Whether it’s to sell a product, attract subscribers or promote a cause, your website serves a purpose. A landing page is where you describe what that purpose is and why it should matter to those who visit your site.

Think of it as a beachhead. Your website has a home page, a product page or perhaps an „About“ page that describes who you are and what you do. A landing page is a page on your website that you publicize widely in the hopes that new visitors to your site will „land“ there.
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If you’re running an email or advertising campaign. Having a highly customized destination for those who click on a link can lead to better conversions and more business.

„A landing page is designed to translate a visitor’s attention from something — search results, a social link, an ad, whatever — into behavior,“ says Sonia Simone, speaking at Copyblogger’s annual Authority Rainmaker event. „The question is: what kind of behavior are you looking for?“

Your answer may influence the design of your landing page. According to Simone, truly effective landing pages share a few traits. She outlined six best landing page design practices in her presentation.

1. Tell your visitors where they are.

If that sounds simple, that’s because it is. Simone says you have to make it clear what visitors can expect from your website. „The colder the traffic — visits from search or an ad, for example — the more important this is,“ Simone says.

2. Explain the problem you solve.

Visitors clicked to your site for a reason. Now they’re at your landing page, which means it’s time to deliver on the promise implied before the click: a breakthrough product, a screaming deal on a hard-to-find retail item or perhaps a crucial piece of educational material. Whatever it is, your landing page design should help satisfy your visitor’s need.

3. Write a must-click headline.

A good headline has „terrifying“ power, Simone says. She’s right. A bad headline gets ignored even more often than a good one gets clicks. BuzzFeed has a built a business around irresistible headlines. „A headline lets people know that they’re in the right place,“ Simone says.

4. Make an irresistible offer.

Once you’ve hooked visitors with your headline, it’s time to offer something of value—something that they’ll want to purchase, sign up for or otherwise commit to. Be crystal clear and deliver on expectations. „Talk about what your audience wants,“ Simone says. „People do not buy what they need. They buy what they want.“ (Although the very best offers give your visitors not only what they want but also what they need, Simone says.)

5. Have a clear call to action.

Don’t presume that your audience knows how to take the next step. Tell them explicitly what you want them to do. „Be clear. Be stupidly clear. Be insanely clear and concrete about what your visitor should do next to move forward in the process,“ Simone says.

6. Reverse the risk.

Your call to action won’t work if it feels like too big of a leap. How do you overcome that? Give your would-be buyer, subscriber or member an „out“ such as a money-back guarantee. Also, make your landing page design look professional. „Making people feel safe is huge,“ Simone says. „So, make your site look real. Make it look like you’re a real business, like you have your stuff under control and that you’re not taking their money and going to the Grand Caymans.“

Effective landing page design assuages fears and tells visitors what they need and how to get it. Your visitors expect nothing less, after all.

Customers have a lot of choices in an expanding eCommerce marketplace that’s expected to reach nearly $500 billion in 2018, according to research site Internet Retailer. Online shoppers can’t touch, feel, taste, smell, or try on products, so one of the best ways to get them to remember you is by providing a great customer engagement experience they’ll never forget.

Customers now expect VIP treatment in both online and in-person shopping. Even the smallest details – from easy-to-read product descriptions to a simplified checkout process — can make a difference. Here are four tips to help you engage your online shoppers and keep them coming back time and again.

Make It Personal

Personalized incentives are a great way to welcome new customers and to lure back previous visitors. Consider using first-time shopper discounts, loyalty rewards, video chats to answer questions or sneak previews of new products. First impressions count, so take advantage of every opportunity to build customer loyalty by creating long-lasting relationships rather than simply winning sales.

Get Emotional

Tap into emotions by helping customers make connections between special events and their shopping experiences, recommends Entrepreneur. Let visitors share their shopping lists or potential purchase with friends. Or create wish lists for holidays or special events. These engagement strategies can expose your site to other prospective customers, and bring undecided shoppers back for a second look. If you also have a physical store, allow customers to scan bar codes and add them to a wish list as they shop.

Tell a Story

An important part of building a relationship is introducing your brand to visitors. Tell a story about your site or brand, why you exist, and how you stand out from the competition. Social media is an easy and cost-effective way to start the conversation and share your brand story. In fact, over 60 percent of millennials rely on social networks to stay updated on brands, and 46 percent rely on social media when making online purchases.

Continue The Conversation

To establish strong relationships with customers, it’s important to keep the conversation going long after the initial sale is over. Asking customers for feedback on their new purchases can help you tailor future experiences or remind them of your exceptional customer care policies. Invite shoppers back with exclusive offers or provide incentives for them to share their experiences with friends. Give customers a voice by enabling them to provide comments, reviews and ratings.

​How important is customer engagement? Two out of three online shoppers say they would do more of their shopping online if brands and sites would proactively engage with them, according to a survey by Moxie Software, Inc. It’s clear that there’s never been a better time to focus on your customers‘ experiences and create long-lasting success for your online site or business.