Landing pages – what are they and why do you need them?
You may have heard about them, seen them, and it’s highly likely that you’ve interacted with them, but do you really know what landing pages are? If you’ve ever wondered “why can’t I just use my Homepage as a landing Page?” or “do I really need a landing page?” then read on!
In this blog, we explain a) what a landing page is and b) what you need to know to make them work effectively for you.
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a stand-alone page that online users ‘land’ on when they click on a link from a digital marketing source on social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Google, or marketing emails.
Ideal if you’re investing in a digital marketing campaign, landing pages provide a specific place for targeted messages, making them an effective tool designed to generate leads.
The landing page also goes by other names such as: lead capture page, static page, or single purpose page.
Why do I need a landing page? Can’t I just use my homepage?
It’s important to note that landing pages are not the same as other pages on your website and while some people do use their homepage as a landing page, we don’t recommend this.
The homepage and the landing page have different, but equally important jobs to do.
The homepage is designed to encourage exploration of your website by making it easy for viewers to navigate to the right service or product. Homepages are dynamic and busy, making them unsuitable for landing pages. If your viewers are funnelled through to your homepage, they might be confused or even annoyed because it wasn’t what they were expecting.
The landing page on the other hand has a single purpose – conversion. This comes in the form of getting viewers to buy now, subscribe, register, or sign up.
While the homepage is full of links to different places in your website, the landing page has just one. It’s this single purpose that makes it so powerful in generating leads.
How it works
A user who clicks on a marketing ad will be ‘funnelled’ through to a landing page that promises them something such as access to a free video or pdf download. Fun fact: These ads are called ‘funnels’ because they act to funnel traffic to your landing page.
The landing page will then give more detail to entice the viewer to respond to the call to action (CTA) resulting in the all-important conversion.
What should I put on my landing page? Our top tips
Matchy matchy. Make sure your heading and message match what you promised in the ad. Nothing and we repeat, NOTHING annoys viewers quicker than broken promises.
Clear USP. Make a concise statement about your unique selling proposition. What sets you apart from your competitors?
Benefits. This is where you expand on your USP. Back up your claims with more detail – but not too much. Think bite-sized chunks of information here. Focus on the reasons how your product or service can benefit the viewer.
Social proof. This can be in the form of awards and testimonials – video is best but written is fine too. Nothing sells like other people recommending your product or service!
Here’s one we made earlier
Our Monster membership page is a great example, and no, we’re not biased at all! We’re running FB ads about memberships which directly clicks back to this page. https://gomonster.nz/website-memberships/
Our goal for this page is to convert viewers into enquiries by filling out the form at the bottom, and we’ve worked hard to keep their attention. We’ve included relevant detail about the benefits of Monster memberships and anticipated any questions they may have before they lose interest (video testimonials are in the making).
If you’re serious about creating an effective digital marking campaign, landing pages are a powerful tool. By having a clear, targeted messaged message, bite sized pieces of information, social proof, and a strong call to action, you’ll have a solid landing page.
Sing out if you need help
Don’t have time to do it yourself? No problem. For expert advice on your digital marketing plan or for help with tweaking your landing page, we’re only a phone call away.
