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All marketers want to see their web visitors convert into leads. And there’s one online tool that’s designed specifically to do just that: a landing page.

Here’s what you need to know to create and succeed with landing pages.

What’s a landing page?

It’s a standalone web page that’s created for a marketing campaign. Basically, it’s where the user lands when they click a link in an email, online ad, social media post, or another online source. 

Unlike other web pages, though, a landing page is designed to have one goal or focus, which comes in the form of a call to action (CTA). You bring them there because you want them to do something. The CTA could tell them to sign up for your newsletter, download a lead magnet, request a quote, ask for more information, or a number of other things. 

For example, if they click a button in your email that says “Get a Free Quote,” it takes them to a page where they can submit their information for a quote. Or, a nonprofit could have a “Donate Now” button that takes them to the donation page.

A landing page is a targeted page where visitors are funneled to share their information before they are given the goods. That’s why these pages are such a great tool for boosting your campaigns’ conversion rates — and why so many marketers depend on them.

What makes a good landing page URL?

It’s easy to forget about the importance of creating a good URL, especially since the platform you use to post your content will often create one for you. But even then, you should craft a URL that best works for your post and site. 

When it comes to creating a URL for a landing page, it’s especially important to choose the right one. A good URL can help your landing page rank higher on search engine results, and it can also help you convert more visitors into customers. Here are a few best practices to improve your URLs:

Incorporate keywords

You need to know which keyword(s) you are targeting with the landing page, and make sure they are included in the URL. Google’s algorithms will rank content higher in its results if you properly use the keywords — meaning the keyword(s) should also be placed in the landing page content, as well.

Take this example. You create a guide on how beginners can succeed at using social media, and you name it “Social Media Guide.” You create a landing page where visitors can download the guide for free. Which URL do you think works best for that landing page?

  1. https://companyname.com/m+1234&cir=bir
  2. https://companyname.com/social-media-guide

The second option obviously is the best choice because it incorporates your keywords and matches what the page is about.

Add hyphens

If you use multiple words in the URL, like “social media guide,” make sure to put hyphens between each word. This not only helps search engines like Google find the keywords, but it’s also easier for users to read, helping to improve the user experience.

Keep keywords to a minimum

Yes, the URL should include your main keyword(s). However, it shouldn’t be a catch-all for every keyword related to your topic. Putting too many keywords in your URL can cause SEO backlash and look more like spam to users, as well. 

Remove unneeded words

Having too many words in the URL also makes it less readable, which is just the opposite of what you want. Here are examples of URLs to show what we mean:

  1. Good: https://companyname.com/newsletter-signup
  2. Not as good: https://companyname.com/signup-for-my-newsletter

Neither one is super lengthy, but the first one is clearly better than the second because it cuts out the unnecessary words. Eliminate words like “the,” “a,” “for,” “to,” and “your,” and only include the main ones. Shorter is definitely better when it comes to URLs.

How to improve your landing page

Whether you’ve just created your first or hundredth landing page, there are probably things you can do to make it better and boost your ROI. Here are things every landing page needs to be successful.

Optimize for mobile

Make sure your landing page is optimized for mobile devices because that’s what most people are using to view sites these days. Consumers aren’t going to mess with a site that’s difficult to use. Along those same lines, visitors also expect the site to load quickly whether it’s on a mobile device or desktop.

Don’t include multiple offers

Landing pages should be about one thing, and one thing only. You wouldn’t put a CTA for your newsletter signup on the same page as a CTA to download a whitepaper. Not only is that confusing for the user, but having multiple offers on a landing page can decrease conversions by up to 266 percent. So, repeat after us, “One landing page per offer.”

Create lots of pages

You don’t want to be one-and-done when it comes to landing pages. In fact, you want quite a few more than one page to be successful. Having 10 to 15 landing pages can increase your leads by 55 percent. The more, the better.

Add videos

Having a video on your landing page can improve your conversions, as well. The video could explain what they will receive if they submit their information or share success stories about another customer who used whatever it is you’re promoting on the page. As long as it makes sense for the landing page, go for it.

Limit required information

The less information your visitors have to fill in to receive the offer, the more likely they are to do it. The sweet spot for form fields on a landing page is three, so try to stay around that number. That would allow you to ask their first name, last name, and email address, which is a great starting point.

Examples of good landing pages

Now that you know some of the best practices, let’s look at those techniques in action with these examples.

HubSpot

This clean, minimalistic design gets straight to the point. There’s a clear CTA and information that tells what they will receive if they click it.

HubSpot also includes additional information if users scroll down, in case they want to know more before they download the materials.

Outback Landscape

This page from Outback Landscape states the problem their audience has and how this guide can help them. That shows they understand their audience and want to provide them with something of value.

In addition to asking for their name and email address, their landing page form also requires them to put in their county, which is important for local companies.

Moz

This landing page from Moz tells what it’s about and exactly who it’s for, so there’s no confusion for anyone who ends up there. They also use the cover image of the downloadable guide and match the colors of it on the landing page.

PayPal

We like how all of the content and images fit on the screen without having to scroll with this PayPal landing page. Bullet points are another great tool for landing pages since this gives people an overview of what they will be getting.

Time to create a landing page

Landing pages can improve your ROI, consumer engagement, and even brand loyalty if you’re using them to share valuable resources. And if you have a Robly account, you now can create a landing page straight from your user dashboard!

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