Anatomy of a Landing Page — Kevin Anderson

As defined by Unbounce, “...a landing page is a standalone web page, created specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign.” While landing pages present themselves in a variety of formats, the ultimate goal is the same: to elicit a single, specific action from the visitor.

In this article, we’ll cover the basic building blocks of effective landing pages. Familiarize yourself with these components, and you’ll have the foundation for running campaigns which consistently generate leads and grow your customer base.

Hero Banner
Headline, Subheadline & CTA
Features & Benefits Intro
Features & Benefits Expanded
Social Proof
Closing Pitch
Closing CTA
Trust & Security

Hero Banner

The Hero Banner often occupies nearly all of the real estate “above the fold” (the area of your page which is visible without scrolling). It consumes all initial attention, and typically contains the Headline, Subheadline, and the Action Box/Call-To-Action. Generally, an interesting image or video will serve as the background and support the content with an emotional appeal.

Headline

...The first thing that should catch your visitors’ eyes. Big, bold and to the point – be creative, sure, but be more clear than clever. First impressions are formed in a literal instant, and if your visitors can’t decipher what you’re offering within five seconds, they’re likely to lose interest.

Subheadline

Remember that 5 second rule? Well, this is the next stop for your visitors’ attention, following the headline. Support your headline with some compelling copy which concisely describes the primary value of your product or service.

CTA (Call-To-Action)

The CTA is the point of conversion – this is the sole purpose of your page. Ideally, this is the only button or link on your page. As Jignesh Gohel explains for Usability Geek, any secondary links are distractions – you might as well be drilling holes in your funnel. Remember this fundamental rule: One Page, One Purpose.

Features & Benefits Intro

If your visitors start scrolling, that’s a pretty good indication they bit on your hero banner. That said, curious is not the same as committed. This is a great time to introduce the functional features and emotional benefits of what you offer, but with brevity. As Nielsen Norman Group summarized in their report titled How Users Read on the Web: “They don’t.”

Features & Benefits Expanded

As visitors become more genuinely interested and invested, their attention for more robust copy and interaction grows. Keep in mind, objectivity is still key. ““Resist the temptation to include bloated adjectives,” Unbounce reminds us. “Such claims are likely to make people think you are overselling and trying too hard.”

Social Proof

Nobody knows what you offer better than you, but visitors will scrutinize even your most objective claims. Landing page builder site Instapage explains social proof is an excellent way to validate your value, and let your existing customers sing your praises for you. Counters, reviews, testimonials and customer logos are several variations of social proof.

Closing Pitch

It’s time to convert. Your hero content grabbed their attention, and you tactfully introduced what makes your product worthwhile, supported by enthusiastic social proof. Revisit the main value proposition by reiterating the functional and/or emotional payoff you’re offering your visitors, and remind them that it’s only a click away.

Closing CTA

Make sure to include a second CTA at the bottom of your page – this performs the exact same function as your earlier CTA. The absolute last thing in the world you want is for a visitor to be ready to convert, while struggling to figure out how.

Trust & Security

Last but not least, assure your visitors that you are trustworthy by including your privacy policy (often required by law, if collecting consumer info) in your footer, and setting expectations of what’s to come in your Action Box. Any surprises – even minor frustrations – can set off alarms that this transaction is not completely transparent.

Final Thoughts

Remember, landing pages come in a variety of formats, depending on the use case. There will be times when all of these building blocks are combined to create a long form sales page (much like the mock page you explored throughout this presentation). Other times, the entire contents of your landing page will fit above the fold – nothing more than a hero banner advertising your product, or promoting your newsletter or ebook. The skill to determine which building blocks to employ and how to arrange them effectively is the intersection of art and science we call “marketing.”

And it can make all the difference in the world when it comes to your business generating leads and converting sales.