Does Your Landing Page Answer These 5 Questions?

Each one of these questions swirls around in your reader's minds when they’re presented with a new product or service. So before they leave the page to do their own research, we will answer them one by one, then go in for the sale.

So here's everything a landing page should answer below the fold. Starting with...

Question 1: Why TF should I care?

We'll answer this by providing you with 3-6 benefits.

Important: benefits ≠ features

What is the difference between a feature and a benefit?

A feature is boring. It’s a meaningless attribute of a product without any context.

A Benefit describes why those features matter by explaining how they’re valuable to a customer.

Exercise:

In 2001, why would someone buy this new device called an iPod instead of a CD player?

Was it because it had a new 8 GB hard drive?

Nope

Was it because it let you carry around 1,000 songs in your pocket?

Bingo.

Remember, we started the page with your big idea. The thing that makes people sit up and pay attention.

Now you're going to explain the mechanisms your brand uses to achieve that big idea.

Here’s some inspiration:

Question 2: How Will It Make My Life Better?

We start with benefits and transition into outcomes.

Yes, there’s a difference between the two.

The benefits explain the usefulness of a feature.

The outcomes explain how that benefit improves your customer's day-to-day life.

A good framework for this section is to ask yourself, "why do other people use this product.”

If an iPod lets you carry 1,000 songs.

That lets me:

1. Save time space in my bag
2. Save money on CDs
3. Feel like I'm on the cutting edge (in 2001)

To demonstrate clearly how the product or service will improve the visitor's daily life, whether it's:

• saving them time,
• saving money
• bringing them status
• improving their health

Or just providing a solution to a hyper-specific problem they have.

Paint the picture.

Question 3: How Can I Trust You?

The best social proof makes you feel that hundreds of thousands of people made this decision before you.

A great example is the above picture.

Some tips:

• Using photos is great - people trust faces
• But avoid stock photos - it has the opposite effect
• Highlight powerful passages of text in bold
• Or swap out a copy for vertical testimonial videos
• If you're selling a service, throw in micro-case studies
• And if you sell a transformation, use before and after shots

Bonus: Include a separate section on your page that covers your company's history, mission, and values. It helps visitors understand why your brand is better than the Amazon equivalent.

Question 4: How Does This Compare To Other Products On The Market?

It's naive to think customers won't shop around.

They probably saw a competitor first, and you ARE the shopping around.

So you may as well acknowledge the elephant in the room and call out your competition, direct or otherwise, in a way that shines a light on your best attributes.

Question 5: Ok, I'm In. How Can I Get It?

Now make it as easy as possible for the visitor to take action.

From a design POV, you want to move out of your way here and let the customer decide if they're clicking through to the next step.

Your job is to motivate the reader a little.

So, remind them why they should take action today.

To do this, bring back your hook from the very top of your page.

Wrapping it up:

Don't publish your page unless you're sure you've answered these 5 questions below the fold:

1. Why should I care?

2. How will it make my life better?

3. How do I know I can trust you?

4. How is this different from anything else on the market?

5. How can I get it?