After the Click: Setting the Stage for the Landing Page

_The following blog post was written by Dee Dee Flagg and originally appeared [here](http://blog.shawscott.com/after-the-click-setting-the-stage-for-the-landing-page) on the Shaw + Scott blog. Follow them [@ShawScott](https://twitter.com/ShawScott)!_Did you know that one of the biggest mistakes in promotional email marketing is driving traffic to your home page? Why is this not a good strategy? Because the purpose of a home page is to start the conversation. In an email campaign, the conversation has already started and a landing page is a continuum to that conversation.Why not help users to quickly find what they’re looking for and make a conversion that will quantify your email campaign?Now that we’ve established that the landing page is a crucial component to your campaign, let’s address the fact that in order for this important piece to be effective, it must display well not only in desktop, but mobile as well. Otherwise we once again fall into user abandonment. ** If you want to build a cohesive, accessible and enjoyable customer journey, create a mobile UX campaign that is scalable and consistent.**#### A great landing page = a great ROIMost marketers used to focus on driving their consumers to click within the delivered email. And now, there is an ever-growing need to convert those clicks on their mobile devices. The most effective way to do so is to take care of the landing page. A landing page is designed to direct your visitors to take a specific action, and a mobile ready landing page will always take you one step closer to conversion. Why? Take a minute to consider these statistics:– Email mobile opens account for 53% of the market share ([Litmus 2016 State of the Email Report](https://litmus.com/lp/2016-state-of-email-report)). – 45% of consumers have unsubscribed from promotional emails because the emails or website didn’t work well on their smartphone. ([Litmus and Fluent“2016 Mobile-Friendly Email & Landing Page Trends” (2016)](https://litmus.com/blog/2016-mobile-friendly-email-landing-page-trends-infographic)).It’s no secret mobile conversions could use more attention, but many of us are still not thinking beyond the email CTA. This is a serious mistake when considering the above information.#### Anatomy of a Landing PageSo, what should your marketers be aware of when building out a campaign? Here are the building blocks to a fantastic converting landing page:**Consistency:**– Stay on target: The headline and copy in both the email and the landing page should complement each other. This keeps the user aware of where they are, where they came from, and what is going to happen next. This establishes a secure and trusting environment where users feel confident in returning to. – Optimize for search engine query: Make sure your link URL matches your page title and that the headline is relevant. Use alt tags wisely. – Stay on brand: This speaks for itself but make sure your brand comes through in all your messages and communications.**Concise:**Fact: 43% of users refuse to revisit a web page that takes more than 5 seconds to load (https://www.inboundnow.com/). A clutter free landing page usually gets 26% more conversions vs. a messy landing page.A landing page should have a single purpose and thus a single focused message.– White space is your friend. Too much information, and/or crowded information can confuse your customer. Resist the urge to fill the space on the page with extraneous offers and deals. – Links connecting the user to a bunch of other pages will distract them and have a negative impact on conversions. Lots of links may make sense on a home page, but on a landing page, simplicity is key. Leave the main navigation out. – LPs are most effective when they speak directly to your audience.**Call to Action (note – it’s singular!)**A CTA demands attention:– Keep it big. – Keep it bold. – Keep it bright. – Keep it close to your short message.A CTA defines the action, and great CTA copy is key to this. Use verbs to incite action (i.e. – “Download Here” and “Get Started Now” are good CTA’s).If someone is responding to a link in your email for “women’s sale items”, make sure the page they click through to gives them exactly that. The more you make people work to complete a goal, the greater the risk your customer has of giving up.**Confirmation**Always test! Optimize a landing page for conversion over time. Run A/B tests, change copy, images, and call-to-action to see what resonates most with users.Make sure your changes are minor from test to test. You want your customer to recognize where they are each time they click.If you are using a form submission in your landing page, use clear messaging for validations and confirmation of submission. This is a level of comfort and reassurance for users that goes a long way.**Conversion**Remember the ultimate-goal of your campaign is conversion. This is what drives the user design of an email and its landing page.The UX of landing pages is an art which relies on understanding the user and their needs. This understanding allows us to create design elements and copy that speaks to the user and immediately conveys what’s in it for them. Take a moment to understand that an email campaign does not end when you hit “send”, it is not complete without careful thought to the experience after the click.Don’t miss a beat on what’s going on in the industry and stay up to date with the current trends by following [our blog](http://blog.shawscott.com/) and like us on [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/shawscottagency/)!**About the author:**Director, Digital Development, Shaw + Scott (Vermont) DeeDee is a veritable digital marketing guru. Her experience spans beyond campaign conception, research, and creative development into integrated marketing, creative design, and more. She has proven her widespread expertise with over 100 brands.DeeDee provides enthusiastic, forward-thinking leadership and is an award-winning graphic designer with a foundation in HTML and CSS. She has that rare combination of creative talent and strategic know-how, which truly set her apart.