While there are several variations of opt-in pages there are some simple rules an online marketing company will recommend following when designing opt-in pages which generate high-quality leads for businesses.
A Simple Formula for High-Converting Opt-In Pages
A high-converting opt-in page has five main elements:
Lead-in
The lead-in is the very first sentence a visitor will see when visiting your opt-in page and it’s important for the lead-in to hook the reader into reading the rest of the content.
The text should speak to your target market so the moment your visitor looks at your page and reads the pre-headline they should feel an instant connection and want to continue reading the rest of the page.
Headline
If the pre-headline has done its job of hooking the visitor in, it is the job of the headline to compel the visitor to read the rest of the page and opt-in to join your mailing list.
Here are some tips an SEO Company Sydney would normally recommend for writing attention-grabbing headlines:
Make a big promise: It has been proven over and over again that making a big promise, whatever market you are in will compel a prospect to stop and consume the content on the landing page.
Use a unique hook: Use a unique benefit for the headline and add numbers or time for specificity
Test different headlines: Test different headlines to improve your overall conversions. When testing headlines, use the identical design elements for the landing page or you will not know whether it was the design change or the new headline which was responsible for any increase in conversions.
At times you will find that changing just one word or phrase in a headline can boost conversions.
Video
Nowadays, most people prefer to watch a two or three minute explainer video, rather than spend time reading a huge volume of text on a page.
If you use a video on your landing page, make sure the length of the video is around two to three minutes. The format for the video can either be text and images with a voice over or a presenter explaining the benefits of opting-in.
Tiger Fitness, an online retailer which sells nutritional products online, found that using video resulted in 60% of visitors returning to their online store. You can check out the case study here.
In another case study, SAP created a content marketing campaign using video which delved into relevant topics across 19 industries, and was able to drive in excess of 9 mn impressions.
There are several software solutions which can help you create a simple explainer video. If you’re not comfortable speaking in front of a camera, you can use text and images for the video and your voice to each of the slides.
If you have the budget, it is worthwhile hiring a professional voice over artist, experienced in presenting products or services to your target audience.
The payoff in terms of conversions can be immense. You will need to provide a script to them which you can write or ask a professional copywriter to craft for you.
You can also outsource the entire process of video creation, as long as you are able to provide a clear brief to a video creation specialist.
Bullet Points
Bullet points explain the features and benefits of your offer and each of these should focus on a different benefit.
Think of the different reasons for which the offer on your landing page will benefit the prospect and write bullet points around these benefits.
A common mistake many marketers make, which an online marketing company will avoid when writing bullet points, is writing only about the features of a product or service, and not communicate the benefits.
Write 15 to 20 bullet points and then shortlist the ones you feel are the most relevant and important for your target audience.
While there’s no set rule on how many bullet points you should have on a landing page, around 5 to 6 bullet points appear to be what is commonly recommended by most online marketing company experts.
Call-to-Action
A call-to-action is a simple button that usually occurs on your opt-in form.
It tells your prospect to make sure they enter their email address so they can opt-in for whatever you are offering in exchange.
Several studies have been done which indicate that a Call-to-Action button helps in significantly increasing conversions.
According to Unbounce, over 90% of website visitors who read a headline also read the text in the Call-to-Action button.
WordStream indicates that having a call-to-action increases clicks in an email by 371% and sales by 1717%.
Adding call-to-action to a Facebook Page can also increase the click-through-rate by a whopping 285%, according to AdRoll.
Make your call-to-action easy to understand. Reinforce the hooks or benefits from the headline. For example, you can say, “Enter your email address below and click on the button. I’ll immediately send your free PDF checklist right over to your email inbox.”
The call-to-action should be simple and explain exactly what you want your landing page visitor to do… in this case provide you with their email address.
The call-to- action button itself should preferably be orange or a similar color that stands out on the page. Research some of the opt-in pages in your niche and choose a color that’s similar to what others are using as they may have already tested for high-conversions.
The text within the call-to-action button should be persuasive and get your prospect to take action. Instead of just “Click Here”, use a phrase such as, “Yes.
I would Like to Become Financially Free.” Writing this in the first person reinforces one of the primary benefits of joining your mailing list. In this case, the opt-in page is talking about helping them grow their wealth.
While this is a simple formula to follow, there may be thousands of opt-in pages in your industry, and if you haven’t created a landing page before, it is worthwhile using the services of an online marketing company to help you create a high converting landing page.
An internet marketing services provider will not only be able to write the content, but also design a landing page which will attract your target audience and also complies with Google’s requirements.
About the Author – Nik Tordil is part of a Results oriented Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Online Marketing Strategist with over 10 years of professional experience. Had worked alongside a team of SEO Experts in Sydney and helped numerous businesses across Australia in terms of leveraging their SEO / Internet Marketing campaigns and guiding them to success using effective and white hat methodologies.