Landing Page- The Ultimate Guide

You’ve worked hard to build your list of emails, fill your sales funnel with content, and spend money on ads. You know you’re serving up some good stuff in your emails; you know the sales funnel is working, and you know you’re getting in front of people through your advertising. But when it comes to that final hurdle of converting your visitors into paying customers, you just aren’t sure what the next step is supposed to be. The panacea to all your problems when it comes to conversions is building a landing page.

What is a landing page? – Why do you need to build one?

It is a web page or website that visitors are directed to after clicking on an advertisement, a search engine result, or an email. It is similar to web pages in the way that they can be displayed in a browser window. However, unlike regular web pages, landing pages are specifically designed to encourage a visitor to take a specific action.

Websites and blogs can use landing pages to direct visitors, but they can also be utilized by online retailers, businesses, and organizations. Page building tools, such as Unbounce, Leadpages, Instapage, WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, can help you to build landing pages and are typically integrated with other web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

In order to choose the best landing page builder for your need, you can read the Best landing page builder guide- Top 4 compared.

The different types of landing pages

Landing pages are an important tool for online marketers, and they’re used by businesses of all sizes. But not every landing page is created equal, and there’s more than one type to choose from.

They are basically of three different kinds, and each one serves a different purpose:

1. Call-to-action (CTA) landing page: These pages are designed to drive visitors to take action. They’re usually used to sell products, generate leads, or convert readers into email subscribers.

2. Download landing pages: These pages drive readers to download content, such as ebooks, whitepapers, and more.

3. Squeeze pages: These pages collect email addresses by offering some type of incentive, such as a free ebook, in exchange for contact information.

Each of these pages has its own distinct purpose, and marketers can choose one type over another based on the goals they have. But no matter which type of landing page you choose, it’s essential to include strong calls to action — buttons, text links, or buttons — on your page.

Advantages of a landing page

It is a standalone web page created for the sole purpose of receiving visitors and generally consists of a single page with few distractions. They are designed to drive users toward a specific action, like completing a lead form or downloading an ebook.

They are built to appear at the top of a search engine result page (SERP). It is specific, simple, and concise, and answers specific user queries, and the best landing pages are simple, with very few distractions and a clear call to action.

These pages can be a huge asset to any business, from start-ups to small businesses. They can be designed to optimize conversions and specific actions, and they provide valuable insight into user behavior.

Here are a few reasons why landing pages can be beneficial:

1. Driving traffic: They can help you drive more traffic to your website, and with the right landing page, you can drive visitors to a specific goal, like purchasing a product.

2. Lead generation: They can help you generate leads, like email addresses, phone numbers, and website addresses.

3. Customer service: They can answer common questions and address customer issues.

4. Quality over quantity: These pages allow you to build specific, targeted content. This can save you time and money, because you can create landing pages for each of your products, and drive visitors to that page, instead of trying to direct them to your homepage.

5. Landing page design: These are simple, clean, and easy-to-navigate pages. They’re built to be easily shareable, and they can easily integrate with social media.

6. Landing page optimization: Most of the tools available to build a landing page, give you the option to optimize the page to fit your requirements perfectly. 

If you are still not sure about the landing page advantages, maybe you can read Landing Page Vs. Website: Which One Is Better?

The role of a landing page in your marketing mix

A landing page is a standalone web page that is optimized for a specific action. These pages are optimized for conversions — that is, for persuading someone to take a specific action.

If someone searches for “trusted mattress reviews,” for example, and if Google directs them to a website that features several reviews and not specifically the mattress reviews, the user will leave the website right away. That website’s job is to persuade people to buy mattresses. A landing page looks like its own webpage, with its own URL, but it exists only to get visitors to take a specific action.

For example, if you’re selling an ebook, your landing page should encourage people to sign up. The page should be optimized for mobile devices because many people access the web with tablets and smartphones. You might even create a separate landing page for people who view your ad on Facebook.

These pages can be incredibly powerful because they exist only for a single purpose. They’re simpler to design and to create, and they don’t distract visitors from the goal of the page. But they can also be difficult to build because you can’t just create a webpage and post it. You first need to build a campaign, and a campaign requires many steps.

First, you need to identify specific keywords and phrases that visitors might use to find you. Then you need to figure out which keywords people are most likely to type into search engines, so you can target those keywords in your ads. You’ll need to decide which ads are best to use — usually, the more expensive your ads are, the better the return on investment will be. After you nail down the keywords and the ads, it’s time to link your action-based landing page to the ad and see if it is working. If not, don’t worry perform the A/B testing and monitor.

How to create a perfect landing page

Before you start designing, it’s important to ask yourself the following:

• Which page do I want visitors to land on?
• When do I want my visitors to arrive at my page?
• What action do I want my visitors to take?

