Companies spend a lot of time planning out how to best reach customers online. Creating a landing page for your website is just one step in a massive process that drives the consumer from mildly interested to raving fan of your brand. You likely have a budget to drive traffic to your pages, but once the consumer lands on your page, what does he or she see?

Seventy-five percent of brands have trouble finding expertise on how to build a landing page. That means you have to be proactive and figure out what works for you and your company. The five tips below are a good place to start when figuring out the best ways to present a landing page.

1. Know Your Target Market

Your first step to figuring out what your target audience wants is to know who they are and what makes them tick. There are a number of ways to figure this out. A good place to start is with website analytics. Figure out who is visiting your site, from where and at what times of day. Next, poll your current active users and figure out some additional specifics. Do they have families? Why did they come to your site? The deeper you can dig into the people who use your site, the more targeted your information becomes.

Shopify’s landing page gets right to the point. They understand that someone visiting their website is likely looking to open up shop, so they want to make it as easy as possible. Note the limited choices on the page. They are an e-commerce platform, so they point out how they can help you sell on a website, social media or even in a brick-and-mortar store.

2. Conduct Testing

Taking the time to perform A/B testing can mean the difference in conversion rates. Try different methods on your landing page or even different pages. Test not only when you first create the page, but throughout the life of your website. Your audience demographics can change from time to time. Be prepared to change with any audience shifts. Simply refining your landing page over time will bring your conversion rates up.

Bills.com seems to understand their target audience well enough to know that the average person landing on their page is concerned about being in debt and is looking for solutions. They get right to the point, inviting the user to choose their debt amount and “Continue.” Over time, Bills.com has changed the look of their landing page. This is most likely the result of extensive testing. Note the colors on the page. The blue is soothing. They’ve added trust factors to the bottom of the landing page. The invitation to continue is in a bright orange-red to draw the user’s attention.

3. Video

Users respond well to video for the most part. Today’s internet surfer has faster connections and is visually driven. Adding a video to your landing page increases conversion rates a whopping 86 percent. However, you do have to ensure the video is high quality and that it pertains to the topic at hand. Throwing just any old video up won’t work. The video itself needs to be aimed at conversions.

Readitfor.me takes books and research on the ways people learn and then provides the information in a highly personal and satisfying way. By presenting the books in video format, in smaller snippets, the information can be utilized in business meetings or for personal growth. Because their product is a video platform, it makes sense that they have a video when you land on their page. The video explains what Readitfor.me does.

4. More Information

Some site visitors will head to your website because they’ve already heard about your company and want in-depth information. While this is only a portion of your site traffic, you do need to have an option for these people who already have the basics and want more. Providing a FAQ section, a link to click on for “more information” and contact forms will allow this particular demographic to gain the information they want.

Note that Semcor has a “request literature” call to action button on the bottom left. The button is in orange to grab the user’s attention. One of the main reasons the company drives traffic to their landing page is to get their resources in the hands of potential customers. Adding a CTA button with clear instructions is an easy way for their audience to get in touch with them quickly and get the info they need.

5. Need for Speed

Is your landing page loading quickly enough? The average mobile user will wait six to 10 seconds for your page to load and then will simply leave. Studies show that every second you can speed up your website, your sticky factor improves. If your landing pages aren’t converting the way you want them to, one factor might be the speed of your page and how well that is meeting the needs of your audience. Improve speed by optimizing images, limiting elements on the page and paying for a fast server.

Note how Groupon loads at lightning speed, even though there are images on their landing page. They understand their users are as likely to shop on mobile devices as desktops. The page loads quickly even at slower internet speeds, such as on a cell phone in an-out-of-the-way location.

 Meeting Your Audience Halfway

Fans tend to be forgiving of a few minor issues here and there. Use an orange button instead of a red one or have a small typo, and they will likely overlook it. However, if you fail to pay attention to what your target audience wants and to fix those issues over time, then you will start to lose customers and lose conversions. Taking the time to consistently test your landing pages will ensure that those who land on your page are engaged and happy.

About Author

Lexie Lu is a designer and writer. She loves researching trends in the web and graphic design industry. She writes weekly on Design Roast and can be followed on Twitter @lexieludesigner.