What is a landing page? And how to create one that converts

In the busy world of online marketing, landing pages are an effective element for driving conversions and achieving a specific action and goal. 

But what exactly is a landing page? And how is it different from a homepage? 

In this blog post, I will dive into the basics of landing pages, including what they are, how they work, and their benefits. 

I’ll also cover the critical elements of an effective landing page and tips and best practices for creating one. 

So whether you’re new to online marketing or want to know how to use landing pages in your marketing strategy, this guide will help you better understand these powerful sales tools and how to create them for your business. 

Create your own irresistible landing pages with my free landing page template

How do landing pages work? Including best practices. 

Let’s start by getting a better understanding of how landing pages work. They are standalone web pages designed to achieve specific marketing goals, such as promoting a product or service or capturing visitor information.

Their purpose is to convert website visitors into leads or customers by providing them with a clear offer and a call-to-action (CTA).

There are several types of landing pages, including click-through, lead generation, squeeze, sales, splash, and thank you (I will go into a bit more detail below). Each type of page has a specific purpose and can be used to achieve different marketing goals.

To create an effective page, it’s essential to use landing page best practices:

• Optimise the page for search engines
• Include clear and concise content
• Use a strong headline
• Use compelling images
• Make the CTA prominent and easy to use
• Include contact information or a lead capture form
• Make sure your landing page looks great on all device

The page design is important. A well-designed landing page can help increase conversions and drive traffic to your website, but the words you use will make a real difference.

If you’re using landing pages as part of your marketing strategy, you can create a dedicated page for each marketing campaign, product or service, or customer segment.

What are the different types of landing pages?

There are several different landing page styles. You can use different pages to achieve various marketing goals. 

Here are some primary landing page examples you’ll come across:

1. Click-through landing pages: These pages are designed to encourage visitors to click through to another page, such as a product page or a sign-up form.
2. Lead generation landing pages: These pages are designed to capture visitor information, such as their name and email address, in exchange for something of value, such as an ebook, whitepaper, or discount code.
3. Squeeze pages: These pages are similar to lead generation pages but typically have a more aggressive approach to collecting visitor information, often with minimal information and only one CTA.
4. Sales pages: These pages are specifically designed to sell a product or service and typically include more detailed information, testimonials, and persuasive elements to convince visitors to make a purchase.
5. Splash pages: These pages introduce visitors to a website or a specific product or promotion and often include a single CTA, such as “Enter the site” or “Learn more.”
6. Thank you pages: These pages are displayed after a visitor completes a conversion action, such as filling out a form or purchasing. They typically thank the visitor for taking action and may offer additional resources or promotions.

It’s essential to identify the purpose of a landing page before you create one. Building your page with a clear goal will help determine what page features you need and ensure you achieve the best results. 

Create your own irresistible landing pages with my free landing page template

What are the benefits of a landing page for digital marketing?

There are loads of great benefits to creating landing pages. Here are a few of my favourite reasons to create them:

1. Increased Conversion Rates: Because the page only has one action, it dramatically increases the number of visitors who take the desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
2. Improved Lead Generation: You can gather valuable contact information from potential customers and use it to nurture them further down the sales funnel.
3. Better Marketing Campaigns: They can support specific marketing campaigns, such as promoting a new product or service, running a promotional campaign, or offering a free trial.
4. Greater Focus: They allow you to focus the visitor’s attention on one specific offer, eliminating distractions and increasing the chances of conversion.
5. Better User Experience: A well-designed landing page with clear and concise information can improve user experience, increasing trust and credibility.
6. Valuable Insights: Landing pages can provide valuable insights into your audience’s behaviour and preferences, allowing you to optimise your marketing and improve your overall results.
7. Cost-Effective: Landing pages are often more cost-effective than creating a dedicated webpage for every marketing campaign or offer.

You can create a more effective and streamlined approach to lead generation, conversion, and customer acquisition with landing pages.

Are landing pages and sales pages the same thing?

I know we’ve already discussed the different types, but I often get asked if landing and sales pages are the same things, so I thought we could dive a bit deeper because while landing and sales pages are similar in some ways, they are not the same.

A landing page is a standalone web page designed for a marketing campaign or goal. Its purpose is to encourage visitors to take a specific action, such as filling out a form, subscribing to a service, or purchasing. They typically have a simple design and a clear call-to-action (CTA) and are optimised to drive conversions.

On the other hand, a sales page is specifically designed to sell a product or service. Sales pages are typically longer than other landing pages and include more detailed information about the product or service offered. They may also include customer testimonials, social proof, and other persuasive elements to encourage visitors to purchase.

So, while sales pages are a type of landing page, not all landing pages are sales pages. The key difference between the two is their specific purpose and the level of detail and persuasion used to achieve their goals.

What makes a homepage different from a landing page?

Another common question I often hear is whether a landing page is a webpage and how it differs from your website’s home page. 

