Building a Better Landing Page

Let’s start with what is a landing page. A landing page is a specific page on your website that users are directed to from an external source such as marketing campaigns, advertisements, or emails. Depending on the goal and intention there are a few additional ways for users to find landing pages. One way is through a link on the home page, another is organic search, and the most common is when a consumer interacts with ads.

So why create a landing page? A couple main reasons are to give customers a dedicated experience and the other is to inform. Think of landing pages as a “one-stop-shop”. Landing pages provide control over the user experience. Allowing you to tailor what consumers see and how they interact with the information provided.  You can create a space to learn about everything being offered. Another benefit to landing pages is the space. Typical digital ad campaigns set limits on descriptions, so pairing a campaign with a landing page that provides further details and information is a great strategy.

Ads and campaigns should act as a funnel to direct users to landing pages. Below is an example of an ad we created for our client, 218 Relocate. The graphics and verbiage entice people to click and directed them to a corresponding landing page. Pro tip: When creating campaigns, aim for simple graphics that are relevant to your brand efforts.

Are landing pages the same as a home page?

To eliminate confusion, home pages and landing pages are not the same.

Think of a home page as a store entrance. It’s there to welcome and set the tone for the user experience. Once you enter the store you can see signs directing you to different departments further in the store. A landing page would be similar to the jewelry or makeup counter. The landing page has a focused set of products and information. Not all customers entering the store will be interested in this information but it’s a good way to target and speak to specific audiences.

Now that you know a little more about landing pages, here are some things to keep in mind when building landing pages.

Four key components for any landing page.

1. Simple, catchy, start.
   Capture your audience’s attention right away. Think of something simple, clean, and memorable. This should act as the main header with larger font than the rest of the page text to help draw the eye. This sets the tone for the user experience and gives consumers a hint at what to expect for content further down the page.
2. Call to Action
   A “Call to Action” should be next on your list. Consumers need guidance on what steps happen next, so having a simple yet informative call to action should help increase conversions. For greater success, a nice big button with lots of white space around it helps your call to action stand out. Add context to your call to action by avoiding the standard go-to’s like “Learn More” or “Contact Us”, try to incorporate more details. Using phrases like “Book an Appointment with Karen” or “Request an Estimate” are more informative to consumers. 
3. All the Information As touched upon earlier, landing pages give a dedicated space to provide a wealth of information. Outlining the features and benefits of your product, service or promotion is a great use of a landing page. Information can be provided in a variety of ways, but consumers comprehend videos and photos easiest. Incorporating text to expand on information presented in photos and video benefits the consumer but also helps search engine performance and rankings. Text information showcased in bullet points or separate category boxes are easier to understand, plus allows to further expand and squeeze in extra keywords.
4. Consistency
   Make sure the content of the landing pages is consistent with brand standards. Basic things such as logo, font, and colors should all be relevant for each landing page created and reflect your company’s brand. A landing page should be an extension of your home page and marketing efforts. If we haven’t said it enough…your landing page should be consistent to your brand. Make sure the content on the landing page aligns with the ad campaign. A lead generation versus a product showcase campaign should have landing pages tailored with content to reflect those goals. So having content consistent with the campaign goal and desired outcome should help a landing page perform optimally.

If you’re still stuck and not sure how you want your landing page to look, check out your competitor sites or conduct a search on the internet to find some inspiration. If this all sounds like a bit much or you are seeking some guidance, please reach out. Our team of experts can help you create effective landing pages for your business. We can also assist in creating campaigns to help direct traffic to your awesome landing pages. Check out our website development page or online adverting page. Contact us today to get started.