{"id":5192,"date":"2015-09-30T19:56:27","date_gmt":"2015-10-01T00:56:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/?p=5192"},"modified":"2026-01-21T00:22:11","modified_gmt":"2026-01-21T00:22:11","slug":"5-reliable-guidelines-for-designing-higher-converting-landing-pages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/5-reliable-guidelines-for-designing-higher-converting-landing-pages\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Reliable Guidelines for Designing Higher-Converting Landing Pages"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><p>What\u2019s the first question you ask yourself when you set out to design a landing page? As a loyal reader of the Invesp blog, you\u2019ll know that designing landing pages to optimize conversions starts with \u2026 <strong>the conversion goal<\/strong>. It\u2019s fairly simple; you want conversions, so start there.<\/p>\n<p>So that first question is: \u201cwhat action do I want the visitor to take on this page?\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/call_to_action_buttons1.gif\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5215\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/call_to_action_buttons1.gif\" alt=\"call_to_action_buttons\" width=\"550\" height=\"264\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The Clash Between Your Goal and the Customer\u2019s Goal<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Tragically, the simplicity of landing page design diminishes exponentially after that first easy step of choosing a conversion goal.<\/p>\n<p>Here\u2019s an example: you decide to set up a lead generation landing page to get more sign-ups for your newsletter. You\u2019ll need a form to collect the data. After that, you need to answer some questions to determine how the page will take shape. Questions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>What customer info do you want to get?<\/li>\n<li>What content, including copy, images and graphics do you want to include?<\/li>\n<li>While you have them on the page, do you want to let them know about your specials, promotions or any other info?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But, using questions like those as the basis for your landing page design puts your goals on an inescapable collision course with your customer\u2019s goals. And your conversion rates get badly trashed in the crash.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to put the simplicity back into landing page design, and a boost into your conversion rates, the page can\u2019t be built around what you want. You\u2019re already a convert. But your web visitor isn\u2019t. So you need to answer questions like:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>How will the customer perceive the page?<\/li>\n<li>What do they want in return for their information?<\/li>\n<li>Will distracting them with other options reduce their chance of converting?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>See what happened there?<\/strong> You can\u2019t have a crash of goals if yours are in line with the customers. When you design your landing page through the customer\u2019s eyes, not only do your goals magically align with theirs, you return the simplicity to the page design process. Everything falls into place. You know what information to ask for, what content to develop and what elements to use.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Customer-Centric Guidelines for Higher-Converting Landing Pages<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>While every visitor is different, you can use some basic guidelines to put your landing page design in the right frame of mind: your customers\u2019.<\/p>\n<p><strong>1. Don\u2019t Design for Design\u2019s Sake &#8211;\u00a0<\/strong>If I had a dollar for every time a client came to me and said he wants his site to look like Apple.com, I\u2019d be writing this post from a villa in Tuscany.<\/p>\n<p>To get the customer to take your call-to-action (CTA) and convert, the entire page must focus on solving the questions and concerns he might have before doing so. The overall look of your page is the first indication your customer gets that he is in the right place. If the graphic design and layout don\u2019t fall in line with his expectations and needs, it can be the first step towards a bounce.<\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t design for design\u2019s sake; design for your customer\u2019s sake.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at the two pages below. One is an Apple-inspired mock-up by your design-challenged author, the other an actual webpage that does the job without a fancy design. Which plumber would you choose?<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/mock_plumber_homepage.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5197\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/mock_plumber_homepage.gif\" alt=\"mock_plumber_homepage\" width=\"550\" height=\"441\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/plumbing_homepage.gif\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5199\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/plumbing_homepage.gif\" alt=\"Plumber landing page\" width=\"550\" height=\"459\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>2. Create a Cognitive Progression<\/strong> &#8211; Every web searcher is on a journey of discovery. From the moment they begin, they are unsure of what search terms to use, what to expect from the results they get and most often they\u2019re unsure of exactly what they want.<\/p>\n<p>Your customer has either clicked a search result, advertising message or link to land on your page. They have taken the first step in their journey. They have momentum towards conversion.<\/p>\n<p>Starting with its headline, which needs to reflect the search term or advertising copy that got the customer to click on your link, your page must maintain and build on the momentum that started with the customer\u2019s click.<\/p>\n<p>You must keep giving the customer the next logical step in their journey of discovery; the journey that leads to them taking your call to action.<\/p>\n<p>In so doing, you create a natural cognitive progression for the customer that he finds difficult to deny. Check out the recording of this Invesp webinar to find out how attention to cognitive progression paid of with a 90% increase in conversion rates.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/B7-FjDhDa8U\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5210 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/webinar_video.gif\" alt=\"video screen cap\" width=\"476\" height=\"270\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>3. Will That Be One Goal or Two?<\/strong> The accepted online wisdom is that your landing page must focus on a single conversion goal. It\u2019s based on the well-documented principle that too much choice can cause consumer paralysis and result in no choice at all.<\/p>\n<p>But to blindly accept that every landing page must have a single conversion goal at the exclusion of all others can be a mistake. Depending on where your landing page falls in your customer\u2019s buying cycle, more than one call-to-action could be in order.<\/p>\n<p><em>The Buying Cycle<\/em> &#8211; You can create different landing pages for customers at different points in the buying cycle. If your page is designed for those who are ready to buy, then it would be foolish to offer them any other option than to buy.