It seems that high-converting websites and landing pages all have one thing in common: a great user experience. If you land on a page that looks dated and is difficult to navigate, are you going to make a purchase from there that page? Probably not, right?
To maximize your conversions, you should first look at your own pages with the a critical eye. Even the best performing pages usually have some room for improvement.
Three of the most important aspects of the user experience are:
- Design
- Mobile responsiveness
- Page load speeds
While you may have these things this working for you, there’s still more you can do to improve your website's and landing pages user experience.
My top five tips to improve your site are:
White Space is a Valuable Space
The best templates have a lot of white space. This isn’t because the designer couldn’t decide what to put there. It’s because white space helps orient your eyes to prominent areas of interest. It also ensures your pages look clean, open and uncluttered. White space also creates contrast and that is important in an agitation-free experience. Give some thought to what you’re adding and where you’re adding it. Ask yourself:
- Is this particular element absolutely necessary? Or I am just trying to fill space?
If it’s the latter, you’re probably better off without it.
Headlines are Important
You already know that a strong benefit-driven headline is good for conversions. But it’s also good for your user experience. It’s rare that a visitor will read your entire page from top to bottom. They will most likely scan and browse, looking for information that interests them. Users rely on headlines to tell them what the content that follows will be about. That’s why you want to make sure your headlines:
- Are bold and attract attention
- Accurately gives the main points of your content
- Includes the keywords visitors are looking for
The better your headlines are, the easier it is for users to find what they’re looking for.
Always Tell Users What to Do Next
The last thing you want is someone to land on a page, run through your content, and then ask themselves “where do I go from here?” This is bad for your conversions and it’s not good for your user experience either.
Every page should include at least one CTA (Call to Action) button. You can use these to direct people to one of your lead magnets, ask them to sign up for a webinar, or simply get in touch with you.
When you are using CTAs on every page of your website, you ensure your users will always know where to go if they want to take the next step.
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Be Consistent
Have you ever been browsing a website only to suddenly land on a page that looks completely different? Your first reaction was probably “did I take a wrong turn?” This is how your visitors will feel if each page of your website looks different. This doesn’t mean that you can’t change things a bit as long as your branding, colors, and voice remain consistent. Be sure to consider this when you’re taking visitors from a website or an ad to a landing page.
Any landing page templates you use should complement your website. They don’t need to look identical to your website, but they do need to be on-brand. You’ll also want to use the same color palette and fonts. This way, even if the page layout is a bit different, there’s a smooth transition from one page to another.
Avoid 404 Dead Ends
You’re bound to end up with the odd 404 error (Page Not Found) as your website grows. This can be a either major frustration or a minor inconvenience for your visitor, depending on how you handle it. First and foremost, limit the number of these errors as much as possible. If you have Google Webmaster tools, check for crawl errors. There are also free broken link checkers available online to help you check your site for 404s.
Even after taking these steps, there’s still a chance users might encounter a broken link. Don’t just let it be a dead end. Create and optimize your own 404 page. Help users get back on track with links to your most popular content and resources. This will result in fewer bounces and make the error a little less annoying.
By no means is this list is not conclusive, but I hope that you will practice what I've shared. Try out these tips on your website and landing pages for better conversions and more satisfied visitors.