So let’s clarify this. A homepage is typically the main page of a website that serves as an entry point for visitors to explore the site’s various sections and content. Its purpose is to provide a broad overview of what the website offers and guide visitors to different areas of the site.

A landing page is a standalone web page designed for a specific marketing or advertising campaign. Your landing page only has a single objective: to convert visitors to your landing page into leads or customers.

Unlike a homepage, a landing page focuses on a single topic or product. It contains a clear call-to-action (CTA) to encourage visitors to take a specific action, such as signing up for a newsletter, downloading a free ebook, or purchasing a product.

Some key differences between a homepage and a landing page include:

• Focus: A homepage is a general introduction to a website, while a landing page is designed to focus visitors’ attention on a specific product or service.
• Call-to-action: A homepage may have multiple calls-to-action for different website sections, while a landing page typically has a single call-to-action directly related to the campaign goal.
• Navigation: A homepage usually has a navigation menu that leads visitors to different website sections. A landing page typically has limited or no navigation to prevent visitors from being distracted.
• Design: A homepage is often more visually complex and has more information, while a landing page is typically more focused and has a more straightforward design to guide visitors to the CTA.

Your homepage is a hub for your website’s content while landing pages for your business are focused and targeted pages designed to convert visitors into customers. Your homepage may provide links to your landing page, but visits to your landing page won’t be directed to your homepage.  

Create your own irresistible landing pages with my free landing page template

What should be included on a landing page?

To create a landing page that converts, it’s important to understand the anatomy of a landing page, including the different page elements, such as headlines, subheadings, images, forms, and social proof.

A landing page should include the following features:

• A Strong Headline: A clear and attention-grabbing headline that communicates the page’s main value proposition or offer.
• Subheadline: A brief supporting statement explaining the value proposition or offer.
• Hero Image or Video: An image or video visually represents the value proposition or offer and engages visitors.
• Call-to-Action (CTA): A clear and prominent CTA button that directs visitors to take the desired action, such as filling out a form, purchasing, or downloading a resource.
• Form: A form that collects visitor information, such as name, email address, and phone number.
• Social Proof: Testimonials, reviews, or other social proof that validates the value proposition or offer and builds trust.
• Benefits: A list of benefits that highlights the offer’s value and why visitors should take action.
• Features: A list of features that details what the offer includes and how it works.
• Guarantee: A clear and reassuring guarantee that reduces the risk of taking action and builds trust.
• Navigation: A limited navigation menu that focuses visitors’ attention on the offer and reduces distractions.
• Footer: A footer with contact information. You may also put links to important pages and other helpful information.

A landing page should be focused, concise, and persuasive, with a clear value proposition and a compelling call to action. 

It should be designed to convert visitors into leads or customers, optimise for the specific audience, and offer being promoted.

When used effectively, landing pages can generate huge leads and sales for your business. 

How to create a good landing page

Creating a good landing page involves several vital elements. Here are some steps you can follow to create an effective landing page:

1. Define your goal: Before creating a landing page, you need to know the page’s goal and what you want to achieve with it. Do you want to sell a product, generate leads, or promote an offer? Defining your goal will help you determine what elements to include on your page.
2. Use a landing page builder: Many landing page builders are available to make creating a page easier. Popular landing page builders include Leadpages and ClickFunnels. These tools provide templates and drag-and-drop editors that allow you to create a landing page without any coding knowledge. You can build a landing page directly on your website with WordPress. Plugins like Elementor will help you create a page with an easy drag-and-drop system. Just ensure that your landing page doesn’t show the website menu, which could take people away from the page. 
3. Keep it simple: A good landing page should be simple and easy to navigate. Avoid cluttering the page with too much text, images, or other distractions. Focus on the page’s main goal and include only the essential elements to achieve that goal.
4. Create an attention-grabbing headline: Your headline should be clear, concise, and attention-grabbing. It should clearly state what the offer is and what problem it solves. Use keywords and action-oriented language to make your headline more compelling.
5. Use persuasive copy: Your copy should be persuasive and focused on the benefits of your offer. Use bullet points to highlight your product or service’s main features and benefits. Include a call-to-action that tells visitors what to do next, such as “Download now” or “Sign up today.”
6. Include high-quality images: Use high-quality images or videos that showcase your product or service. Ensure they are relevant to the offer and help reinforce the benefits.
7. Test and optimise: Test your landing page to see how it performs. A/B testing can help you identify which elements are working and which need improvement. Use the data you collect to make changes and optimise your landing page for better results.

Create a great landing page that converts

It’s important to create landing pages that convert. The key to this is to make sure your write content on your page that attracts and speaks to your target audience. If you want help with what to write, download my free landing page template. 

Of course, to improve your chances of conversions, you need to ensure your audience can find your landing page, so once the page is built, you need to focus on driving traffic to your pages. 

If your landing page offer is strong, when someone visits your page, you should have a good chance they will take that action (remember, a landing page only has one CTA). If your page isn’t converting despite good traffic, you will need to review your page. 

Check out my landing page copywriting services if you’d like further help writing your landing page copy.