You’ve often heard internet gurus talk about the importance of a list. How many times have you encountered the statement “the money is in the list”? If you frequent the World Wide Web, you’ve surely read about this all the time!

There’s no escaping it. If you’re serious in making money from internet marketing, it is a must that you know how to design landing page effectively. In case you are still not aware of what a landing page is, it is a simple page designed to get the names and email addresses of your readers. A landing page is also called a “squeeze page” or a “lead capture page” in some internet circles.

More about Landing Pages

A landing page is a very useful tool in list building. If you really want to capture your readers’ contact information, you must never rely on some obscure opt-in form in your site’s sidebar. A landing page is the only way to go.

A landing page has only one goal – to convert the visitor into a buyer or subscriber. As such, your landing page design must be constructed in such a way that it will convert your visitors into paying customers. You should provide your readers with just enough information to increase your conversion ratio and avoid unnecessary distractions at all costs. Your landing page must do its job well!

All effective landing pages consists of an opt-in form or sales prompt, an introduction, a picture of the owner and his signature, and a call to action.

Improve your Landing Page’s Conversion Rate

They key word here is “conversion”. You want your landing pages to convert your visitors into paying customers. If this can’t be achieved, then your landing page is basically useless.

The average internet user hates filling out forms, providing their personal information for fear of being spammed, buying products and/or services from the internet for fear of being scammed, and reading a lot of information. That’s why the typical conversion rate only ranges from 1% to 6%. It’s really quite low, right?

These are the major hurdles that you need to face in designing your landing pages. So, how do you go about it? Here are some tips that you might find helpful:

1. Research, research, research. Create a mental picture of who your ideal readers are and try to learn what he or she is looking for. Keep him/her in mind as you design your landing pages. Design the pages especially for your ideal audience, and exclude everyone else. Don’t go for the shotgun approach and target a lot of different audience. You’ll only fail if you do so.

2. Go for the jugular. Sweet and simple, in most cases, does it. As you now know, internet users basically hate to read so go straight to the point. Give your readers a quick answer to their questions. Be transparent and avoid flowery expressions. Put an emphasis on the product’s (or service’s) features in a clear and concise language and you’ll be on the right path.

3. Keep important things above the fold. The virtual fold is the most important area in any web page. This is the part that is displayed in your computer screen before you need to scroll. As a general rule, put enough information above the fold to hold your audience’s attention and make him/her decide to continue exploring your site. This is also where your first big, bold “Buy Now” button should be!

4. Use tasteful design elements to your advantage. A professionally-designed layout can spell the difference between your visitors’ decision to purchase your product or not. So, use smart layouts and big fonts to your advantage. And avoid unnecessary clutter such as outside links and navigation. You clearly don’t want to lose that prospective buyer, do you? By all means, keep him on that page!

5. Write compelling copy. Nothing beats good content to make that elusive sale. So, write a killer copy (remember to keep it sweet and simple), display the delivery options and costs, and make sure that you don’t have any typographical mistakes. That will be a disaster!

6. Back it up! Testimonials go a long, long way. They can help you improve your conversion rate significantly so use it to your advantage! Also put visible customer service options so that your prospective buyers will have more confidence in the product or service you are offering.

There you have it – some simple tips that can improve your landing page design and conversion rates. Try them and see what difference they make!

Useful Resource

• Landing Page Design dot net - Buy Review Site Templates