What are Landing Pages?

A landing page is a standalone web page, created specifically for the purpose of promoting or selling a product or service. Landing pages are typically distinct from an organization's main website and usually feature a unique design and focus on generating a conversion, such as making a sale or capturing a lead.

Landing pages are an important part of any inbound marketing or lead generation strategy, as they provide a focused and relevant experience for visitors and can help increase conversion rates.

While landing pages can be a vital tool to any digital marketing campaign, for them to be most effective you need to know when to use them to give you the most impact.

When Should I Use a Landing Page?

The answer to this question is, unfortunately, not always clear-cut. In general, you should use a landing page whenever you want to drive a specific action from your visitors.

This could be anything from making a purchase, to subscribing to a newsletter or downloading a white paper or e-book.

If you have a campaign or offer that you want to promote, and you want to drive conversions from it, then a landing page is likely the best way to do that.

But that's not the only way landing pages can help your business thrive. Landing pages are also great for converting interested visitors into leads. They can be used in conjunction with SEO or paid advertising campaigns to receive customers after clicks. The idea is to have a call-to-action (CTA) lined in your text or ad that will entice interested users to click on your link. That link will redirect them to a landing page that has an offer specifically for the buying persona that would click on that link.

The landing page looks different depending on your goals or target audience.

If you are selling directly to consumers, it's best to have a landing page with a good promotion and an easy purchase process, so you don't lose customers after you have gained their interest.

If you are selling to industry buyers, it is best to offer something of value, like a webinar or eBook, in exchange for their contact information. Then their information will be available for your sales team to contact in the future.

While these are probably the most common forms of landing pages for businesses, they are not the only kinds. Some of the most simple landing pages will ask for your email to add you to a newsletter or promotional offers down the road.

Different types of sites often get confused with landing pages called micro-sites and websites.

What is a Micro-Site?

A Micro-site is a website composed of one or more web pages that exist as an offshoot of an organization's primary website. They are typically used to promote and market a specific product, event, campaign, or offer.

What is the Difference Between a Landing Page and a Micro-Site?

While both micro-sites and landing pages are distinct from an organization's main website, there are some key differences between the two.

A micro-site is most commonly deployed for promotional efforts, whether it is for a product, campaign, or event, micro-sites are valuable tools to promote valuable information that is distinct from your website.

The most significant difference is that a micro-site generally has more than one page, while a landing page is typically just a single page.

Put simply a micro-site is also more comprehensive with a focus on providing information, while a landing page is more focused on getting users to commit to an action.

When Should I Use a Micro-site?

There are many reasons why you might want to use a micro-site for your business.

If you have a new product or service that you want to promote, a micro-site can be a great way to do that.

You can use a micro-site to give your customers more information about the product or service, without overloading your main website with too much information.

A micro-site can also be a great way to promote a special event or campaign.

You can use a micro-site to provide information about the event and to get people to sign up or register for the event.

A micro-site can also be a great way to run a contest or promotion.

You can use a micro-site to provide information about the contest and to get people to enter the contest.

What is the Difference Between a Landing Page and a Website?

The most significant difference between a landing page and a website is that a website is usually much more comprehensive, while a landing page is typically just a single page.

A website is most commonly used to provide information about an organization, while a landing page focuses on getting users to commit to an action.

While both websites and landing pages can be used for promotional efforts, a website is more likely to be used for informational purposes, while a landing page is more likely to be used for promotional or marketing purposes.

Now that we've covered the basics of landing pages and the key differences between micro-sites and websites, we can dive into the specifics of landing page strategy, design, and how to make effective landing pages to achieve your goals.

What Does a Landing Page Consist Of?

Let's start with the building blocks of any good landing page. There is an offer and a call to action. The offer, as we discussed, can be anything from a promotional discount on an item or a free eBook or report. This is what entices your users to click on your link and send them to your landing page in the first place.

After the offer, you have your call to action (CTA). A CTA is whatever specific action you want your landing page to achieve. So if your offer is a promotional discount the call to action could be to purchase the product. If your offer is a free eBook, then your call to action should be a form users fill in with their contact information in exchange for the report.

