Chapter 80. Landing Pages
The first page a user sees when they arrive on your site for the first time has one job: get them in the door.
Think About Your Site or App Like an Airport
You have never been to this city, and you’re arriving from somewhere else in the world. You get off the plane with your (emotional) baggage and your first question is always the same:
“Where do I go?”
You might want to find a taxi, or a toilet, or some food, but it’s usually something like that, and you will go for the first thing that looks like it will meet your needs.
The difference with a landing page on your website is that people can decide to get back on the plane. Your job is to show people where to go so they don’t get back on the plane.
A good landing page answers the Three Whats of UX:
What is this?
What’s in it for me?
What should I do next?
Three Whats = One job
A landing page should be so focused that you don’t even need the main menu. In fact, the menu often makes a landing page less effective because it distracts the user.
Maybe they want to know how your site works and how to sign up. Maybe your campaign made them curious and they want to know more. Maybe you’re selling to other businesses and they need to see if your product fits their budget and needs. Maybe a friend recommended your product and that’s all they know!
If you understand what your users want, you should be able to tell them exactly why they are in the right place and how to get what they want.
Your Site Can Have Many Landing Pages ...
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