Your questions about building effective landing pages are answered.

Recently, I was surprised to read that even though landing pages designed with a clear call to action (CTA) have a much higher average conversion rate (~6% more) compared to general websites (2–5% total), only a little less than half of marketers build a new landing page for each marketing campaign!

So, why, if landing pages significantly enhance the success of marketing campaigns, do so many advertisers not use them? With the growth of DIY ad solutions like Google Ads, more small businesses are handling their ads themselves than ever before. While savvy users can figure out how to run ads, they may not have all the tools or strategies that a traditional marketer would bring to the table—especially when it comes to optimizing landing pages.

But that's okay! Landing pages certainly have specific needs, but they're not inscrutable. In fact, best practices for landing pages are straightforward when you don't overthink them.

Here are ten ways to make landing pages that convert visitors into customers:

1.   Landing pages that convert value the call to action above all else.

2.   Landing pages that convert do not distract users from the conversion.

3.   Landing pages that convert make users identify with the conversion.

4.   Landing pages that convert ensure fast load times.

5.   Landing pages that convert meet user experience expectations.

6.   Landing pages that convert test their assumptions about traffic.

7.   Landing pages that convert are mobile-friendly.

8.   Landing pages that convert use compelling visuals and design.

Let's start with the most essential element of your landing page: the point of conversion - your call to action.

1.) Landing pages that convert value the call to action above all else.

What is the most important feature of a landing page? Conversions happen fast, and you need to capture users who are ready to commit immediately. The longer a user spends browsing, the more likely they are to talk themselves "out" of a conversion. So, what should be the most visible thing on your landing page? It's simple: whatever action you want your user to take.

If you want purchases, make sure the "Buy Now" button is easy to find. Need calls or newsletter sign-ups? Your clickable phone number or simple form should be front and center. Avoid vague CTAs like "Learn More." Use clear, action-oriented language like "Get Started," "Claim Your Offer," or "Buy Now." And don't forget the button design—use contrasting colors and ensure it looks clickable.

When collecting data, keep forms as short as possible. The more fields you include, the more likely users are to drop off. Stick to the essentials—name, email, and maybe one additional field if necessary. You can always gather more information later as the relationship develops.

2. Landing pages that convert do not distract the user from the conversion.

If the first thing your users see is your conversion point, what should follow that? Again – don't overthink it. The answer is whatever it takes to get your user to go back to a CTA! If your user was not tempted into an impulsive purchase, maybe they need a little more evidence. This is the right place to add any copy, graphics, or arguments in favor of your conversion. That might be a paragraph about your product or service; it might be smiling people using your service that customers can relate to. Other common examples include testimonials, ratings, guarantees, comparisons, or promotions. Ideally, if the focus is on redirecting the user to the CTA, you're on the right track.

Continuing the argument against distracting your visitors - landing pages that convert users into customers eliminate distractions by minimizing unnecessary elements like navigation menus. It's a hard sell, but your landing page should not be just another page on your website. It should be a separate page that cannot be navigated away from. This focus helps guide users toward specific actions, improving the effectiveness of your (paid) advertising campaign.

Furthermore, all offsite links should be strictly limited to those you need. By need, I mean links you would need for legal compliance, like privacy policies.

3. Landing pages that convert make their users identify with the conversion.

You may have been introduced to ethos and pathos at some point in your life. Today, let's look at these concepts through our marketing lens as appeals to credibility and emotion, respectively. We are not just using these concepts but also magnifying them with a more modern marketing technique: appealing to the user's identity. And we are supporting the whole thing with logos—the appeal to logic.

This is a powerful idea that gets used in marketing very often. Your users should already identify with your product or service on some level. Think about it: You have used tracking, or your user clicked a sponsored link on Google or another site, and they want to find a solution behind your advertisement as much as you want them to. They have already self-qualified themselves as a lead beyond the average person on the street. So when they reach the site, they need to feel at home. They should see happy people, people that they relate to, using your product. That can be accomplished with photos, videos, and embedded social media posts. These are your appeals to emotion - smiling, happy users. Next, you display their peers submitting testimonials, reviews and ratings, impressive clientele lists, or anything else that will increase your credibility. Finally, you appeal to their logic. You can and should wrack your brain to find a logical reason why every user you're targeting needs your product, but you should also provide them with a logical incentive. A discount, money back, a guarantee, a limited-time offer, something that appeals to their sense of cunning.

