Landing pages are a powerful but often overlooked tool in B2B marketing. In an industry where many, if not most customers need managed accounts rather than buying off the rack, landing pages are the essential step between advertisement and conversion. B2B clients need more than a product listing to form a new vendor or provider partnership, and often require further research before even beginning the process. Your landing pages can serve as niche and targeted service pages, special offer details, or simple content conversions for lead-generating downloadables.
The key is to make your landing page an immersive experience. One that leaves B2B clients feeling informed and motivated to take the next step, whatever that step may be. However, B2B landing pages are historically under-developed. It's quite common to see a simple HTML layout offering a few words of explanation and a sign-up form. If you're looking to boost your B2B conversions, look into your landing page strategy.
Here are ten of the top landing page best practices to increase B2B engagement and lead development.
Every landing page is an experience. Think of your advertisement as a sidewalk sign and your landing page as your business' foyer. Leads come for the offer, but why do they stay?
Build each landing page into a visually immersive environment that reflects your brand and the interests of your business clients. Venngage reports that images can increase view rate by 94%, desire to read by 80%, and engagement by 180%.
Landing pages look best when they are clean and crisp, with plenty of clear space so that the select contents pop. Use your brand colors and create a landing page that welcomes leads to your brand personality and invites them to focus on what you have to offer.
Why have your leads arrived, and what do they gain from staying on your landing page? The headline of your landing page should clearly state why your leads have landed. Your above-the-fold graphics may be photographic or illustrated but should provide a clear demonstration of what your leads have come to see.
Every panel of your landing page should outline a different benefit or use case for the product or service you are providing. Save the flowery language and founding story for below-the-fold content after making your value offering(s) clear.
Provide at least one above-the-fold call to action. Brands often place this in the center of the title banner, just below the title or subtitle. This top call to action is for leads who already know what they want and are ready to convert. From leads on a rapid research jag who just want your downloadable to leads who already know your brand and are ready to buy, an early call-to-action button can actually save conversions for clients in a rush who don't want to scroll to the end for your sign-up form.
B2B companies often have a rack of credentials regarding certifications, licenses, quality ratings, as well as performance awards. Place these emblems and credential titles in a location of pride on your B2B landing pages. Business clients want to see that their vendors and service providers are among the best in the business and have all the proper credentials to offer a backed guarantee of great service.
Credentials make excellent authority positioning. They also typically create elegant panels of graphics when discussing why your business is the right choice for future clients.
When you make a landing page, strip away the usual trappings of your website like the header and nav bar. HubSpot calls this "going naked."
Because your landing page should be immersive, you can remove most of the typical website structure to focus on the offer at hand. However, you still want your leads to be able to navigate through your website - especially if they are returning and know where they'd like to go. To provide for both needs, the hamburger menu offers the perfect solution.
Three soft lines in the upper corner of the page can easily unlock the navigation bar for landing page leads while also creating a fully immersive landing page experience for those who are fully engaged in the conversion funnel.
There are two major design approaches to B2B landing pages. The first is one-page simplicity. Most of the content, if not all, is "above the fold" with a simple offer and one - or perhaps two - calls to action. This is most common if your landing page is for something simple. For example, a single downloadable webinar or e-book that is designed to create further engagement upon viewing.
The second design style is the long-scrolling page. This features a stack of content panels that flow from one to the next. This approach is far more content-rich, providing the option to outline features of a service, uniquely added value, and demo illustrations as the leads scroll down. The second style is more popular when the landing page is for a service or special offer intended to result in customer onboarding rather than a simple download.
Long or short, your landing pages should include at least a quick preview (if not an illustrated guide) of the product, service, or content being offered. B2B app and software-powered service companies have begun an engaging trend of use-case screenshots of their app to give leads an idea of the dashboards and tools in an attractive and data-non-specific way. Manufacturers may show images of the factory floor, or of products being unboxed.
If your landing page is intended to accommodate several client niches or industries, consider use-case panels for each one. This method works particularly well when the quality and type of services between client business models overlap. For example, hospitality brands often like to see how you serve other hospitality niches. This also shows your flexibility for individual business needs.
For a long-scroll landing page, include multiple opportunities to convert. Calls to action, sign-up forms, and big shiny buttons allow your leads to convert whenever they are convinced. This might be above the fold, halfway down the page, or all the way to the bottom. If your panels are focused on different value statements, create a CTA to claim each one - like "Calculate My Estimate" or "Build Your Dashboard"
Great landing pages today also provide access to self-service information and remote live human support. This means a link to your information center and live chat built into each landing page. The reason is B2B customers have become increasingly interested in self-service. This follows the overall trend of a population more driven to (and capable of) online research.
A recent McKinsey study found that B2B buyers have an increasing preference for digital self-service or remote human interactions over in-person meetings and demos. For identifying and researching, 30% still prefer live meetings, while 46% prefer remote meetings, and 24% favor self-service methods. To facilitate the decision-making process of modern B2B buyers, each landing page should be equipped with self-service and remote support access.
Last but certainly not least, make sure that converting past your landing page is a smooth and easy process. Among the most common landing page mistakes is asking for too much or requiring too many steps for conversion. Any amount of frustration in the process can result in a bounce instead of a win. Just as e-commerce brands can't afford a broken cart and checkout process, B2B landing pages absolutely must smoothly guide their leads to the next stage - whether this is booking a consultation, accessing a demo, or even building their first order.
Creating the perfect landing page for B2B conversion is a powerful part of lead development and the culmination of your digital marketing efforts. Whether you are building authority with an e-book download or inviting leads to begin their first consultation, we can help you build every landing page with industry best practices fine-tuned to achieve your specific conversion goals.
Contact us today to learn more about improving your B2B landing page design and results.
Anabeth McConnell