use review software that is relative to your niche such as Podium, Capterra or Trustradius
send customers surveys using survey software such as Hotjar, Survey Monkey or Hubspot. This is an effective way to collect data from your customers.
reward customers who provide reviews
ask - sometimes the simplest solution is the easiest solution.
Step #06: A good landing page includes a clear Call to Action
A clear and concise call to action is important for a number of reasons. First, it tells your potential customers what you want them to do. Second, it makes it easy for them to understand what you want them to do. Third, it helps motivate them to take the desired action. Finally, it helps ensure that they don't get lost or confused while browsing through your landing page.
A strong call to action will:
keep your ideal client moving through the process
create steps in a journey that ends where you plan it to
make outcomes easy to measure
prompt action
cause conversions
So, how do you craft a strong call to action for your landing page? Here are some tips:
Keep it simple. Don't try to cram too much information into your call to action. Just state what you want your audience to do and why they should do it.
Use active language. Instead of using passive language, use active language that encourages your audience to take action.
Make it stand out. Make sure your call to action stands out from the rest of the text on your landing page so that it's easy for your audience to see and act on.
Be clear about the benefits. Let your audience know what they'll gain by taking the desired action.
Display them in the right place
Some ideas for some great calls to action include:
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Step #07: Test, test, test! Make sure you track conversions and tweak your page until it's perfect
Using a landing page tool for A/B testing your forms is a great way to make sure you're getting the most out of them. A/B testing allows you to test different versions of your lead capture form against each other to see which one converts better.
You can use this information to improve design and content when you build landing pages, making it more likely to convert visitors into customers.
Conclusion
So there you have it! Seven easy steps to creating a luscious landing page that will capture your audience's attention and get them to convert. Just follow the simple tips laid out in this blog post and you'll be on your way to success in no time!
Now, go forth and create amazing landing pages that turn browsers into buyers! ;-)
Shaz