<\/p>\n<p>But if they are at the beginning of the buying cycle, where they are interested, but need more information before making a purchase decision, they might want to \u201cLearn More\u201d or \u201cSee a Video\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>On the landing page below for Adobe Photoshop, while \u2018Buy Now\u201d is the most distinctive call-to-action, the page actually has something for people at every stage of the buying cycle (using the good ol\u2019 AIDA model):<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>a) Awareness\/Interest<\/strong> &#8211; The page is actually the \u201cOverview\u201d page for Photoshop<br \/>\n<strong>b) Desire<\/strong> &#8211; Those already familiar with Photoshop are invited to \u201cSee What\u2019s New &gt;\u201d<br \/>\n<strong>c) Action<\/strong> &#8211; If you\u2019re ready the pull the trigger, you can \u201cBuy Now\u201d or \u201cChoose a Plan\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>But the landing page after you choose \u201cBuy Now\u201d gives you little choice but to buy and all the assistance you need to do so.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/photoshop_landingpage.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5198\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/photoshop_landingpage.gif\" alt=\"Photoshop landing page\" width=\"550\" height=\"526\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>4. Create Value-Appropriate Forms<\/strong> &#8211; For lead generating pages, the \u201csign-up\u201d form is a critical element for conversions. If the form doesn\u2019t work, neither will its CTA.<\/p>\n<p>Customers are increasingly jaded by the constant online demands to give away their personal information.<\/p>\n<p>Your forms will convert at a higher rate if the information you ask for corresponds to the value the customer believes he will get by giving it.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s tempting to grab all the data you can while you have the customer on the form; but ask too much and you increase the risk of getting nothing.<\/p>\n<p>Take a look at how much information Curves wants just for the privilege of asking them a question. No answer Curves could give would justify sacrificing this much personal information.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/curves_signup_form.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-full wp-image-5211\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/curves_signup_form.gif\" alt=\"curves_signup_form\" width=\"423\" height=\"792\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Conversely, Kissmetrics uses a simple two field form to sign up for their email list. And they outline lots of benefits that come from filling it in.<\/p>\n<p>The first field asks only for a first name. That seems reasonable and harmless in exchange for \u201cFree Updates\u201d and a chance to get the \u201clatest content first\u201d. The second field asks for an email address &#8211; which is only natural if you\u2019re signing up for email updates.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/kissmetrics_signup_form.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5212\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/kissmetrics_signup_form.gif\" alt=\"kissmetrics_signup_form\" width=\"550\" height=\"387\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<strong>5. The Call To Action<\/strong> &#8211; This is it. This is what your entire landing page is all about. It\u2019s where the customer converts.<\/p>\n<p>That burden means you can\u2019t pay too much attention to your CTA or test too many different versions.<\/p>\n<p>To develop your highest converting CTA, start with the following guidelines and take it from there:<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>a) Make Your CTA Distinct<\/strong> &#8211; If the customer can\u2019t quickly identify your call, they can\u2019t be blamed for not taking it.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Checkout the American Eagle page below. While they use a bright red color for some of their CTA buttons, they curiously choose to put them on the red background of the model\u2019s sweater. None of the CTA buttons on this page are any more distinct than many other page elements.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/HolidaySales14041.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5194\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/HolidaySales14041.gif\" alt=\"American Eagle landing page\" width=\"550\" height=\"583\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Hubspot shows how it\u2019s done on a page about Calls-to-Action.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/hubspot_landing_page.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5195\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/hubspot_landing_page.gif\" alt=\"Hubspot landing page\" width=\"550\" height=\"597\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>b) Use Benefit Driven Copy<\/strong> &#8211; Whether it\u2019s on the CTA button, in close proximity, or both, if you want your customer to do something, like heed your call, it\u2019s best to offer something in return.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">Not only does Curves ask for too much information in the form we looked at above, they also don\u2019t offer a benefit for giving the information. The very least they could do is change the button copy to \u201cGet Answers Now! &gt;\u201d<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">If you can\u2019t outline a peachy benefit, tell them what will happen when they click the button, like Kickstarter does<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Kickstarter_Landing_Page.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-5196\" src=\"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/images\/blog-images\/Kickstarter_Landing_Page.gif\" alt=\"Kickstarter landing page\" width=\"550\" height=\"548\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>c) Put Your CTA in the Right Place<\/strong> &#8211; Making your \u201cask\u201d too soon or too late can be fatal for your conversions.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">First, your CTA should be visible at some point above the fold. If customers don\u2019t detect a CTA when they first land, you\u2019ll lose those who are prepared to convert, but not ready to look around for how to do so.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\">But asking too soon, like the optimization subject of Invesp\u2019s webinar on cognitive progression mentioned above, can be equally fruitless. The web designer placed the sign-up form for subscriptions above the subscription options and before the benefits. Again, conversion rates increased 90% after Invesp changed the CTA and its placement.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, these are guidelines; mere starting points for you &#8211; and your customers &#8211; towards higher landing page conversion rates.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>What\u2019s the first question you ask yourself when you set out to design a landing page? As a loyal reader of the Invesp blog, you\u2019ll know that designing landing pages to optimize conversions starts with \u2026 the conversion goal. It\u2019s fairly simple; you want conversions, so start there. So that first question is: \u201cwhat action [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":5391,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[85,264,308,430,354,141,51,222,249,310,311],"class_list":["post-5192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-cro","tag-beginner","tag-buying-cycle","tag-call-to-action","tag-cognitive-progression","tag-conversion-goal","tag-conversion-rates","tag-customers","tag-landing-pages","tag-lead-generation","tag-leadgen","tag-list"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5192"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":100592,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192\/revisions\/100592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.invespcro.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}