A capture web page is a web page that exists for the sole purpose of capturing visitors’ contact information. These pages are also referred to as “landing pages” or “opt-in pages”. These pages are found all over the internet and are being used by a wide range of industries, usually for the purpose of gathering sales leads. Here are some rules to follow when you are creating an opt-in page First, keep focused on your goal- which is to get visitors to give you their contact information. At this stage, you are not trying to sell your visitor anything. On the contrary, if you are smart, you will probably be giving something to them for free. Something real. Something of value. It doesn’t necessarily have cost you any money, but good information has value also. Just remember, good information does not mean a blatant pitch for the visitor to purchase your product. The reason you are giving your visitor something valuable (examples might be an e-book, an audio file, a video or a newsletter) while not seeking payment is that at this point you are trying to build trust. If I give you something of value and I don’t demand anything in return and I make it very easy for you to stop receiving emails from me, the odds are that you will begin to trust me. This is the beginning of the sales process. When coupled with testimonials and guarantees, this trust can become the foundation of a sale. Next, keep it simple. Don’t have a lot of different images on your opt-in page. Keep the visitor focused on the contact form and make sure your message as to why they should take the next step and fill it out is delivered to them in a clear, understandable way. You don’t want anything on the page that is going to take their attention away from the task at hand- filling out the contact form. There is nothing wrong with having a powerful image or an enticing video or audio, but these elements (along with the text) should be working together to “sell” the visitor as to the value of filling out the form. And this value should be real! You should be telling them the truth and you should have testimonials readily visible from other visitors just like them who took the plunge and filled out the form. This will add to your credibility, which you have precious few moments to build before the visitor leaves the page altogether. It’s a challenge, but if your ducks are in a row and you are able to convert a strong percentage of leads from the capture web page into profits, it is well worth the effort. Finally, explain to the visitor that they will have the option at any time to cease all communication with you, (simply by unsubscribing) and that their information will not be sold or shared with any third parties under any circumstances. This language can be in text, video or audio. Spam is a major problem today and the last thing anybody wants is more of it. Explain your anti-spam policy and then stick to it. The more you convince your visitors that your business is reputable, the more likely they will be to fill out the lead form. In summary, creating an opt-in page is all about building trust with your visitors in order to reach the goal of the page which is to capture their name, email address and phone number. Be truthful, be credible and treat your visitors as you would like to be treated yourself. Do this and you’ll get more than your share of visitors opting in.