When creating an effective Lead Capture Page, it's important to keep in mind that the finished page should serve as a solution to your visitor's problem. They have come to your page looking for something - most likely, something that will enable them to be more successful or make more money.

For Newbies: The main purpose of your Lead Capture Page is to collect names and email addresses of prospects in order to build a contact list.

The Lead Capture Page should NOT be about your company or opportunity - there will be time for that later. This page should not be about you either, although it is a chance to introduce yourself and your brand, so be aware of that when designing your capture page. This will probably be the FIRST TIME most of your prospects will be meeting you.

The easiest way to collect prospects' names and email addresses is with an Autoresponder. If you are not using an Autoresponder yet, it is seriously an invaluable tool that will help increase your revenues and automate your marketing campaigns.

It's the difference between typing ONE follow-up email and having it sent over and over again for you as your contact list grows or having to MANUALLY send out an email to possibly hundreds of people every day!

As you create your Lead Capture Page, try to write it from your visitor's viewpoint. There needs to be something in it for them. They have a problem and you have the solution, and they need to know you will provide the solution once they provide their information.

An effective Lead Capture Page contains the following 5 elements:

1. Pre-Headline: This should consist of only one sentence or just a few words at the top of the page which are used to capture your visitor's attention and lead them into your headline.
2. Headline: This is the most important part of your Lead Capture Page and is best written in the form of a question directed at your visitor. This question must have something to do with their problem and provide the "itch" that you will "scratch" for them.
3. Sub-Headline: This is where you will promise to scratch their "itch," usually with just one or two short sentences. Let your visitor know you are going to help them with their problem (the question posed in the Headline).
4. Call To Action: This should consist of one or two sentences that entice your visitor to take a specific and immediate action in order to receive the solutions you are offering. Give your visitor a strong reason why they should opt-in immediately. Offering a Free Report or Free Access to valuable information often works.
5. Closing: In one or two sentences reiterate to your visitor the value you will be imparting to them. You could also use the closing to mention an additional "gift" they will receive once you've received their information.

It's also a good idea to add a "Privacy Policy" statement to your Lead Capture Page. Your privacy policy should ensure visitors their personal information is not going to be sold or rented once they opt in. This will help earn you the trust of your contacts and goes a long way to add professionalism and credibility to your Personal Brand.

There are many resources available on the Internet to help you create a professional-looking Lead Capture Page, some of which are free. One of the website services I have found to be the most user-friendly (especially for newbies), will allow you to get rid of page tabs so you can design a site as a Lead Capture Page rather than a standard website.

This website service often offers their Pro+ account at half price, which will give you an UNLIMITED number of pages, 50 email addresses, free gift certificates for pay-per-click advertising, just to name a few benefits. They also offer a FREE website but you won't be able to do as much.

Check it out at Webstarts. On the home page click on the tab marked "Pricing" and it will take you to a page which outlines their three different account levels to choose from and specifically what you will receive or not receive with each type of account. They also offer Video Tutorials for everything you may want to do with your website. I have tried another website service in the past, and Webstarts is so INCREDIBLY easy to use and understand!

Once you begin to build your contact list from the amazingly effective Lead Capture Page you have created, make sure you communicate with them often (an autoresponder makes it so much easier) and make sure you provide them with lots of valuable information!

One last note, it's vital to follow through with what you promised on your capture page. The page your visitor is taken to once they've opted in, should be all you promised it would be and more. Congruency is key.

If you have additional tips on building an effective Lead Capture Page, please share them in the comments box below. Thanks for reading!