A properly made lead generation page is a must for every successful online business. A lead generation page lets you ask for names and email addresses of visitors interested in your product or service. This email list is the heart of the online business, and a constant source of ongoing sales. Lead generation page is also called a splash page, opt-in page and email page.
The basics of a good lead generation page
At its most basic, an effective lead generation page has a place for the visitors to type in their email address. Most also have a field for the person’s name. This makes it easier to personalize followup emails.
It usually has a short, persuasive blurb about the item or service for sale, and a convincing note to get your visitors to leave their email address.
Many splash pages also include a video, and for good reason. According to statistics quoted on Kissmetrics, a video improves your sales by an astounding 64-85%.
Offering a reason to sign up is also a good way to ask your visitors to share their contact information. If the visitors give you their email address, offer them something of value, something they will receive right away and be able to put to immediate use. Good freebies include white papers, special reports, an email course or a video explaining some aspect of the problem or product.
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Isn’t it better to have more info?
No, absolutely not.
The lead generation page is extremely simple for a reason. You don’t want to distract or confuse your visitors.
It’s job isn’t to inform or convince. That is the job of landing pages not splash pages. The sole job of an effective lead generation page is simply to gather up email addresses.
A landing page is where your visitors “land” after they click a link that sounds interesting. The purpose of this page on your website is to explain the product or service you are offering. It is persuasive but not pushy. Sometimes the landing page does double duty as a sales page, asking the visitor to buy.
A sales page ramps up the persuasive tone of the copy. The sole job of a sales page is to get the visitor to buy your product or service. This is the page that has the Buy Me and Paypal buttons.
The essential elements on your lead generation page
You want to focus your visitors’ attention on just one action, leaving their email address. To do that, you need just a few specific components on the page:
- Headline: make it big and bold. Don’t use fancy script. You want it easily readable because your visitors will be on the site for just seconds. You need to grab their attention quickly. Think in terms of a billboard alongside the highway. Big, bold type that is easy to grasp on the fly is best for the headline.
- Subhead: add a short, catchy subhead that explains your offer in three or four, but no more than seven or eight words. It is ok to use italic for this, but make sure the typeface is bold and simple to read.
- Video: make it short, entertaining and specific. Be sure it deals in a concise way with your offer. Don’t get arty. Definitely make it brief. Your visitors have a short attention span.
- Bullet list of benefits: Add three to six positive reasons your visitors should leave their email address. List the most compelling advantages of your product.
- Freebie offer: in big type, with an image if possible, offer an incentive. Make sure you tell your visitors they will get access immediately upon providing the email address.
Where to place your lead generation page
Many successful marketers direct visitors to the lead generation page as soon as they click a link to find out more about a product or service that has caught their eye as they surf online.
Others wait until the potential customer has read the landing page and clicks a link promising more information, which will lead them to the sales page. Clicking the link will direct them to the lead generation page. After they enter their contact info, they are taken to the sales page.
You can also set up your lead generation page so that a visitor lands there after clicking the Buy Button. After entering their info, they are directed to the payment page.
Six top tips for your lead generation page
- Limit the number of actions you expect your visitors to do. The less you ask of your potential customers, the more likely it is they will type in their email address. Best is just to ask for the address. It is ok to request a name, but really not necessary.
- Never ask for a home address, occupation, or how you found out about the site. Your visitors are sometimes in a hurry.
- Make sure your incentive offer is of real usefulness in the immediate future to your visitor. Make it specific, short and valuable.
- Make it look professional. Use high quality landing page templates that have been tested and found effective. You don’t have to start from scratch.
- Keep it short. You never want a long lead generation page. People will not scroll down. Make sure it fits on a single screen view. Longer splash pages will simply confuse and distract your visitor.
- Use words that imply reward, scarcity and urgency. That’s quite a combination, but it can be done. Emphasize what your customer gets when he signs up with words like “Send me my free report” and “Get immediate access.” Add scarcity and urgency with phrases like “Limited time only” and “For the next 10 days.”
Ron Sela is an Inbound Marketing Manager at PageWiz. Named one of the Top 50 Influencers in B2B Marketing (#14) by Onalytica and a Top 50 Influence Marketing Blogger by InkyBee, Ron is a digital marketer and conversion optimizer, focusing on maximizing ROI with content marketing campaigns.
