Are you spending money on media just to lose prospects at your landing page? Landing page practices can be difficult and confusing; however, landing page optimization (LPO) is absolutely critical in converting prospects into leads and can make or break your campaign! That is why we have compiled a list of key tactics to guide you to a successful lead-generating (or lead-gen) landing page in 2019.

1. Offer One Main Step for Visitors

The first step and rule of thumb for your lead-gen landing page is not to have excessive navigation and extra links. People have an average attention span of 8 seconds, less than a goldfish! Keep it simple. There should be a main step for your visitors to take: to click your call-to-action (CTA).

Describe exactly what will happen when your CTA is clicked. For a clear, to the point, CTA button, incorporate a few of these tips:

Find the ideal color.
Keep it above the fold.
Create a sense of urgency.
Make text large and easy to read.


2. Make Your Page Scannable

Unfortunately, as much as we want to believe it isn’t true, very few website visitors will read every word on your landing page. Your content should be arranged in a way that makes it accessible and easy for the audience to understand. As said before, attention spans are short, and people will leave a page in a matter of seconds if it does not spark an interest right away.

An easy way to test if your landing page is scannable and if your unique selling point is clear, is to perform a five seconds test. Present test subjects with your landing page for 5 seconds, and then hide it from their view. Next, ask the test subject to explain what the page is about. Refine until people are answering correctly and consistently.

3. Write Great Headlines

This may sound mundane or simple; however, a headline orients a prospect, it eliminates any confusion and guides a prospect to your CTA. Your headline should be clear-cut and to the point.

Headlines can get a bit tricky. Yes, you want your headline to be fun and amusing; however, never sacrifice clarity or credibility for cleverness. We all have seen a headline or two that may have caused you to chuckle and click, only to then prompt utter confusion. That’s not what we’re goin’ for. Write headlines that produce interest, yet depict your landing page accurately.

4. Highlight the Benefits & Value of Your Campaign

Now is your chance to entice your audience and persuade them to fill out the form. Your landing page should have high value and clearly stated benefits. A way to check this is to determine if your messaging answers the prospect’s question, “What’s in it for me?”

There are different ways to sell your landing page. You can list the features and unique offerings of your destination, or you can focus on specific benefits that may apply to the audience you are trying to target.

Either way, let them know what they will be getting by completing the form, or better yet, what they will be missing out on if they don’t.

5. Don’t Ask for Too Much Too Soon

It is imperative to align the number of questions asked on your landing page with your offer. If there are too many fields, visitors will become reluctant to fill out the form. It’s a balancing act. For example, have you ever seen a form with around 20 questions? Did you take the time to fill it out? No, probably not.

Try and decide what you are willing to give up, in terms of information fields. Although DMOs typically want a more thorough vetting process when it comes to receiving leads, just a few simple pieces of information can help you move prospects through the funnel and further along the process.

6. Provide Testimonials

The proof is in the pudding. By giving testimonials and social evidence to the users, they can see what other people have experienced with your destination.

Think about when you are looking to buy a new product off of Amazon; you first go to the “Customer Questions & Answers” section to get a better understanding of the new product and real-life opinions. Testimonials are just that! These social proofs help enhance trust and show that your destination has had success in the past.

7. Include a Compelling Hero Shot

Simple, yet crucial. Align a captivating image with your message to help the visitor quickly get a better understanding of your offering. Or better yet, use a video, which can increase conversions by 86 percent. It should communicate the same thing as the headline and not conflict with the content.

This hero shot should dominate the page and leave visitors with a strong sense of the destination. This tip goes hand in hand with making your page scannable. People are quickly scanning and want to understand what you are offering as quickly as possible. Make this image or video better your odds of getting a conversion.

Take, for example, the lead-gen landing page we created for Amelia Island. The hero shot displays Amelia Island’s coastal feeling and relaxed, beachy ambiance. The image is inviting and right away, allows the viewer to get a sense of the destination.

Looking for more tips and how-to’s for your DMO? Glance at our DMO-specific blogs and case studies or dive into our in-depth eBooks (free to download).

Ready to mingle? Reach out to us!