4. Landing Pages that Convert Ensure Fast Load Times

Speed is crucial for conversions. Studies show that a landing page should load within 3 seconds; anything longer risks losing users. Optimize images, reduce heavy scripts, and ensure your page performs well on both desktop and mobile devices. A slow landing page can kill conversions before they even begin.

This is yet another reason to ensure that your landing page isn't just a page on your website unless you are confident in your server speed! If you are not sure, perform a speed test!

5. Landing pages that convert meet user experience expectations

Do you remember the book "Don't Make Me Think”? This was the guide on user experience for a long time. Unfortunately, the user-first interface techniques have not made it to all of our modern digital interfaces because users don't have another option. But your users always do, and every time you ask them to flex their mind muscles, they are just a little more likely to close the browser window and move on with their day. Keep that from happening; you want your conversions to be as mindlessly straightforward as possible. Anything else, including detailed information about the user, can wait in line behind the almighty conversion.

"Don't Make Me Think" also answers how your landing page should be designed. Like your brand, like your ad. If your user comes to your website, they want your website to look like the ad. They want it to use the wording they heard in the ad. They want to experience a brand that they are familiar with. This all eases the transition to conversion because it increases user trust – the ethos. This is the hardest part because it is easy for an amateur to make a landing page that looks like it could give your computer a virus.

6.  Landing pages that convert, track (and test their expectations about) their traffic.

You may think you know what your users will do. You may have read a few articles or followed best practices, believing your landing pages will convert. But without testing and data, you'd be making a big mistake. If you're planning a long-term advertising campaign using landing pages to convert visitors, you must gather metrics on user behavior. Without metrics, it's difficult to determine how many visitors clicked on your ad, how many stayed for the page to load, how far they scrolled, or even where they clicked on the page.

Tools like Google Analytics can help you track key data points like traffic sources, user demographics, and conversion paths. Heatmap tools like Microsoft Clarity can show you where users are engaging on your page—where they click, scroll, and even lose interest.

However, tools like Google Tag Manager (GTM) are essential to unlocking the full potential of tracking. GTM allows you to implement various tracking codes—such as Google Analytics events, conversion tags, or custom scripts—without needing to constantly update the site's code manually. It simplifies tracking everything from button clicks to form submissions. With Tag Manager, you can customize what events to track and gather more granular data on how users are interacting with your landing pages.

Combining these tools gives you a complete view of your landing page performance, allowing you to optimize for conversions and improve your advertising ROI. However, setting up and managing a successful ad campaign can be one of the more complex and technical aspects of digital marketing. While you may have a good grasp of what it takes to set up a campaign, monitoring and fine-tuning it requires a different level of expertise.

If you find the technical side overwhelming, consider reaching out to Twothirty Media. As a Pittsburgh-based advertising agency, we specialize in tailoring solutions to fit your specific needs, helping you achieve your goals on your terms.

7.  Landing pages that convert are mobile-friendly.

Users are continuing a trend toward mobile-first browsing, so optimizing your landing pages for mobile is essential. Many visitors will access your page on their phones or tablets, and if your page isn't mobile-friendly, they'll likely bounce. Use responsive design to ensure your landing page looks and functions perfectly across all devices. This is especially true if your ad appears across apps!

Speed, layout, and clickable buttons should all be tailored to mobile users, and mobile versions of forms should be short and easy to complete. A clunky or slow mobile experience can cost you conversions.

8. Landing pages that convert use compelling visuals and design.

The visual design of a landing page plays a considerable role in driving conversions. High-quality images, videos, and graphics that support your message can create an emotional connection with your users. Visual elements like product images, explainer videos, and infographics make your offer more appealing, while minimalistic design keeps the focus on your CTA. Your visuals should be purposeful and help reinforce your value proposition. Avoid clutter and distractions, and ensure that your design aligns with your overall brand image.

Extra Credit: When Should You Not Use a Landing Page?

While landing pages are highly effective for driving conversions, there are times when they might not be necessary. Here are a few situations where you can skip the landing page:

