For those of you selling something there is nothing more important than your landing page. It is the secret to turning a visitor into a customer! Remember, if you run a typical ecommerce or service site 80% of your visitors will be first time visitors and unless they buy something they won’t likely return for some time. That’s not your fault, it’s just the nature of the Internet.

Your focus should be to increase the percentage of visitors who buy something and to maximize the amount they spend when they buy something.

Here are some suggestions:

1 . Simple, Clean and Clear

Have you ever signed up for anything at Google? If not, take a look at their sign-up pages for Adsense, Adwords or Google Analytics and learn from them. Your landing page should have no unnecessary clutter and should stay on point which is to drive the prospect to a purchase.

2. Call To Action Is Kind of Important

It’s amazing to me how many lousy, ineffective landing pages are on the Internet. And what is the most common mistake you ask … no call to action. In case you are new to this game, call to action is simply requesting on your landing pages in a persuasive manner that the visitor become a customer. Don’t just tell them that “We are the Best!”, you have to tell them what to do take advantage of your greatness. You MUST tell your visitor… click here, fill out the simple form below, what color would you like that in … you get the idea!

3. It’s Not a Survey Buddy

If you don’t do anything else right do this and you will double the number of leads from your landing pages… Make your forms as absolutely short as possible! Don’t ask for credit card until after choosing the product … in other words last. Don’t ask for first and last name and where they live unless it is crucial for the sale. Don’t ask how they found you unless you are going to give them a discount for answering. Unless you are in the survey business don’t waste your potential customers time or he may give up on you for it!

4. Speak Your Customers Language

This is simple, tell your visitors only things on your landing page that will persuade them to become a customer. Think of your landing page as the salesman that is greeting a customer walking in the door and effectively answers their questions. Hopefully effective enough to make them buy. Don’t tell them your personal history, how many awards you won, every detail of your products or how your company started. Your landing page should not be your FAQ page. Yours visitors are there for a reason and want to buy from you … feed to that desire and your sales will increase.

5. Likable, Reachable & Experienced

Use images and design to make your landing page represent the attitude of your company. People like dealing with companies that seem easy to buy from and that are easily contacted including a phone number if possible. Remember, they don’t know you and a professional design with clear ways to contact people can go a long ways toward building trust.

About the Author

Rich Ord is the CEO of iEntry, Inc., a leading online B2B publisher and marketer. This publication, TechDune.com is part of the iEntry Network of Internet properties.

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