Creating a portfolio or animation website is an excellent (and necessary) step towards establishing an online presence as an animator. If you really want to generate leads and increase sales, though, you will need to create a powerful landing page.
First thing’s first: what is a landing page? Your landing page is the first page that a visitor arrives at on your website after they click an ad. The contents and layout of your landing page allow you to convert website visitors by leading them to do a specific action.
That action could be downloading your ebook or cheatsheet, subscribing to your mailing list, or listening to your podcast series.
Below we give you tips on how to build a powerful landing page for your website. Here are some things you should keep in mind:
Define a Goal
Before creating anything, first, think about what you want your landing page to actually do for you. The rest of your landing page’s content will revolve around this goal.
What do you want your animation website visitors to do once they see your landing page? Do you want them to download an ebook, fill out a form, or check out your portflio?
Some other goals might be:
- Answer a survey
- Sign up for a free trial
- Subscribe to a newsletter
Visualize Your Landing Page
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Landing pages should have an eye-catching design that will make your visitors want to learn more about you and your content.
Ask yourself the following questions when designing your landing page:
- What do you want your landing page to look like?
- What colors will you use?
- What is the overall feeling you want visitors to have when they see your landing page?
Here’s where you can have some fun. You can read about color psychology to help you choose which colors to use.
Many marketers claim that using certain colors such as red or green for your buttons can increase landing page conversion rates. But you might want to choose a color that complements your background color.
- How many headers will you add?
- Which parts of your website should you put your landing pages in?
According to Wix, many website visitors don’t scroll through a page from top to bottom. For your landing pages to be more visible and effective, put your landing page above the fold, which is in the top half of your website pages.
Aside from an eye-catching design, make sure that your landing page has simple navigation. Nothing else should pop up; visitors should be able to get what you promise them in one click.
Only ask for what you really need. The more fields you ask your visitors to fill out, the lower the chances are that they will fill out your form and get your offer.
The basic information you need to get is your visitors’ names and email addresses. You can always ask for more information once they have signed up for your offer.
Neil Patel, author and entrepreneur, says that super-simple landing pages tend to convert better than long, repetitive ones, so keep it simple if you want to get results!
Write Compelling Copy
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Even if you use great visuals and templates for your landing pages, if your copy is all wrong, you won’t convert visitors. When combined with appealing visuals, compelling copy can help pull in your visitors.
Let your animation website visitors know what they will get from your starting with your headline. The quality of your headline will determine whether or not your website visitors will read the rest of your content or not.
It should be attention-grabbing, straight to the point, and consist of 6-8 words. Don’t push away your visitors by simply talking about yourself.
Ensure that your headline communicates something that your target clients want or need (and that it is something you can deliver!)
You should also note that you should give your visitors the information they need without overwhelming them with too much information. After adding your heading, add a specific call-to-action.
Remember: People will be more likely to convert once they have a better idea of your animation business and what you offer. So, let them know concisely and creatively!
Use Appealing Images
Visual content is an essential element of creating landing pages that work.
According to The Daily Egg, images are the first thing a visitor sees upon arriving at your landing page (obviously). They can shape how a visitor sees your brand even before they read the copy on your website.
Make sure that your images are large, high-quality, and relevant to your animation business. Since you are selling your animation services, your images can show samples of your work. Just make sure that your samples are high-quality and customized!
Show Social Proof
GIF by Dr. Squash Soap Co via GIPHY
You can also include logos of famous agencies, businesses, and animation studios you’ve worked with before. This is a perfect way to assure your visitors that you deliver on the value you promise to offer.
Social proof lets people know the truth so they can decide if your offer is right for them. There are so many different versions of social proof that you can show.
From testimonials to case studies to videos to the kind of testimonials you use will depend on the sort of freelance animation business you have and the type of landing page you have.
Your testimonials should include details such as name, location, job title, etc., to help website visitors quickly verify the testimonials.
Create a Video
According to Neil Patel, not everyone likes reading when they are searching for an animator. However, a picture might not be convincing enough for people to convert.
You need a video to explain everything your animation website visitors will get when they sign up for your animation service.
It should be within 1-3 minutes, give specific steps, and answer any questions people have before they sign up.
Target Relevant Keywords
It might take time, but, if you want your webpage to rank higher on search engines, you have to use the right keywords. Long-tail keywords give you higher rankings and ROI, so you should definitely implement these!
To hammer down the relevant keywords for your landing page, make a list of topics that are related to your business.
These can be 5-10 broad keywords, which you can then narrow down to more specific keywords. These topics can be solutions you offer or the topics you usually write about in your blog posts.
If you’re still having a hard time thinking of keywords to use for your page, you can take a look at the suggested search results that come out when you type on Google’s search bar.
Aside from just using Google’s search feature, you can also use keyword research tools such as Ubersuggest and Answer the Public to help you come up with more specific keywords that you might not have thought of before.
Doing so will help you find your target audience, so they can purchase your animation services!
According to Hubspot, there are no “best” or must-use keywords. Instead, there are unique keywords that work best for every kind of website. It’s up to you to think about keywords that your target audience will search for to help you get website traffic and rank higher on Google.
You want to find keywords that are highly-searched, but not so highly-searched that your site will get buried under results. Find keywords based on your ability to make content related to your keywords and the level of competition in the animation industry.
Follow Up With a Thank You Page
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Adding a thank you page for your visitor to see once they have taken you up on your offer, whatever that may be, will allow you to display related information and services that your website visitor may find helpful. Also, it’s polite to say thanks!
You should also follow up via email and thank your new contact for their interest in your lead magnet. You can use this opportunity to start a conversation with them and ask what made them why they chose your service or brand..
Then, offer your other resources and redirect them to your website blog, portfolio, podcast, social media, etc. This is your chance to capitalize on your conversion, so don’t waste it!
In Closing
Creating a landing page is essential for any online business, even (or especially) freelance animation. It’s a great way to find leads online, engage with them, and turn them into clients of your animation services.
Before making any action to set up your landing page, first define your goals and then visualize your landing page. Once you have an idea of the landing page you want, create compelling copy, include visual content, and add social proof.
After creating your landing page, make sure to give your website visitors the experiences and value that you promised to provide on your landing page.
Landing pages are just the start of building your relationships with your customers. They are the place where you can bring visitors into your sales funnel, converting them into loyal animation clients.
You’ll learn a lot from each landing page you create as you continue developing ideas about how to successfully attract people’s attention and get clients.
If you are looking for more tips, advice, and extra resources to help you level up in your animation business, make sure you join our free masterclass and get a copy of our free marketing handbook.
