Being a Marketer today feels like being asked to be a Swiss army knife, right? You’re expected to be creative, write copy, understand data, segmentation, reporting and analytics, use technical marketing automation tools, Salesforce CRM, and also, be a conversion rate optimisation expert. But that last one in particular, isn’t a skillset which comes naturally to everyone, so I wrote some beginner’s tips to improving the performance of your landing pages.
Creating an effective landing page is crucial for capturing leads and driving conversions. Optimising your Pardot landing pages can significantly improve the submission rates of your forms, and generate more Leads.
Introduction to Pardot Landing Pages
What is a landing page?
I’ve heard a lot of different definitions of what alanding page is over the years. My favourite way to describe them is that they are standalone web page specifically designed to convert visitors into leads or customers. It’s where users “land” after clicking on a search result, online ad, or social media post. Landing pages typically have a focused message and a specific call-to-action to encourage visitors to take a desired action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading a whitepaper, or making a purchase. They are crucial for marketing campaigns as they help drive conversions and track the effectiveness of different marketing strategies.
Key Elements of a Landing Page
When building your page, it’s essential to focus on key elements such as the headline, copy, CTA buttons, form fields, and social proof. These components work together to create a cohesive and compelling user experience that encourages visitors to engage with your content. Testing different layouts and designs can help in identifying what resonates best with your target audience.
Best Practices for Creating Pardot Landing Pages
Optimising for Various Devices and Platforms
Ensure that your landing pages are responsive and optimised to look great and be usable on different devices and platforms. This includes considering mobile responsiveness, load speed, and overall user interface adaptability, no matter how your readers are visiting your website. Consider using Google Lighthouse to check how your page load speed performs on mobile versus desktop, and review the recommendations to see what you can improve.
The Call to Action (CTA) is the key
The Call-to-Action (CTA) button is, in my opinion, the element of the page where I see the most mistakes. By strategically positioning your CTA buttons prominently on the page, you can encourage visitors to take the desired action, leading to improved conversion rates. Here are some tips for optimising CTA button placement:
- Above the fold: Place your CTA button above the fold, where visitors can see it without scrolling. This ensures that it’s the first thing they see and increases the chances of them taking action.
- Contrasting color: Make your CTA button stand out by using a contrasting color that captures attention. Use colors that complement your website design but also help the button to pop.
- White space: Surround your CTA button with ample white space to draw attention to it and make it stand out from other elements on the page.
- Repeat placement: Don’t be afraid to repeat your CTA button multiple times throughout your page, especially on longer pages. This ensures that visitors always have a clear path to take action.
- Instructive copy: Commonly CTA buttons say “Submit” or “Confirm”, which is often the default text. These are incredibly generic - you want your CTA buttons to give your visitors a teaser into what happens when they click the button. Consider phrases such as “Read the report”, “Start using…”, “Reserve your spot”, “Grab your copy”, “Get access”.
Use a metric or value-driven headline
A compelling headline that highlights the value proposition or key metrics can grab the visitor’s attention and entice them to explore further. Leading with metrics can instantly help your readers to understand what could happen if they convert. There’s no question that it’s more impactful to say “Reduce your design costs by 20%” than “Reduce your design costs”.
Consider a more contrasting layout
Experimenting with layouts that offer a contrasting design can help draw your viewer’s eyes to the most important areas of your page. Your readers should be drawn to the areas of the page where you’re expecting them to take action. In particular, check the colour of your CTA button and make sure that your form stands out from the rest of the page.
Use Social Proof
Bring your story to life with social proof examples such as customer testimonials, user reviews, or success stories. Social proof appeals to people’s tendency to follow what other people do, i.e. “if they like it, I probably will”. By highlighting positive feedback and experiences, you can build credibility and trust among visitors.
Advanced Strategies for Pardot Landing Pages
Implement A/B Testing
A/B testing allows you to experiment with various elements on your landing pages to see which combinations yield the best results. By testing multiple variables simultaneously, such as headlines, images, and CTA button colors, you can gather valuable data to inform your optimisation strategy and improve overall performance.
Use heatmapping tools to gather actionable insights
Heatmapping tools provide visual representations of user interactions on your landing pages, helping you identify areas of high engagement and potential friction points. By analysing heatmaps, scroll maps, and click maps, you can gain actionable insights to optimise the layout, design, and placement of elements for better user experience and increased conversions.
Deploy Dynamic Content to engage your users
Dynamic content allows you to personalize the user experience based on individual preferences, behaviors, and demographics. By deploying dynamic content such as personalized recommendations, targeted offers, and adaptive messaging, you can enhance user engagement, drive conversion rates, and create a more tailored experience for your visitors.