Introduction
Lead generation is crucial for startups looking to acquire new customers and grow their business. The goal of an effective lead generation landing page is to convince visitors to provide their contact information in exchange for content like ebooks, webinars, or free trials. By optimizing the key elements on your landing page, including a strong value proposition, clear call-to-action, and frictionless lead capture, you can significantly increase conversion rates.
This article will provide step-by-step guidance on how to create a high-converting lead gen landing page using Unicorn Platform's easy-to-use landing page builder. We'll cover researching your audience, crafting an effective value proposition, optimizing page design, writing compelling calls-to-action, seamlessly capturing leads, driving traffic, and continually testing and improving your page over time. Whether you're just starting out or looking to improve an existing page, follow along for actionable tips on designing landing pages that generate more leads.
Understanding Your Audience
The first step in creating an effective landing page is gaining a deep understanding of who you are trying to reach. Thoroughly research your target audience, including demographics like age, location, gender, as well as interests, pain points, and goals. Map out the typical customer journey to see where your lead gen page fits in - are you attracting cold traffic just becoming aware of your brand, or existing site visitors ready to convert? Outline the offer, content, or incentive you will feature on the page that will compel your audience to provide their information. The page will only convert well if it speaks directly to the motivations of potential leads, so get clear on what they are looking to achieve.
Unicorn Platform makes it easy to create detailed buyer personas to represent your target customers. The integrated audience persona features let you build profiles with demographic info, pain points, goals, and sample quotes to reference as you write copy and design your page.
Crafting an Effective Value Proposition
Your value proposition is one of the most important elements of your landing page. It should focus on communicating the main benefit or transformation that your product or service provides customers. Address your audience's pain points and present your solution. Keep the copy simple, clear, and focused on what the customer gets out of using your product versus features. Avoid generic claims and ensure your value prop is specific to your business.
Unicorn Platform provides numerous value proposition templates and examples tailored to different industries like SaaS, e-commerce, and consulting. Use these as a starting point when crafting your unique value proposition. Focus on how you can help customers accomplish goals or alleviate frustrations better than competitors. For example, explain how your SaaS increases team productivity by 30% or highlight how your e-commerce site offers 2-day free shipping.
Optimizing Page Design
In addition to compelling copy, the design of your landing page significantly impacts conversion rates. Use minimalist, uncluttered layouts to avoid visually distracting visitors from taking action. Make key elements prominent on the page through size, color, contrast, whitespace, and placement. Include relevant images, graphics, or videos to enhance engagement, but ensure they load quickly and don't slow page speed.
Unicorn Platform's mobile-friendly templates and intuitive drag-and-drop editor make it fast and easy to build well-designed, professional landing pages optimized for lead conversion. Take advantage of the dozens of professionally designed templates to create a page aligned with your brand and audience preferences.
The platform provides numerous templates tailored to different industries and campaign types. For example, choose from long-form ebook, short-form newsletter, or video onboarding templates based on your offer. Leverage templates with page layouts focused on clarity or visual appeal depending on your audience. Easily customize any template by editing text, modifying colors, adding your own graphics, and rearranging elements with the drag-and-drop editor.
Crafting a Compelling Call-to-Action
Calls-to-action tell visitors clearly what you want them to do, so making them visually stand out is crucial. Use contrasting colors, larger font sizes, buttons versus plain text, and strategic placement like above the fold to make your CTA capture attention. Keep the copy short, action-oriented, and written with the audience's perspective in mind. Words like "Start Free Trial", "Get My Discount" or "Download eBook" are clearer than passive phrases like "Learn More" or "Contact Us Now".
Unicorn Platform provides a large library of stylized, customizable call-to-action elements you can test directly on your pages. Experiment with different button styles, colors, sizes, and text to determine what converts visitors best. The platform's seamless CTA customization and built-in A/B testing takes the guesswork out of optimizing your calls-to-action.
For example, try a green CTA button with "Download Case Study" versus an orange button with "Get Case Study". Test placing your CTA both above and below the fold to see if position impacts conversion. The intuitive editor makes it fast to iterate on multiple CTA combinations.
Optimizing Lead Capture
Once you've attracted visitors with compelling copy and design, the final step is capturing their information through lead generation forms. Only ask for essential information like name, email address, and phone number to avoid creating friction. Use integrated forms that allow you to immediately capture leads instead of sending them elsewhere. Send form submissions directly to your CRM, email system, or other platforms to trigger sales workflows. Provide a privacy policy and include a clear opt-in checkbox to build trust.
Unicorn Platform offers seamless integration with all the top form, email marketing, and CRM platforms. You can easily build customized forms, connect them to your workflows, and start generating and nurturing leads from your new landing pages.
For example, integrate your Unicorn landing page form directly with your Salesforce CRM account. New leads will automatically be created as Salesforce contacts, assigning them to follow-up campaigns based on the specific page they converted on.
Testing and Optimizing Your Page
Designing a high-converting landing page takes continual testing and optimization over time. Set key metrics like conversion rate and cost per lead as you launch your page. Use A/B testing tools to experiment with different elements like headlines, page copy, layouts, images, and calls-to-action. Pay attention to bounce rates as an indicator that your page lacks engagement. Use visitor behavior data like heatmaps and scroll tracking to understand how your audience interacts with the page.
