Digital presence for freelancers: How to win with a landing page customer

In the meantime, almost 75 % of all people in the EU regularly buy goods or services. Those who are not represented on the World Wide Web miss important sales and, above all, the chance of loyal customers.

That is why it is particularly important for freelancers and solo residents to present themselves with their digital business card. This article shows what the website has to look like so that it really arrives at the right customers.

It doesn't always have to be the website monster

A strong first online impression is essential for freelancers. landing page is often sufficient to arouse the interest of potential customers. The clarity of the information presented is of central importance.

You should not only be precise and directly, but also visually appealing. The principle "less is more" plays a crucial role, since an overloaded side can quickly overwhelm visitors.

The anatomy of a perfect landing page

A first -class landing page is made up of an essential group of elements . These components, which could also be described as building blocks, serve as guidelines for the design of their content.

Some may see this skeptically. Isn't it the goal of successful marketing to stand out from others? Then why should you limit yourself to an already established format for landing pages? Wouldn't that be ... clichéd?

We understand your concerns. However, there is a proven rule that applies here:

Master the rules to break them effectively. "

It turns out that almost all landing pages high conversion rates because they master the basic principles. Regardless of the conversion goals, the target group or the budget. This applies to every campaign that you carry out. The main reason for this is that the structure of a landing page is designed to convince and that certain elements support this persuasion.

If you understand the structure of a target page and make sure that you follow these guidelines, increase your chances of actual conversions. You can then find innovative and creative ways to further optimize the whole thing.

Take a look at the following example of the web designer Tanim Khan, which we found on Dribbble. Even if your own pages may be designed differently, the same basic building blocks of the structure of a target page should still be present.

In the following we will explain the individual aspects more precisely.

1. Headline - a short statement as the first hook
2. Supporting Copy - a short paragraph that provides further information. Can also (as here) be supplemented by a call-to-action button.
3. Hero Image/Video - Image, Video or Animation, which is visually captivating
4. Subheading - e.g. services, services, products that are offered
5. Reinforcing statement - a short statement that arouses interest, confirms skills, or emphasizes the unique selling proposition (USP)
6. References - completed projects, references and customer lists can be placed here
7. Social proof - what do customers say about their services? Let satisfied customers speak for themselves to build trust.
8. CTA-Final Call-to-Action, which calls for contact (or similar). It should be a single conversion goal.
9. Footer - information such as copyright, imprint, Privacy , etc.

Let us speak a little more detail about the listed points:

Your unique selling point (USP)

Your unique sales approach is the decisive factor that takes off your product or service from the competitors. He answers the important question:

What makes this offer so special? "

Do not be fooled by the ubiquitous idea of ​​uniqueness. Consider your unique selling proposition (USP) as the strategic method of presenting your offer in a superior way compared to others.

An effective landing page must clearly and precisely convey this offer so that visitors immediately recognize what makes your product or service so attractive.

Various elements on the side convey the story that explains why their offer is outstanding:

1. The main heading (headline): The heading of your landing page is the first thing that visitor perceives. It is therefore crucial that it clearly shows what expectations a visitor can have for your product or service. Pay attention to a powerful and precise heading and formulate your unique selling point directly - this area is not intended for poetic veiling.
2. A supportive headline (Supporting Headline) : Headings should be short and precise. Sub -headings can occasionally be used to provide additional information, but it is important not to overdo it. As with the main heading, the shorter, the better. A supporting heading can either serve as a direct addition to the main heading and round off the thoughts (the main heading should be independently understandable), or it can offer additional benefits and convey a secondary, convincing message that is related to the main heading.
3. An increasing statement (Reinforcing statement, optional): With an extensive landing page, it is helpful to remind users in the middle of the page with a supportive message of their unique sales promise (USP). When writing, think about what information your readers is already known and which you may be missing during the first visit. Emphasize your unique selling point after the visitors have been sufficiently informed and enthusiastic.
4. A declaration of final (closing statement, optional): A conclusion strengthens its unique sales promise and offers the visitor the final opportunity to convert. She is her final message, the highlight of the story about her offer. Use this opportunity as best as possible. A convincing conclusion can create a feeling of urgency or remind the visitor of why he is here. Your call-to-action should also be highlighted on a click-through page in order to avoid scrolling again.

Hero image

A good first impression is decisive, and the header or background video is often the first visual element that visitor see on your website.

Ideally, the header image should illustrate the context of your site. The awakening of emotions through authentic images of real people is particularly effective, while clichédicids should be avoided.

In our example, the Hero Image shows the freelancer itself with a strong quote. This creates an emotional bond and expressed the self -confidence of the web designer.

Advantages for the customer / performance features

In order to convince the majority of people, it requires a supportive text that goes beyond the subject line. The key is to explain specific advantages in connection with the characteristics

What is the difference between characteristics and advantages?

