 The design and build of a landing page is rarely a one-and-done project. Because of demands on marketing and creative teams, a landing page may be repurposed over and over again for multiple campaigns. In addition, one online marketing campaign often involves a multitude of landing pages.
Each page may target a unique customer segment, or be used for A/B split testing of content effectiveness. As a result, every new landing page project should be considered a template that can guide long term implementation.
An effective landing page design and build is one that can be easily spun off into dozens of individual pages. A template needs to be flexible to adaptation, but rigid enough to ensure consistency. You can't foresee every twist content creators will throw your way, but a little preparation goes a long way towards ensuring a smooth process and successful design.
Putting thought into the guidelines below will help you create a landing page template that is easy to use, and has real lasting power:
Design and build with the marketing team and process in mind.
Once a landing page template has been designed, it's often handed off to someone else to create the various segmented pages, or continue with marketing campaign implementation. If multiple people will be contributing to the process, find out what skill sets they have. Then design and build to cater to the teams' strengths.
Keep in mind the specific software applications that the marketing team uses. For example, if new content is always created in Word and then handed off for implementing in HTML using Dreamweaver, copy and paste from one application to the other to identify any areas with which the team may have difficulties. Then adjust your files to streamline the process.
Accommodate for a variety of content layouts.
Will the landing page content differ considerably from one online marketing campaign or email list segment to the next? If so, it may be beneficial to think ahead and create multiple options for content layout. Create basic divisions that may be helpful in the future (i.e. one column plus sidebar, 2 even columns, 3 even columns, etc.). If you know the landing page template will serve several purposes (webinar registration, free white paper download, etc.) develop specific layouts that will support the individual campaign goals.
Landing Page Layouts (click on image to view full size)
In addition, make sure your landing page template addresses a wide variety of content formats. Give examples of paragraphs, bulleted lists, numbered lists, multiple header levels, tables, and anything else you think might be needed over time.
Create supporting materials and documentation.
Think of a template as more than the HTML/CSS and graphics of a landing page. It should also show the various options available and provide rules defining usage. A good landing page template will be a collection of files that help facilitate quick updates and ensure future consistency.
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CSS/HTML comments
Always put descriptive comments in your HTML and CSS. Even if you aren't handing this off to someone else, these notes come in handy when you need to dig back into code you haven't touched in months. For your CSS, group styles together in logical chunks and then add a description to make it easier to find later on.
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Image/Photoshop templates
Perhaps you have a header graphic that you know will need to change for each new, yet to be determined online marketing campaign. Provide image templates for any graphic you foresee the need to edit later on. If you're using Photoshop for example, clean up your design files removing unused layers, name your layers, and organize them.
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Explain layout and formatting rules.
If you've taken the time to create an expandable landing page template as described above, give examples of the options available. A simple way of doing this is to combine a style guide into the HTML of the template. The HTML can present all of the options available. When migrating content into the template, the user can pick and choose what elements to use, and delete the rest.
A main goal of any template is to create consistency over the lifetime of the design. Creating an easy to use flexible landing page template will save time in the long run, and provide a foundation that will last.
Don't have the time or resources to design and test your own landing page templates? Download Lyris' FREE landing page templates with matching email templates:
More landing page tips here on LyrisHQ.Lyris.com:
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Landing Pages: What Direct Mail Can Teach Us - Part 1 and Part 2
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About the Author
Dean Silvestri is a freelance multimedia developer and owner of Atlas Projects. He works directly with clients such as Lyris to design and develop HTML emails, landing pages, banner ads, presentations, Web sites, demo videos, and other marketing material.
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