The AIDA model is a marketing strategy that was first introduced in the late 1800s and has since been used by countless marketers to sell products and services. The model’s principles have been applied to many areas such as billboards, newspaper ads, website copy, email campaigns, social media advertising and so on.

In this article we’ll explain what the AIDA model is and how it can be used to transform your website or landing page from a good to a great one with high conversion rates.

What is the AIDA model?

The AIDA model is a marketing strategy that was created in 1898 by E. St. Elmo Lewis. It was originally used to describe how salesmen should interact with their customers, but marketers quickly picked up on it and started using it for advertising purposes as well. Any time you see an advertisement that has a headline, sub headline, body copy and call-to-action button at the end of the page – this is because they are following the principles of the AIDA model in order to get people’s attention.

The AIDA model has four steps: Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. Each step is important towards reaching the desired outcome.

• Attention: The first step is attention, which can be accomplished by using an eye-catching headline and a strong call for action.
• Interest: Peak their interest. This can be done by providing a strong value proposition and explain in short steps how your service or product works.
• Desire: Make them want it. This can be done by including a persuasive offer and providing social proof like reviews and testimonials from previous customers.
• Action: Get them to take action. This can be done by providing a clear call-to action (form fill, phone call, live chat) and making it easy for people with the offer of an incentive to take the desired action.

The problem with most landing pages

When sending traffic to your website, you want to make sure that the page is optimized for conversions, especially when you’re paying for the click. This means that the page should be designed in such a way that it is easy for your visitors to take action and convert into paid customers.

Landing pages often create awkward interactions with users because of their design or content. This results in wasted money on clicks from people who can’t find the information they’re looking for, aren’t convinced enough to purchase and eventually leave your website.

Here’s our list of things to avoid when creating a landing page:

No clear call to action

Having a prominent call to act is essential for landing pages. Without it, you’re leaving your visitors to guess what they should do next and this will lead them away. If you’re a cosmetic dentist and you want to collect a potential customers details you need to make it clear what you want them do.

In this example, the call-to action should be “Get a free consultation” with a simple form that will encourage the visitor into taking an immediate step towards conversion.

Too many distractions on the page

It’s common for people to fill their landing page with as much content. A huge navigation with their many products, links to blog posts and other unrelated content to try and fill the space. This is a mistake because it will just confuse them, leading to high bounce rates or no conversion at all.

The key here should be simplicity – you want your landing page content focused on one thing so that people can quickly understand what they’re being offered before making any decisions about whether this product/service suits their needs best or not. Do not include a navigation or any other distractions.

No social proof

Social proof is the idea that people will be more likely to take a certain action if they see other like-minded individuals doing the same thing. It’s a major trust factor when someone is on the fence about a purchase.

Including social proof on your landing page can be simple and straightforward or complex, depending upon what you’re trying to accomplish with it – but there are some general guidelines that should apply:

• Positive testimonials from satisfied customers who have used this product/service.
• Reviews widgets from services such as trustpilot or feefo.
• Social media shares and likes for your product/service.
• Awards and recognition the business has received.

Social proof is one of those things you can’t really fake – it’s either there or not, and when someone sees testimonials from people who have invested in your product/service then this gives them a good reason to trust you.

Using AIDA to transform your landing page

If you want to ensure your landing page performs well, then you need to make sure that it’s following the AIDA model correctly. We’ll give you the best examples of what you can implement on your landing page today to increase your conversion rate and generate more sales.

Grab their attention

This can be done by using a headline that will make them want more information, or an eye-catching image on top so they know what you’re about and why it might interest them enough for further investigation.

The hero section (which sits above the fold) is where you should include these elements. Call out your audience in the headline and sub-heading and use bullet points to sell your service.

Peak their interest

This can be achieved by providing more information about the product and why they should buy from you. Include a product video, list out what your product has done for other people or show how simple your product or service is to a potential customer.

This can be shown using a “3 steps” section outlining how your service works from first contact to providing them with the end result.

Lure them in with desire

The desire step of AIDA is where you want to push them to be ready to take action. At this point, they’re already interested, so it’s just a matter of getting them to really want it.

This is where the social proof comes in. There are many ways to include social proof on your page but the best ways are customer testimonials, review widgets and case studies. Providing social proof is a proven strategy to increase conversions.

Conclusion

If you follow the AIDA model when building your landing pages, you’ll be able to create high converting landing pages that will make your business more successful.

If you want help implementing this model, we can help. Get in touch and we’ll design and build a high converting landing page for your business.