Now that you know how to get found online and create effective calls-to-action (CTAs) for your website, you need to convert prospects into sales leads. Most website visitors are not ready to buy the first time they visit your website, so it is critical to get them to provide their contact information during their initial visit to your website.

If a prospect leaves your website without providing at least their email address, you lose the opportunity to nurture them until they are ready to buy. That’s why every CTA on your website should direct visitors to a landing page.

Landing pages are the best way for you to capture leads on your website because they allow you to collect contact information in exchange for a valuable marketing offer. Here are some best practices you can use to create great landing pages – and increase lead conversions on your website.

Landing Pages
Landing pages, sometimes called “lead capture pages,” convert visitors into leads by collecting contact information. A landing page consists of four key elements A headline, brief description of the offer, a supporting image and – most importantly – a form to capture the visitor’s contact information.

Landing pages direct your visitors to one particular offer without the distractions of everything else on your website. Visitors are on a landing page for one purpose: To complete the lead capture form!

What makes an effective landing page?

• Include the elements on the referring page and only what is needed. Keep the landing page simple and minimize distractions.

• Never use your homepage as a landing page.

• Remove main site navigation from the landing page so visitors can focus on completing the form.

• Make it very clear what the offer is and make it irresistible.

• Absolutely make sure that the content on your landing page matches the CTA that brought the visitor there. If there’s a disconnect in your messaging, visitors will hit the Back button.

• Reduce friction. Don’t make visitors do too much work (i.e., reading).

Effective landing pages will transform your website into a lead generating machine.

Forms
Forms are the key to a landing page. Without them, there is nothing for the visitor to do on that page – and no way to convert the visitor into a sales lead! Forms come in handy when it’s time for people to sign up, subscribe to your site or download an offer.

You might be wondering how many fields your form should contain. Although there is no magic answer, the fewer fields you have in a form, the more likely you will receive submissions. This is because each new field you add to a form creates more work for the visitor and fewer conversions. A longer form looks like more work and will sometimes stop the visitor in their tracks. So, it is best to collect only the information you really need.