A landing page is a web page that visitors from a specific traffic source land on. They are heavily linked to individual marketing campaigns ? for example, the landing page for a PPC campaign is the page that visitors land on when they click your PPC ad. All marketing techniques lead visitors to a specific page and, as such, each could have a different landing page. The performance of a landing page is essentially tracked by the rate of conversions that it generates and there are numerous factors that combine to create an effective landing page.

What Should A Landing Page Do?

In short, a landing page should convert visitors to perform your desired action; this desired action could be the purchase of a product, clicking on a link, or signing up for a newsletter. Landing page success is a measure of conversion rate expressed as a percentage. This is the number of conversions as a percentage of the number of visitors. Simply tracking the number of conversions is not an accurate measure because many other factors also determine the number of conversions you will receive ? a popular ad will generate more visitors but it is largely the performance of your landing page that makes up its conversion rate.

What Makes A Landing Page Successful?

. Accessibility -- A landing page has to be accessible. Good loading times are an absolute must and the most effective marketers know that while Broadband Internet speeds have become more popular, many users are still connected to the Internet via a 64k modem. Pages should also be tested on various browsers, using a number of screen formats, and on different operating system formats. The more people that are prevented from properly viewing your site, the greater your bounce rate. Another facet of accessibility concerns users that are physically disabled including those with poor eyesight.

. Usability -- Page usability has become even more of a factor since the obvious rise of Web 2.0 websites. Surfers expect more interaction with the pages that they visit. The important thing for the website owner is that any and all applications and features on the page must work and work well. They should also facilitate an easier or more enjoyable or information stay on your site. Shopping carts, contact forms, and other applications are considered normal practice and they have to be simple but effective to improve conversion rates.

. Persuasive -- The web page copy should be concise and persuasive. It should be geared specifically towards the visitors that are most likely to land on that page, and it should convey the benefits of your product and service to those users. Identify and promote your USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and CTA (Call To Action). Once you have persuaded visitors the copy and page content should then take your visitor to the next relevant stage in the process.

. Brand Development -- Your website brand is important and the home page provides an exceptional opportunity to develop, promote, and maintain your brand. This is done through good design, the use of an appropriate narrative voice, and through other online branding techniques.

. Relevancy -- Everything about the landing page should be relevant to the visitor. This is perhaps the most important facet of an optimized landing page. First, you should determine the likes and dislikes, as well as the wants and general requirements, of the visitors to that landing page. Then write the copy, include relevant links and applications, and ensure that those visitors are able to quickly and effortlessly navigate around all of the elements.

Optimized Landing Pages Improve Profits

There's a time and a place for indirect selling techniques and a time and a place for the direct sale. Depending on how visitors land on a page on your site, it is vital that you determine whether they are looking for information or are more likely to want to delve into the purchasing process and then take action. Optimizing your landing pages will improve conversion rates and, therefore, help increase your profits and performance levels.