When visitors arrive at your landing page, they expect to be taken to the next step in buying your product. Landing pages should be obvious and easy to navigate. A successful landing page is informative, yet simple, and ends with a clear call to action. There are dozens of elements to consider, each one crucial to the success of your landing page:

• The headline
• The description
• The call to action
• The button
• The bullet points
• The bullet points’ text
• The contact form
• The color scheme
• The footer
• And the list goes on.

All of those elements work together to craft a persuasive message that will drive customers to your conversion point. But there’s one crucial element — the contact form — that’s often overlooked by entrepreneurs and business owners, but essential if you want to collect customers’ contact information.

Things to know about the landing pages

Here are 5 things to know about landing pages:

1. They’re for special audiences: These pages aren’t suited for everybody. It’s not a good idea to send them to everybody, whether they’re customers or prospects. Instead, identify specific people you want to target and then design a page just for those people.

2. They’re for special situations: These pages aren’t for every situation. Make sure your offer is something truly valuable, or people won’t be inspired to take the next step.

3. They’re targeted: Landing pages aren’t designed for everyone. Rather, they’re designed to capture a specific audience for a specific purpose. That purpose could be selling a product, collecting email addresses, obtaining information, or guiding people through a special process.

4. They’re designed to build trust: They convince visitors that your company is trustworthy by addressing common concerns, such as by reassuring them of security measures and by providing testimonials from customers.

5. They’re designed to convert: The best landing pages have a single objective. They make it easy for visitors to do a specific thing and take the desired action.

Best practices and tips

When it comes to building a great landing page for your business, it can be hard to know where to start. Don’t worry — provided you have the right tools, you can get started quickly and easily. Like everything you put together for your business, you want your landing page to be effective. If it’s a great page, it will help you convert more of your visitors into paying customers.

But how do you get there?

Here are five best practices to follow when designing a landing page for your business:

1. Know your audience: At the end of the day, it is all about giving what your audience wants and giving it to them. You need to understand your buyer persona, so you can design a landing page that caters to their needs.

2. Optimize for conversions: You want to make sure you can convert visitors to paying customers. To do this, you need to optimize your page with design elements that boost your conversion rates. For example, you can create an “above the fold” CTA to encourage visitors to take a specific action. Or you can use conditional statements to “A/B test” different designs to see which one performs the best.

3. Use compelling copy: When building your landing page, it’s important to use the compelling copy. This copy should include compelling offers, compelling images, and a compelling call to action.

4. Include a clear offer: it’s important to include a clear offer, so visitors understand what you want them to do. For example, your offer could be: “Get 80% off your first purchase!”

5. Be clear: The most important thing is to be as clear as possible on what visitors need to do, and where they should click. The visitor should know what exactly they are supposed to do. 

The Checklist 

Your landing page needs to contain a compelling offer that convinces visitors to take action. But there are other considerations, too. There are a few important things that you need to keep in mind which will help you create a winning page.

Here are a few pointers for putting together a winning landing page:

1. Know your offer: That’s obvious, but it’s important. What do you offer? What problem does it solve? Why should someone care? Why should they act now?

2. Know your page: Your offer needs a destination, and that place is your landing page. It’s where a visitor will find your page, and it’s where they’ll be directed once they enter.

3. Use headlines: A headline is the first thing a visitor will see when they land on your page, so it’s a critical piece. You should be able to state the offer’s benefit in a single line, and it should be easy to understand.

4. Use bullet points: Bullet points can help break up text and make your page easier to read.

5. Use visual elements: Images, color, and white space can help make your page more visually appealing, but be careful not to overdo it.

6. Know your audience: Your landing page needs to speak directly to your audience. Don’t assume you know what they’re interested in — find out.

7. Know your competition: Don’t settle for second best. If someone else has a better landing page, find what elements make it better and incorporate them into your own.

8. Know your goals: What do you hope to accomplish? More downloads, more email subscribers, and more sales.

Tips for building a winning page

A landing page is perhaps one of the most crucial components of your online marketing campaign. It is the page where a potential client or customer will enter your website or store. Because of this, it has to be as attractive as possible. If the visitor does not find the page appealing, they will leave the site and go to another one.

Here are some tips on how to create a landing page that will help you attract and redirect traffic effectively.

1. Convey intrigue: When the visitor first sees your landing page, you need to promise inspiration, entertainment, or arresting visuals. It needs to immediately trigger the senses. Use strong colors, fonts, and textures. Entice the reader with bold headlines and concise, easy-to-understand messages.

2. Keep the design simple: Overly designed pages are hard to read. Stick to a simple and uncluttered design. Use white space, subheadings, and bullet points to keep the reader’s eyes moving.

3. Simplify the navigation: You want your page to be easy to use. Use a navigation bar with easy-to-find links. You don’t want them to have to hunt around to find the information they are looking for.

4. Use testimonials: Video testimonials can help boost credibility. Use them sparingly, however. Too many testimonials can be confusing and can be counterproductive.

5. Include social icons: Those small icons at the bottom of your site that will let visitors share your content are great. Make sure they are easy to find and use your company logo.