• Awareness campaigns with no direct CTA. A landing page may not be required if your goal is purely brand awareness and you're not asking users to take immediate action.
• Non-digital ads. Traditional advertising, such as radio, TV, or sponsorships, often doesn't need a landing page. These channels work best when driving general brand recognition or promoting broader messaging.
• Organic traffic for users exploring your full website. For certain types of organic traffic—like blog visitors or users searching for in-depth information—directing them to a full website may be more valuable than funneling them to a single landing page. Examples could include educational content, product comparison pages, or blog articles.
• Long-term engagement goals. If your aim is ongoing interaction rather than an immediate conversion (e.g., through social media), you may not need a dedicated landing page. Instead, direct users to your main site or specific content hubs.
• Customer support inquiries. If you're directing users to resolve an issue or get help, sending them directly to your help center, FAQ, or live chat rather than a landing page with a CTA may be better.
•  E-commerce promotions for existing customers. If you're targeting repeat customers with a discount or special offer, you might direct them to a product page or category within your website, skipping the need for a landing page.
• Event announcements or updates. When simply sharing details or updates about an event (such as venue changes or schedules), sending users to a landing page may not be necessary. Instead, you can link them directly to a specific section of your main site.
•  Content marketing where you want users to explore. A dedicated landing page may be overkill for campaigns promoting longer-form content like white papers, guides, or detailed articles. In these cases, sending users directly to the full content allows them to get what they came for without additional steps.

Keep these tactics in mind when you build your landing page, and your users will convert more often. If you need help setting up a landing page like this or would like an advertising campaign consultation, feel free to reach out!

Excellent marketing is essential to any successful business, and advertising plays a crucial role. The key to effective advertising is having a creative strategy that persuades your target audience and sets you apart from your competitors. In this article, we will discuss multiple examples of creative strategies and will detail how it can make a difference in the success of your marketing efforts.

What is a Creative Strategy?

A creative strategy refers to a marketer's plan or approach to communicate a thought-provoking message in an engaging or unique way. Developing a creative strategy for advertising involves using new and innovative ideas to capture the attention of potential customers and persuade them to take action. A well-executed creative strategy might appeal to a customers emotions, enhance a brands credibility, or confront them with a logical argument. This kind of campaign to build brand awareness and drive revenue might sound like a very modern concept, but it has roots in ancient Greece.

Incorporating Pathos, Ethos, and Logos into your Creative Strategy in Advertising

Believe it or not, advertising is tied to the ancient art of persuasion. Aristotle introduced the concepts of Ethos, Pathos, and Logos in his work "Rhetoric" as the three modes of persuasion. He outlined them as essential elements for effective communication and argumentation. These concepts still play a crucial role in crafting messages that resonate deeply with audiences and can be seen at work in various creative strategies, driving the success of memorable ad campaigns. 

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Pathos

You will find Pathos everywhere. Pathos, the emotional appeal, is masterfully employed in campaigns like the SPCA's ads featuring Sarah McLachlan. These ads create a lasting impact by evoking strong emotional responses, compelling viewers to take action. This strategy often leaves a lasting impression on the viewers. You may be like me and try to avoid these ads, or you may not, but you cannot deny their existence or their impact. The SPCA had over $250,000,000 in contributions, memberships, grants, and sponsorships in 2022. 

Another successful example is the Dove Real Beauty campaign, which used emotional storytelling to promote its message of self-love and acceptance. By featuring real women describing themselves to a forensic sketch artist, Dove created an emotional connection with its audience and promoted its brand as one that celebrates diversity and inner beauty.

Pathos and Storytelling

Some advertisers take this one step further and use storytelling to help customers visualize meeting their goals using your services or product. Everyone's favorite story is one about them, after all. Everyone is the hero of their own story, and we all love a happy ending. So, for example, an organization that offers physical therapy might use a storytelling technique to walk a customer through the recovery process by showing an actor dealing with pain on their own, learning about the service, making an appointment, going through the steps of physical therapy, and then be seen enjoying some physical activity they would typically enjoy in their leisure time. On the other hand, an environmental nonprofit may promote membership or donations by telling a visual story about a character who grew up loving nature and took steps to help protect it for the next generation.

Pathos and Humor

Of course, everyone's favorite example of a creative strategy in advertising is humor. Humor in advertising typically falls under the category of Pathos, as it aims to evoke positive emotions in the audience. By making people laugh, humor creates a sense of enjoyment and connection with the brand or product. This emotional response can make the advertisement more memorable and increase the likelihood of the audience associating positive feelings with the brand, which can ultimately influence their purchasing decisions. While humor primarily appeals to emotions, it can also enhance Ethos (credibility) by making the brand seem more relatable and human. In some cases, it can support Logos (logic) by simplifying complex ideas or highlighting the absurdity of a problem.

Using humor, advertisers can make their audience laugh and associate positive emotions with their brand or product. This makes the advertisement more memorable and can create a sense of likability, or at least memorability for the brand. Examples here range from State Farm's Bundle Mantra (feat. Patrick Mahomes), which features a clever joke and plays the actor's overreaction for laughs, to the Quiznos Sprongmonkeys, the bizarre yet entertaining proto-meme flash cartoon-inspired commercials that recently returned to a warm but puzzled reception after 20 (!) years. Like them or not, that's a long time to be in the public memory! And that’s the point.