Unicorn Platform has built-in A/B testing capabilities and integrations with top analytics tools like Google Analytics, Mixpanel, and Heap to help you measure and optimize your landing pages for maximum conversions. Let's explore some of the key elements to test on your lead gen landing pages.
Testing Page Copy
Page copy includes your headlines, subheads, value proposition, and body content. Try different headline variations that speak to your audience's pain points or goals. Test whether short buzzworthy headlines or longer explanatory headlines convert better. Experiment with the emotional appeal, specificity, and format of your copy. Make sure it directly addresses your audience's motivations. Use Unicorn's AI copywriting tools to quickly generate new ideas if needed. When testing, change one copy element at a time to isolate the impact of each change.
For example, test a provocative headline like "The #1 Reason You Aren't Getting Leads" against a factual headline like "12 Lead Gen Tips for Startups". See which style resonates more with your audience.
Testing Visual Elements
Images, videos, layout, color schemes, and other visual components impact conversions. Try different page layouts focused on clarity or visual appeal. Test different relevant graphics like icons, charts, or illustrations that might resonate with your audience. Check whether stock photos or videos perform better at attracting attention. Evaluate where key elements like forms and CTAs are placed on the page and if they are visible above the fold. Unicorn's flexible design options make it easy to quickly test visual changes.
For instance, try an image of a business team first versus a tech product mockup and see which imagery converts higher. Or test placing your form on the left side instead of the right side of the page.
Testing Calls-to-Action
Test different CTA colors, sizes, shapes, and text to determine what drives most clicks. Try adding incentives like discounts or free gifts to increase conversions. Experiment with where you place the primary CTA on the page. Compare conversion performance of button CTAs versus plain text links. With Unicorn's intuitive editor, you can rapidly iterate through different CTA combinations.
For example, you may find that a red CTA button with the text "Join Our Waiting List" outperforms a blue button with "Join Waiting List Now!" The platform lets you quickly test to find your ideal CTA.
Prioritizing Quick Wins
Given the number of page elements to test, prioritize quick wins first. Start with copy changes, layout changes, and obvious pain points before more complex and time-intensive tests. Review your analytics data to identify easy fixes like improving page speed. Unicorn's agile platform enables you to swiftly make changes and see the impact, accelerating your optimization efforts.
For instance, if your page has a high bounce rate and low time-on-site, start by testing simpler changes like adjusting page copy or more prominently featuring your CTA.
Continual Optimization
Treat landing page optimization as an ongoing process, not a one-time event. Set up systems to continually test new ideas. Regularly add or update page elements. Monitor performance metrics regularly for changes. Unicorn simplifies long-term landing page optimization through easy iteration and experimentation.
Set reminders to revisit your page every month or quarter to keep pages fresh and optimized. Brainstorm ideas for tests and use Unicorn's built-in tools to schedule and deploy new variants.
Driving Traffic to Your Page
Once you have built your page, the next step is driving qualified traffic to it. Promote your landing page through social media, paid ads, email, and on your website. Share your page on relevant social channels and run paid ads targeted to your audience. Email lists announcing the exclusive offer, focusing on loyal customers first. Link to the page prominently from your website navigation, headers, footers, and in relevant on-site content.
Use search engine optimization keywords in your copy where relevant to get organic search traffic. Unicorn Platform helps maximize visibility and drive traffic to your landing pages through its social media integrations, SEO tools, and easy linking across your site.
Leveraging Social Media
Share your new landing page through your startup's social media accounts and ask followers to share it with others who may be interested. Run ads on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn targeted to your audience's demographics and interests. Post teasers leading up to the page launch to build excitement. Encourage engagement by asking followers for feedback or input on the page.
Unicorn Platform's integrations with Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other networks lets you easily share new landing pages and run targeted ads right from the platform.
Using Paid Advertising
Create Google and Bing ad campaigns focused specifically on driving traffic to your landing page. Use display ads and target by industry keywords and topics relevant to your offer. Retarget people who have visited your site or landing page to re-engage them. Analyze cost per conversion to optimize spend allocation across campaigns and platforms.
Connect your Google and Facebook ad accounts to Unicorn to seamlessly create and monitor paid ads for your landing pages.
Emailing Current Customers
Emailing existing customers and subscribers is a great way to promote your new landing page. Segment these warmer leads and share it as an exclusive, limited-time offer for your VIPs first. Personalize the copy and include their name in the email. Test subject lines for higher open rates. Send a series of follow-up emails if they don't initially convert.
Integrate Unicorn with your email service like MailChimp to track and optimize which landing page links are shared in campaigns.
Optimizing On-Site Promotion
Make sure to link and cross-promote your landing page throughout your startup website's navigation, headers, sidebars, and blog posts. Use overlays or banners on site to highlight the offer. Provide snippets of the gated content to build interest. Match the page styling for a seamless user experience.
Unicorn makes it simple to embed landing page links, banners, and content previews throughout your website with just a few clicks.
Conclusion
Creating high-converting lead generation landing pages is crucial for startups looking to drive growth. By researching your audience, optimizing page design, crafting compelling copy and CTAs, seamlessly capturing leads, continually testing and improving, and driving traffic, you can maximize conversion rates. Unicorn Platform makes it fast and easy to build beautiful, responsive landing pages optimized to generate more leads for your business. Use the strategies in this guide to create landing pages that attract and convert your ideal customers.