A feature is a specific property of your product or service, while an advantage describes the positive effect that results from this feature. (Here is a simple example: Your visually beautifully designed website may look great, but the advantage is that it generates customers for you.)

It is often advised to concentrate on the "advantages" instead of the "characteristics". However, in order to increase your conversions, it usually makes sense to present features and advantages together - although the advantage should ideally come first.

For example:

• "With our web design, customers come to you."
• "With our simple website builder you can create landing pages independently and without the support of a developer."

Social proof / references / testimonials

social proof refers to the influence of our decisions through the behavior of others. This can explain, for example, why suddenly all concerts from Taylor Swift visit or why they may regret the tattoo of a unicorn that their friend persuaded them.

On a landing page, Social Proof can appear in various forms:

• Direct quotes from customers
• Case studies (or links to these)
• Video interviews or experience reports
• Logos of customer companies
• Reviews on platforms such as Trustpilot, Google, Provenexpert or Capterra

Social Proof is undoubtedly one of the most effective tools that are available to you. two proven practices should be taken into account.

First, authenticity is essential! If someone is insincere, it will be difficult to regain trust.

Second , be concrete. If possible, share the details, what, when, when, why and how the experience of your customers. An experience report is more convincing the better potential customers can identify with the person who gives him.

Professional tip from the landing page experts from Unbunce : Increase the credibility of your experience reports by using real customer names and photos instead of stick pictures and invented names.

Promotion of action / call-to-action (CTA)

There are numerous advanced tools for creating effective requests for action (CTAs).

Here are three basic tips that enable you to start a successful start:

1. Avoid boring switching surfaces such as "Click here" or "Send" . Use a clear and inviting language to explain to visitors what you can expect from clicking (e.g. apply for a free initial analysis " or " Get a 25% discount on my services " ).
2. Keep forms as short as possible and add a Privacy explanation to ensure the safety of your data (and comply with the GDPR regulations).
3. Since even minor changes can have significant effects on your conversion rates, CTAs are ideal for A/B tests .

SEO for strategic visibility

The structure of the website should be intuitive and easy to navigate, so visitors can easily find the desired information. This includes a clear menu navigation and clearly visible views of action, such as buttons for contact or inquiry forms.

SEO consulting is another important aspect that should not be underestimated. Well thought -out search engine optimization ensures that the website not only looks appealing, but is also found by the right people.

The optimization includes the targeted use of keywords, the improvement of loading times and ensuring that the website looks good and works on all devices. These measures contribute to the fact that the website in the search engines rank higher and thus gains greater visibility.

You can find a detailed analysis in our contribution: the role of SEO .

Expert tips and best practices for optimizing the landing page

Many potential customers prefer to find freelancers on the Internet instead of calling them directly. Specially designed landing pages are extremely effective to convert visitors to customers after you have clicked on an advertising banner or a search engine entry.

The effective design of your website or landing page plays a crucial role here. Otherwise, the visitor could be gone faster than you "customer acquisition" .

Here are some valuable expert tips of industry sizes such as unbounce , hubspot , wix , lead pages and drinks ponse for an effective landing page to ensure that they win new customers:

01 Headline based on customer benefits

Create a targeted heading to keep visitors. In my many years of experience, I found that seven to eight out of ten people who visit a target page quickly leave it.

In order to ensure a low bounce rate (so -called bounce rate ), visitors must be clear to visitors within a few seconds what to expect. The heading is the first thing that perceives visitors, so it must convey the value of its target page and its offer precisely.

The same applies to your own landing page. It is therefore crucial to choose a clear, direct and appealing heading.

02 Choose visual media that highlight your offer

For example, select an image as a Hero Image that shows your offer clearly.

The purpose of an image is to arouse emotions and make it clear how visitors will feel when they use their offer. Certain images can be more effective than others, so you should always subject your options to an A/B test.

03 Place the lead form in the primary visual area (above the fold)

Your lead form or CTA button should be easy to find if potential customers want to convert immediately-you do not want you to search your target page to find your offer.

"Above the Fold" means that visitors do not have to scroll to get to the form - it is immediately visible when the page is called up. This can be a form or an anchor link to the form. Even better: design your layout so that it scrolls with the user while navigating down on the side.

04 The right content must be

The content on the website is not about falling freelancers themselves. Rather, the question "What do my potential customers want to see?" The design. Authenticity plays a central role in this, since it is the personality and competence of the freelancer against mirrors t.

Blog posts that offer insights into the way of working or share useful tips establish the author as experts in his field. A well -kept portfolio shows potential customers the range and quality of the previous work.

Testimonials and references from satisfied customers add another level of trust. These positive feedback are often the most convincing content on the website, since they confirm the satisfaction and the results of the services first hand.