6. Use images: Images are powerful. Use them on your page. They add visual interest, and they can help convey your message.

7. Use a professional editor: Some free editing programs work, but make sure that you are using the best option available to you while designing the page.

Different types of CTAs

Every landing page has a specific purpose. It’s designed to quickly capture a user’s interest while funneling them toward a conversion. But the way your call to action (CTAs) speak to your audience says a lot about your brand and your messaging.

Here are four different types of CTAs you can use:

1. Download buttons: Download buttons are pretty much self-explanatory. They’re used to download content, such as an ebook, video, or file.

2. Product buttons: Product buttons prompt users to complete a transaction, such as buying a product.

3. Free Trial buttons: they let visitors try a product for a specified amount of time.

4. Share buttons: Share buttons let users easily share content with friends, family, or colleagues.

When it comes to choosing the best CTAs, it’s important to consider the goals of each page. If your landing page is promoting an ebook or whitepaper, for example, a Download button is a perfect choice. If it is promoting a free trial, a Free Trial button makes sense, too.

Calls to action are one of the most important elements of your landing page, and they should be carefully thought out. Landing pages have one main use: to encourage visitors to take the next step in your conversion funnel. When a visitor sees a call to action, they should know exactly what to do.

Choosing a call to action

Your call to action should be visible and stand out on your page. It should be clear and easy to understand, and it should match your ads, landing pages, and product images. If you’re not sure what type of call to action to choose, ask yourself:

• Do I want my call to action to stand out from the rest of the page?
• Will my call to action be easy for my audience to understand?
• Do I want people to use this tool more than once?
• Do I want my call to action to be exclusive in some way?

If your audience has a question about a landing page element, your call to action is a good place to answer it. Your call to action should be clear and easy to understand and let your visitor know what they need to do in order to proceed further.

How to write the best landing page copy?

Buttons, links, and sign-up forms: are just a few of the many components that make up a landing page. While these components are critical to effective copywriting, they don’t tell the whole story. Landing page copy can make or break conversion rates. Thus it is very important to write the perfect copy for your page.

Here are some questions to ask yourself before you write your next landing page:

• What action do you want people to take?
• What specific value or offer are you offering?
• What is the emotional hook that will draw your audience in?
• Is the offer relevant to your audience?
• Is the offer valuable?
• Is your offer time-sensitive?
• Is your offer limited?
• Is the size of your audience relevant to your offer?
• Are you taking your landing page into a checkout funnel? If so, is this a worthwhile goal?
• Is your offer aligned with your lead magnet?
• Is the headline compelling?
• Is the copy relevant?
• Is the overall design inviting?
• Can your landing page be translated into multiple languages?
• Are you taking advantage of visual hierarchy?
• Are you using compelling imagery?
• Are you using white space effectively?
• Does the landing page support mobile?
• Does your landing page provide clear next steps?
• Does the landing page clearly state the benefits?
• Does the landing page have a solid call to action?

Mistakes to avoid 

Landing pages are the crown jewel of your entire online marketing strategy. They get users from everywhere, from social media to search engines, to your website. They’re also the most misunderstood. The biggest mistake most business owners make is when they create a landing page without considering how their target audience will perceive it.

Here are the top 5 mistakes to avoid when creating a landing page:

1. Putting too much information on the page

A landing page is, first and foremost, a sales page. It needs to convey your information concisely without overwhelming visitors. Don’t make the mistake of stuffing your landing page with too much information. Your visitors won’t stick around to read it. Instead, focus on delivering one, simple message to your audience.

2. Making big promises

Remember, a landing page is a sales page. So, when creating your page, don’t promise more than you can deliver. Otherwise, you could lose the trust of your audience and hurt your chances of making a sale.

3. Not using a professional designer.

A good-looking landing page communicates professionalism, and that’s something visitors are looking for. A professional designer knows how to combine elements like color, font, and images to create a page that communicates a clear message to its audience without overwhelming them.

4. Using generic images and copies

A landing page doesn’t have to look like every other landing page. Instead, use images that are specific to your audience. For example, if you’re selling weight loss products, use images of slimmer people. That type of imagery communicates exactly what you’re selling.

5. Not optimizing for mobile

Users will view your website from different devices and if your website is not optimized to be used on mobiles, tablets, desktops, laptops, etc. then it would lead to the loss of a majority of your visitors from the different devices like mobiles, etc.

Summary

The key to building a successful landing page is keeping it simple, knowing what your audience wants, providing them with the relevant content, and giving them a clear call to action. The tips, ideas, and tools suggested in this article if implemented correctly and in an efficient manner would go a long way in ensuring that you are able to build the perfect page that converts a large chunk of your visitors into paying customers.

Disclosure: Our objective is to highlight products and services that we believe you will enjoy and find useful. If you buy them, Starting to Know may receive a tiny percentage of the sales proceeds from our commerce partners at no additional cost to you.