6 Things to know about landing pages

Landing pages are pages that are built to generate leads or sales from a specific offer. They have focused and targeted messaging that is geared to match the expectations and needs of your reader.

A landing page provides direct entry into your sales funnel and is an integral component of your online business.

Unlike a webpage which contains links to other pages and a variety of calls to action (CTAs), a landing page is a standalone page with a single call to action and no external links.

A landing page is also referred to as a lead capture page, a post-click page, a splash page, a static page or even a squeeze page.

Why do you need a landing page?

A landing page offers a way for you to generate leads or sales through a lead generating landing page or a click-through landing page.

A lead generating landing page usually provides a free resource or offer in exchange for your name, email, or phone number.

A click-through landing page is used to persuade users to click through to a specific page and then take action by making a purchase or signing up for a free trial.

In either case, they offer you a fantastic way to build your email list. Your email list allows you to share tips, offers, and products to people who have already expressed an interest in what you are offering.

When should you create one?

You will need to create a landing page when you have something to offer your audience that you don’t want to give them for free. You want to at least have access to their name, email, or phone number before you deliver this offer to them. It is a way to give them access to “gated content” or content that is not openly available to everyone through an online search.

What type of content requires a landing page?

You can create a landing page before giving your audience access to things like:

• A free download, whitepaper, ebook, or catalog.
• Your newsletter.
• Your course.
• Your product or driving pre-orders for it.
• Your membership.
• Your video.
• Your conference or event.
• An app download.
• And much more.

Do you have to have a website?

No, you don’t have to have a website to use a landing page. You can make a landing page using external apps like MailerLite, Unbounce, Convertkit, and many others.

In fact, with tools like the free version of MailerLite, you don’t even have to own your own domain before you can begin to share content and capture emails through a landing page.

Can you put a landing page on your website?

Just as you don’t have to have a website to create landing pages, if you do have a website you don’t have to use a third-party app. You can build your landing pages on your site. However, make sure that you have the tools on your website to capture emails.

You will also want to remember to disable your header navigation. The idea behind a landing page is that your reader lands on the page and either provides their email to get your offer or leaves.

What are the key components of a good landing page?

1. Hero Image

The first thing a reader should notice when they open your landing page is what is called the “hero image”.  Semrush defines a hero image as “a graphical element designed to make your landing page more visually appealing. It’s big. And eye-catching. And located near the top of the page.”

The image should be simple and uncluttered. It should complement the overall design and style of your page. It should help the reader to understand the value of your product and service. Finally, always make sure that your hero image is created with high-quality graphics.  

2. Headline

The headline at the top of your page should be your biggest and boldest headline. It should state the main benefit that the reader will get from your product or service in 10 words or less.

A supporting headline can come after the main headline and should either finish the thought of the first headline, offer additional value, or convey a secondary, persuasive message that relates to your bigger headline.

3. Supporting copy

You may or may not want to add supporting copy. Your supporting copy should be brief. Consider using bullet points to highlight the key details.

When planning out your supporting copy, also consider the unique benefits of your offer. Describe the benefits as well as features. What positive impact will this offer have on your reader?

In this section you can also include social proof. This can take the form of direct quotes from customers, case studies, video interviews/testimonials, logos of customer companies, review scores. Do not fake your social proof, use real testimonials and real people.

4. Form

Your landing page must include a form that will allow you to capture your visitor’s details like their name, email, and phone number.

If you are servicing an area that is governed by GDPR, you will also want to include your compliance information here.

5. Call-to-action (CTA)

It is important to have a strong call of action that is prominently displayed on the page. If you are using a longer landing page, make sure to include your CTA in multiple places,

Your call-to-action button should indicate what will happen when the visitor clicks it. Make sure to use conversational words and phrases like “Sign up”, “Try it now”, “Get started”, “Start my free trial”, etc.

6. Footer

Remember, you don’t want people to be able to navigate away from your page without clicking on your CTA. Your footer should therefore be limited to a link to your privacy policy and terms of use, your brand logo, and a copyright statement.

Final thoughts

A landing page can be as short or as long as you feel is needed for your offer.

If you are giving away something for free, a short page with a hero image, heading, form, and call-to-action may be enough. As the cost of your offer increases, you may wish to expand the content of your landing page. Remember to add multiple CTAs throughout the copy.

Short or long, it is important that you remember to optimize your landing page for search engines. Be selective with the keywords that you use. You want to attract the individuals who are ready to act on what you are offering. The more specific your keyword is, the more likely the person searching for that keyword will convert.