So in simple terms landing pages are reliant on just two important functions, an offer and a call to action.

How to Develop a Landing Page Strategy?

So how can you use something simple like an offer and call to action as a part of a larger strategy to improve your business.

Here are some key things to consider when developing your strategy:

1. What is the primary goal of the landing page?
2. What offer will best entice your users to take action?
3. What call to action will best achieve your goal?
4. How can you design and structure your landing page to best achieve your goals?
5. What happens after the user completes the landing page?

You should walk through each of these steps when you are developing your landing page strategy.

Keep in mind that your strategy should always be focused on your primary goal.

Your offer and call to action should be designed to achieve that goal, and everything else on the page should be structured in a way to support that goal.

How to Create an Effective Landing Page?

Now that we've covered the basics of landing pages, let's dive into how you can create an effective landing page.

The first step is understanding what makes a landing page effective. A well-designed landing page will have a clear and concise message that is relevant to your users. The offer should be something that is valuable to your users and the call to action should be something that is achievable.

The design of the landing page should be simple and to the point. You want your users to be able to easily understand what you are offering and what you want them to do.

The page should also be free of distractions. You don't want users clicking on links that will take them away from the page before they have a chance to convert.

Finally, the landing page should be tested. You should test different versions of the page to see what works best. Try different offers, calls to action, and design elements to see what produces the best results.

Now let's put all of this together and walk through an example of how you can create an effective landing page.

What is an Example of Creating an Effective Landing Page?

As we discussed, a landing page is a single page designed to promote a specific offer. The offer can be anything from a promotional discount on an item to a free eBook or report.

The key to creating an effective landing page is to have a clear and concise message that is relevant to your users. The offer should be something that is valuable to your users, and the call to action should be achievable.

Let's walk through an example of how you can create an effective landing page for your business. For this hypothetical, we are going to develop a landing page strategy for a Customer Resource Management (CRM) company.

1. The first step is to determine what you want your landing page to achieve.

In this case, we want our landing page to generate leads for our sales team. So everything that we do to our landing page is to support this goal.

2. Next, we need to come up with an offer that will entice users to take action.

In this case, we are going to offer a free eBook on how to choose the right CRM software for your business. This is valuable because it is something that someone already interested in a CRM would be searching for. Once we know that they are interested in the eBook, it also means they would be interested in our products and services.

3. Now we need to create a call to action that will generate leads.

We are going to use a form where users can input their contact information in exchange for the eBook. Once again, this proves that they are interested in CRM software. Now that we have their information, our sales team can reach out with our offering.

4. The next step is to design and structure our landing page.

We want to keep the design simple and to the point. The page should be free of distractions and easy for users to understand. It also helps to have convincing graphics, images, or videos alongside your call to action.

5. Finally, we need to test our landing page.

We want to try different versions of the page to see what works best. Try different offers, call to action, and design elements to see what produces the best results.

The best way to test landing pages is A/B testing. This is where you create two versions of the page and then see which performs better.

By following these steps, you can create an effective landing page for your business. Keep in mind that your landing page should always be focused on your primary goal. Your offer and call to action should be designed to achieve that goal, and everything else on the page should be structured in a way to support that goal.

How Do I Create Landing Pages?

We have now discussed everything from landing page design to how to build effective landing pages, but how do you go from ideas to having something live on the screen?

There are many answers to that question and plenty of options out there for landing page design but here are some of the most popular options right now,

1. Traditional CMS Options
2. Landing Page Builders
3. Digital Experience Platforms
4. In-House Design and Development

Let's look at each of these in more detail.

Traditional CMS Options

These are the most common way to create websites and have been around for years. The three most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) are WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal. While all three can technically be used to create landing pages, they are not purpose-built for that function, and you will likely run into some difficulty if you try to use them without any support.

Landing Page Builders

Landing page builders are designed specifically for creating landing pages. There are many different options available, but some of the most popular right now include Unbounce, Leadpages, and Instapage. These platforms make it easy to create and test landing pages without having to know how to code.

