Building responsive and effective landing pages is THE hot topic right now in digital marketing. Not only have I been staying up to date on this topic through various blogs, articles and webinars, it is also something we at Converge are consulting about more and more with our clients.

Below are some key insights I’ve developed regarding best practices for successful landing pages:

Have a strong call to action—and just one. Having one clear call to action helps us the user understand what you want them to do next. Besides using “Request Information” or “Apply Today”, consider the following ideas for unique calls to action.

• Register for an upcoming event. Host an online and/or on-campus information
session so potential students can learn more about the program.
• Email a professor. Starting a relationship ahead of time with a professor can
strengthen the potential of the student enrolling and completing the program.
• Download this white paper. Create a downloadable PDF that showcases
stories of alumni in their current career.
• Connect with a current student. Find a current student who is willing to
connect with prospective students to learn about the program in a more
personal away.

Choose images that are unique to your content.  How many times do you visit a website and view generic stock photos or professional photos that do not relate to the content on the page? When selecting an image, choose an image that really captures the essence of the program.

Questions to ask yourself:

• What courses do students enjoy the most and why?
• Are there current students or faculty members that would be good ambassadors
for the program?
• Is there any strong photography of popular events or people affiliated with the
program?

Use your content to portray the benefits of your institution and/or program rather than just its features. Every institution lists its features but often, the features are similar from school to school. Talking about the benefits of the features gets potential students thinking about how the features can benefit them personally.

Small Class Sizes → Get the attention you deserve with our small class sizes
Online Classes → Do the work when it’s convenient for you with our online classes
Accelerated courses → Get your degree faster with accelerated program offerings

Having unique content will help you differentiate yourself from you competitors. Besides the ideas listed above, it’s always good to have unique content that will help your institution stand out. Here are a few examples that have worked well on landing pages:

• Informational or compelling videos
• Testimonials from current or past students
• Quotes from relevant professors
• List of potential career paths for program
• Downloadable program brochure

Bottom line, you want to ensure your content inspires potential students to take action. Determine what sets you apart from other institutions and build unique and compelling content to spread that message.

For more information on Paid Media including Google AdWords for Higher Education, download our latest white paper: Google AdWords: A Primer on Higher Education Digital Advertising.