Prepare for landing

By Gregory Ronczewski, Director of Product Design at Ibbaka.

"Cabin crew, prepare for landing." Five words, a simple sentence. When we hear it, the earth is not far from the landing gear touching the runway. Five more minutes? Everyone looks through the window in anticipation. What awaits us at the destination? What choices will we make? What possibilities become available? Each destination will be different, yet the emotions are similar... most of the time.

Landing. 

Merriam-Webster defines landing as follows:

1: an act or process of one that lands 
especially: a going or bringing to a surface (such as land or shore) after a voyage or flight

2: a place for discharging and taking on passengers and cargo 

3: a level part of a staircase (as at the end of a flight of stairs)

July 20, 1969. First lunar landing. I remember that summer. A warm afternoon when all the kids from the surrounding farms gathered in front of probably the only TV set within miles to watch Neil Armstrong as he became the first person to step onto the Moon's surface. Was there a voice in the Appolo's 11 intercoms advising the crew of landing? No, I don't think so—still, anticipation, adrenalin rush, what awaits. Buzz Aldrin joined him 19 minutes later, and they spent about two and a quarter hours together exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base. The key word here is "exploring."

Astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lunar module pilot, stands on the surface of the moon near the leg of the lunar module, Eagle, during the Apollo 11 moonwalk. © Public Domain

Group photo on the U.S.S Pier at Miller’s Landing 1943 © Bowen Island Museum & Archives

On the North East coast of Bowen Island, the piece of rock I have called home for the last eighteen years, there is a place called Miller's Landing. There is Miller Road and Miller Point, with a diving site. From farmland, with roses planted on the side of the road, to summer cottages and the "Montrose Hotel," since the 1800's Miller's Landing was and still is a land offering many choices - for the residents and visitors. The key word here is "choices."

You may now wonder where I am taking this blog post. It's actually pretty simple - landing pages. We are working on a few landing pages, and since it's summer, there is nothing better than a relaxing summer read with just a touch of business matter. Perhaps it's just me. Anyhow, let's get to know better the landing pages.

HubSpot says a landing page is

"a specific page on your website where you collect a visitor's contact information in exchange for a resource, like an eBook."

The goal is to capture leads, hopefully leading to conversion, and the idea is to limit the number of choices the visitor can interact with. Some say to leave only one button - the call-to-action, or CTA. Some argue that it's ok to keep the navigation. I lean toward the purist, minimal approach with just one option to choose from. 

Let's go back to the idea of "landing." It creates anticipation, and our senses are ready to react to whatever is presented. Also, and this is quite important, a landing page offers something in exchange for information. Because the visitor is in the "receiving mode," expecting to give away some information, asking for a name or email will not be considered intrusive. 

Here are some benefits of having a landing page tied to a marketing campaign

• Landing pages increase conversion.

• Landing pages provide additional information about your audience.

• You will be growing your email or subscriber list.

• Because of the unique URL, landing pages can be A/B tested.

• You can measure the results because of the relation to specific marketing campaigns.

• Landing pages add context to your offering.

• Increase brand awareness and value.

So what are the features of a well-crafted landing page?

I would start with "intuitive navigation," or the lack of it. In this case, limiting choices is a good thing - one exit point - the CTA. Adding the sharing links is a good idea. It will not take the visitor away, but you may expand your audience. Next, the content must be compelling and tied to your offer. Do not be tempted to ask too many questions. Name and email will do. Remain focused, and avoid mentioning other offers or content you promote. Lastly, do not forget to connect tracking and analytical tools. And—this applies to any page, not just the landing pages—keep improving, do not waste the initial effort, and make changes as you become aware of what works and what doesn't.

Now that we have set the stage, what landing pages are we working on? We are working on three campaigns and three landing pages supporting them, so here are the main themes:

• Unlock Revenue Potential with Net Dollar Retention Strategies

• Master Your SaaS Pricing Strategy for Profitable Growth

• Craft Winning SaaS Packaging Strategies for Revenue Growth

We have some visuals ready, but I will not share those here. Let's keep the anticipation for a little longer. A few more minutes before we land won't hurt. Stay tuned, and join our mailing list so you will not miss the email about one of the abovementioned offers.