Digital Experience Platforms

Digital experience platforms (DXP) are a relatively new type of software that allows you to create and manage all aspects of your digital presence, including your website, landing pages, and digital marketing campaigns. Some of the most popular DXPs on the market right now include Sitecore, Adobe Experience Manager, and Lumavate.

In-House Design and Development

If you have the resources available, you can also choose to design and develop your own custom landing pages. This option gives you the most control over the design and functionality of your page but it does require more time and effort to get up and running.

No matter which option you choose, the most important thing is to make sure your landing page is effective. That means having a clear purpose, an engaging design, and a call to action that encourages users to take the next step in your sales process.

What Are The Costs Associated with Landing Pages?

The costs vary between which of the above options you choose to develop your landing pages. Even within categories, there are drastically different price options for some software options.

Most traditional CMS options are free, but as we discussed, you'll likely need to supplement with plugins or add-ons to get the functionality you want, which can quickly add up.

Landing page builders tend to have monthly subscription plans you can find varying price points for software in this category. Just remember that whatever you pay for in this category is just for landing pages and doesn't always offer any more functionality.

Digital experience platforms are the most expensive option on our list, with prices starting at around $5,000/month but often costs much more depending on your specific needs. This isn't always the case, however. Lumavate is a powerful digital experience platform that has all of the tools you need to create, host, and test your landing pages starting free.

Of course, if you choose to design and develop your custom landing pages, you will need to factor in the cost of your development team's time. This option is the most expensive in terms of real dollars and opportunity cost, but it does give you the most control over your pages.

How Do You Know Which Option is Right for You?

The best way to determine which option is right for you is to consider your specific needs and objectives. If you're only looking for something to build landing pages and that is it, then a landing page builder like Leadpages or Instapage will likely be the best option as they are relatively easy to use and don't require any coding knowledge.

If you want software that can build your landing pages for you with no code required and offer hundreds of other use cases, a digital experience platform like Lumavate might be a better fit as they offer more features and flexibility. The best part about a DXP like Lumavate is that it offers more flexibility than the options above, and you can try it for free.

And finally, if you have the resources available, designing and developing your custom landing pages might be the best option as it gives you the most control over the design and functionality of your pages.

The bottom line is that there is no one answer when it comes to the cost of developing landing pages. It all depends on your specific needs and objectives. If you're not sure which option is right for you, the best thing to do is try out a few different options and see which one works best for your business.

What Makes a Good Landing Page Design?

Finally, we have come to the last point of the post. We have talked about how to develop your landing page strategy, how to build your landing pages, and what you should consider when making an effective landing page. Now we need to talk about how you should design your landing pages to increase conversions.

When it comes to designing your landing pages, there are a few key things you need to keep in mind.

Your design should be:

Simple and easy to understand:

You don't want to lose potential customers with a complicated design. Keep your landing pages simple and easy to understand. Use clear and concise copy, and make sure your CTA is prominently displayed so users know what the next step is.

Focused on one thing:

Your landing page should be focused on a single goal. Don't try to cram too much information onto your page, as it will only serve to confuse users. Stick to one main message and make sure everything on your page supports that message.

Visually appealing:

Your landing page needs to look good. It should be well-designed and visually appealing. Use high-quality images, and make sure your page is responsive so it looks good on all devices.

Conversion-oriented:

Your landing page should be designed with conversions in mind. Everything on your page should be geared towards getting users to take action. Use persuasive copy, strong CTAs, and benefit-driven headlines to increase the chances of conversion.

Fast loading:

Your landing page needs to load quickly. Users have short attention spans, and if your page takes too long to load, they're likely to click away before they even see it. Make sure your page is optimized for speed, so users have a good experience.

Mobile responsive:

Your landing page needs to be mobile responsive. With more and more people using mobile devices to access the internet, your page must be designed to look good on all screen sizes.

Landing pages are a key part of any digital marketing strategy, and if you want to increase conversions, you need to make sure your pages are well-designed and effective. Keep the tips above in mind, and you'll be on your way to designing high-converting landing pages that will help you achieve your business goals. If you want to start building landing pages for free you can book a demo with Lumavate, or you can make a free account and start designing today!