Of course, you can and should simultaneously take advantage of more than one of these concepts. The State Farm ad above lists Patrick Mahomes in the title, and that's not an accident. This ad will be searched for on YouTube and other social sharing sites and found by people searching for football players on Google. The connection that State Farm makes by associating themselves with Patrick Mahomes is clearly quite valuable to them. And it's a great example of using the concept of Ethos.

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Ethos

Ethos, or the appeal to credibility, is vital in establishing trust between a brand and its audience. For instance, Dove's Real Beauty campaign, which we discussed earlier, leverages Ethos by featuring real women rather than models, thus positioning the brand as authentic and relatable. This approach strengthens the brand's credibility and fosters a genuine connection with its audience.

Endorsements from industry experts or celebrities boost a brand's credibility. For example, Nike's partnerships with athletes like LeBron James or Serena Williams lend credibility to their products through association with respected figures in sports.

Ethos and Credibility 

The SPCA's campaign featuring Sarah McLachlan is a prime example of how credibility can be established through a sincere and heartfelt appeal. The SPCA enhances its credibility and trustworthiness by aligning the organization with a well-respected celebrity known for her compassion towards animals. This connection draws attention to the cause and encourages viewers to take the message seriously, leading to a significant increase in contributions and support for animal welfare.

Ethos and Expertise

Another method is to exude expertise by association. An environmental conservation organization might use it’s Annual Report to highlight the successful projects and partnerships with recognized scientific institutions to demonstrate its authority in the field. By providing evidence of its accomplishments and expertise, the organization establishes itself as a credible and reliable source, encouraging individuals to support its cause and trust in its ability to positively impact the environment.

Developing a Creative Strategy in Advertising Using Logos

Logos, or logical appeal, is evident in the strategic storytelling of ads like the physical therapy example mentioned earlier. By logically outlining the benefits of the service and the steps involved in the recovery process, the ad appeals to the audience's rational side, helping them visualize the practical value of the service.

Taking advantage of a powerful concept like Logos can help carry a message far, even with a small budget. A compelling creative strategy does not equate to massive spending on production and expensive campaigns. It is all about the idea and how it is executed. For example, the "Dumb Ways to Die" campaign by Metro Trains in Melbourne, Australia, successfully promoted train safety awareness through a humorous and creative approach. McCann Melbourne estimated that within two weeks, the campaign had garnered at least $50 million in global media value, along with over 700 media stories, all at a fraction of the cost of a single TV advertisement.

By illustrating the consequences of unsafe behaviors in a humorous (there's sneaky Pathos again!) yet precise manner, the campaign provides a logical argument for the importance of following safety guidelines. This approach engages the audience and drives home the message that safety is a serious matter, leading to a positive change in behavior.

Logos and Rational Appeal

Employing a logical appeal is critical in convincing an audience of a service's value. A physical therapy organization can take this approach by outlining the steps of the recovery process, from initial pain to successful rehabilitation. By presenting a clear and logical progression, the advertisement appeals to the audience's sense of reason, helping them understand the benefits of the service and how it can effectively address their needs.

Logos and Logical Arguments

An environmental nonprofit can effectively use logos by presenting logical arguments about the importance of conservation efforts. For instance, the organization might highlight the direct impact of climate change on specific ecosystems and how their initiatives are combating these effects. By providing scientific data and logical reasoning, the advertisement appeals to the audience's rational side, persuading them to support the cause based on sound environmental principles and the tangible benefits of their actions.

The Importance of a Creative Strategy in Advertising

Having a creative strategy in advertising is crucial for several reasons. First, it helps brands stand out by showcasing their uniqueness and creativity. This can be the key to capturing consumers' attention and differentiating yourself from other brands in a crowded market.

Moreover, unique advertising strategies can also help in building brand awareness. By creating memorable and impactful advertisements, brands can increase their visibility and stay top of mind for potential customers. This can increase brand recognition and recall when consumers make purchasing decisions.

By partnering with an innovative, creative agency, brands can also receive fresh and unique ideas to help them stay ahead of the curve in their advertising efforts. 

That's where Twothirty Media comes in! As a full-service Pittsburgh creative agency, we specialize in creating and executing effective and unique advertising strategies for our clients. Through our expertise in storytelling, design, and digital technology, we help brands connect with their target audience in meaningful ways that drive results.

Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your brand stand out with a creative strategy in advertising.