The integration of such reviews can significantly increase credibility.

05 Ask only about the information you need

It is important to collect comprehensive data about potential customers. The amount of information you should query depends on various factors, such as the customer's awareness, the stage of the purchase trip and the relationship of trust.

In your lead form, ask only the most necessary information to create a small entry hurdle. A name and an email address are completely sufficient to generate a new lead.

06 Remove any navigation options

The goal of your target page should be clearly defined: to convert visitors to leads. All distracting links - including internal links to other pages of your website - can affect this goal.

Remove all the other links on your page to specifically draw the attention of visitors to your request for action (call-to-action).

07 Optimization for smartphone and tablet (responsive design)

The adaptation of websites to mobile devices is essential in today's digital landscape. Statistics show that over 50% of global internet use is now via mobile devices, which is why a "mobile first" approach is essential for freelancers.

A responsive website that adapts flexibly to different screen sizes is therefore no longer just an option, but a necessity.

08  Short loading times

Short loading times are crucial for the success of a website. Studies show that users lose their patience when a page loads too long. A mobile website that is loaded within 2.4 seconds achieves an average conversion rate of 1.9 percent.

A delay by a second leads to a decline in the conversion rate to 1.5 percent. At 4.2 seconds loading time, the rate even drops below 1 percent (according to an examination of Soasta ).

For this reason, it is very important to ensure that landing pages quickly load. With the or GTMetrix pagespeed tool, you can simply check the loading times of your website.

09 react preventively to objections

An important aspect of writing convincing texts that motivate readers to take up an action is to take potential objections into account and invalidate in advance. This ability requires sensitivity - or at least the support of a trustworthy consultant.

After you have carefully processed all relevant points, it is advisable to put yourself in the role of your potential customer and to address possible doubts or objections in advance. Let us assume, they claim: "We have already helped 250 companies to win new customers."

Your potential customer could doubt this statement - unless you can prove you with convincing references. Analyze every element of your page in this way (or get advice from a neutral consultant) to remove all possible objections. Use questions from visitors to your landing page as a valuable feedback to continuously improve your text.

To ensure that your target page meets the requirements, it is advisable to obtain constructive feedback from your first converted interested parties.

10 Use click trigger

Click trigger are decisive elements in the world of online marketing that eliminate the last doubts in the minds of visitors before making a decision on the conversion. They look like probable amplifiers - a term that I have thought of myself to describe this important function.

Imagine that these trigger are small but powerful impulses that support potential customers and encourage them to take the step to the action.

These click trigger are strategically placed next to their call-to-action (CTA). They not only offer their potential customers a clear request for action, they also create an atmosphere of trust and security. By providing calming information and clearing up uncertainties, you reduce the risk associated with conversion. This is particularly important in times when consumers are rather hesitant and have concerns to enter their data or to make purchases.

In the following part of this text, I would like to introduce you to some practical options for how you can use click-trigger effectively:

• Money-back guarantee
• Easy deregistration.
• Quote from a satisfied customer
• Blurb to "what to expect."
• Price cuts
• Privacy guideline
• Another creative method

11 simplicity is trump

A responsive design ensures that the website looks just as good on a desktop computer and works as on a smartphone or tablet. This is crucial because a poor representation on mobile devices can quickly deter potential customers. In addition, fast loading times are critical of the user experience.

Simple navigation is also of great importance. Menus and interaction elements must be designed in such a way that they are easy to use even on smaller screens. Large, easy -to -click buttons and easy -to -read font sizes help to improve the usability.

These optimizations contribute to increasing user -friendliness, which in turn increases the likelihood that visitors become active customers.

12 test, test, test

All previous considerations sound very promising in theory. But since every company and freelancer is unique and each target group has individual needs, it is crucial that their texts are effective.

How can you make sure that your selected text has the desired effect? Where is the optimal placement of your request for action? Which color choice and which image lead to the best results?

The answer is tested. Split-Testing , also known as A/B testing , should be familiar to you as a marketing professional. The split testing of your landing page leads you step by step to optimal results.

Only around half of the companies regularly carry out tests on their landing pages. If you neglect this, you cannot say with certainty whether your site is successful, even if you follow all important marketing strategies.

It is therefore essential to test your landing page! A/B tests are particularly suitable for this. With this method, 50 percent of the clicks are redirected to landing page A, while the others get 50 percent on landing page B. In the beginning, both sides are identical. One of the pages is then gradually adjusted; For example, a button can be moved or the font is changed.

After each modification, an evaluation is carried out to determine how the conversion rate has changed compared to the original page. Here you will receive detailed instructions for creating your optimal landing page.

software or online tool use one of the market leaders for testing . This article tells you what successful A/B testing looks like with HubSpot Hubspot Knowledge Base: Run an A/B test on your page .