Great landing pages are artfully crafted to deliver results.  All too often simple mistakes lead to wasted opportunities and money.  I hope the tactics listed below make you think about how you build, manage and test your landing pages in the future.

They Function Properly

• Please test your form or goal conversion channel to ensure it is working properly before you go live with a new landing page.  Also, commit time to check to see if the forms are working properly on a regular frequency.  Most Webmasters will tell you that sometimes form scripts just break, and nothing will cost you more money than if you’re paying to send people to a landing page where it is impossible for potential customers to convert to actual customers.

They Utilize Consistent Messaging

• Your ad text or email offer should always remain consistent on your landing page.  For example if you’re going to use a PPC ad with the offer “Free Shipping” mentioned within the ad text, then that needs to be at the forefront of your landing page.   Providing consistent messaging will go a long way in building trust with your potential customers and more trust equals, more conversions.

They use a Clean Design

• The back button on every web browser is your main enemy.  It is now easier than ever to locate 20 different companies with similar offers carrying the exact same product as you; thus your content needs to clearly get your message across and entice the user to buy right now.  Overwhelming them with large blocks of text is only going to scare them away, so instead, utilize images, video and bullet points to encourage them to stay on your landing page and convert.

They are Relevant

• Relevancy should not be confused with consistent messaging, while both are important they are in fact very different.  For example the home page of a website is all too often a popular landing page choice for many AdWords Advertisers but most of the time it is also the wrong choice.  Users should be sent to a landing page that is clearly relevant to the search term.  If I am looking for “Book Editing Services” and I am taken to a home page of a Book Publishing Company its likely I will just hit the back button until I find someone offering the editing services I am looking for.

They are Proven Through Testing

• You have  likely heard the cliché “The Sistine Chapel was not painted in a day”; the perfect landing pages were not created in a day either.  When creating a landing page, you must realize the vast demographics of visitors who will be viewing your landing page.  Correctly gauging how each user will react is nearly impossible.  When you setup your landing page be prepared to test different offers, calls to action, forms, messaging, colors–everything.  The fact is testing your landing pages to find what works and what produces the best conversion rates will be the best investment you make.