I. Construct a Clear Offer – Attract
The landing page is a condensed one shot version of an entire product manual or service brochure. It is a web version of the smart, efficient and involved salesperson with the one objective of telling you why before close the door on him. For this reason, the landing page has a promotional space that conveys offer, benefit and promise all at once in the most unaffected manner. The landing page can be almost ignored if this area is not used as the ten word version of the service or product offer.
Limiting the content of the promotional or header area shows both the creativity of the offer and also the clarity of the seller. The banner is a prime real estate on the page setting the tone for the rest of the page. The need for the product is made clear simply by arranging information in a more visual and user friendly manner to make a strong value case for the service offered.
A well constructed offer is no longer a short term sales decision. It affects the perception formed by a largely floating population of online users. Where the offers are one ‘search’ away, the value you provide upfront on your landing page goes a long way towards gaining the next 5 seconds of the user’s time.
II. Communicate Product Facts – Inform & Decide
Now that you have the next five to sixty seconds, a salesman will tell you to cut to the product or service. As much as this rule applies in spirit, the landing page is no competition to a fast talking bible salesman and neither can it afford to be on the Internet. The science to making a good landing page has evolved in a space where if you are not stating the truth, someone else is. And more importantly, the user knows. This knowledge empowers any user to expect you to justify his time on your page.
The challenge here is to make your factual statements register in the space of the
5 seconds you have been given.
Many tools are fortunately available in the form of rich media content to icons that put fact in colour. The overall feel of the page can be kept spare without preaching or boring the user.
Using infographics is one such way where in this example, you can get a new car through Kotak Car Finance, can be illustrated better.
Similarly, summing up the benefits in a concise and countable manner, allow a user to compare what you offer against your competitors.
Communicating large bodies of content becomes easier when you break up text in the form of activity areas.
One route we took was to answer these user questions: What is this product, why buy this product, what will it do for me, how can I use it and finally where can I get it. Bringing the page down to a simplified version of the user’s decision making process for complex products is something he will thank you for with the most precious 20-60 seconds he is now be willing to spend on your page.
III. Compel User Action – Act
The immediacy of a landing page is its most important asset and also the challenge it poses as a marketing tool. A user can click, glance, and tab away from the page even before the attractive image of the free gift on offer loads on the page.
The form appearing upfront comes in here, as it functions as an independent unit to direct the user to the product directly. This is important as the user reaches a landing page when looking for the product and may not even want product information.
The form can be seen as a different, more aggressive 10 word version of the page with a single focus to capturing certain user details. Instead of considering it the end result of user activity on the page, if it is shown above the fold, the form by itself makes the intent of the page clear. It defines the area, where the user can reach the seller and make his interest obvious. The form when accompanied by a singular offer also makes for a communication in itself by speaking of one thing alone.
At the end, a landing page can be more than a sales desk as long as it speaks the language of the customer.
