Moving a prospect along the sales funnel is not an easy task. But if you follow some simple guidelines, you’ll see dramatic improvement in the number of conversions.

It’s important to create effective landing pages because they can make the difference between a sale and a missed opportunity. This is where you convert a prospect to a customer or a customer to a client.

Your copy has worked hard to this point. It moved your prospect to along the sales funnel to your landing page. Now you have to close. Surprisingly, many company websites drop the ball here.

What’s their Achilles heel? They simply don’t consider the overall sales funnel. Therefore, they don’t create landing pages consistent with the web marketing content that led them there.

Usually, a PPC or banner ad leads prospects to a landing page. Or someone lands on them by clicking on an email link. Regardless, they must have the same look, feel and tone of the marketing collateral that moved then to the landing page. It’s the last step in the sales funnel.

Keeping this in mind, I focus on format and content. It’s not all you need to do, but it makes a huge difference in increasing your conversions.

Let’s run through those steps in order now.

Formatting Landing Pages to Optimize Conversion

Landing pages, like direct mail sales letters, follow a similar format. They consist of a headline, persuasive body copy, and a call to action. Additionally, you should use a one column format and keep critical information “above the fold”.

· Headlines – Headlines are just as important here as they are in any sales letter. Their purpose is to capture your reader’s attention. With information overload, you have 8 seconds to do that.

· Body copy – The next step is to move your reader down the page. You have to hold her attention with copy that resonates with her. You accomplish that by focusing on benefits. Lead off with your top benefit and close with another strong benefit.

· Call to Action (CTA) – As mentioned above, many businesses sabotage their conversion rates by not including the CTA. This represents the desired action, you want the reader to take. It can be signing up for a newsletter subscription, downloading a special report, or making a sale.

· One column format – Many different formats have been tested: one column, two column, three column, etc. However, testing shows the one column format wins more than any other format.

· Above the Fold – This refers to content and graphics that show on a computer screen without scrolling. The content below the fold is what you see as you scroll down the page. Make it easy for your reader to take the “desired action”. Remember, she has a short attention span. Keep important content above fold – that includes a click-through link to complete the desired action.

Persuasive Content that Sells

Your writing must be tight. It must focus relentlessly on your objective. You must have one and only one objective. It may be to make a sale, or it may be to have the prospect sign up for your newsletter. Regardless, you should focus on one objective that drives the desired action.

· Headlines – Effective headlines must be useful, unique, urgent, and ultra-specific. They must take your reader’s needs, wants and desires into account.· Body Copy – Writing content must focus on the single action you want the reader to take. You should write with an informal tone of voice. You’re continuing the conversation. Body copy should be as long as it needs to be to convert. If you’re selling a product, then longer copy works better. Signing up for a newsletter, on the other hand, would benefit from shorter copy. Use an economy of words in your body copy – just long enough to convert. Avoid distractions such as external links and extraneous graphics to keep your reader focused.