What Are Landing Pages (And Why Do I Need One Anyway)?
In a previous article, we mentioned that 84% of website conversions occur on the first visit. And during this first visit, the average site visitor is only going to stay on your website for about 10 seconds.
That means that’s all the time you have to make a good impression, convince your visitors to stay on your site, and to (hopefully) convert that site visit into a lead.
Kind of puts on the pressure when you think about it.
But not to worry- landing pages help you do just that. More specifically though, well-crafted landing pages help you to do just that.
So what are they?
In the simplest terms, a landing page is any page that gets traffic from anywhere other than the usual pages on your site (like your Homepage, FAQ, or Contact Us page).
The difference between these “usual pages” though, is that landing pages reel in your audience using content that creates a sense of urgency – like call-to-action buttons and promo pages, for example – and they do it all in one page with a specific goal set in mind: They make your audience take action.
And if all goes as expected, you get to convert your audience and site visitors into leads. This is called lead generation.
Landing pages are a crucial part of any website, especially when you’re trying to build an audience, and generate leads. They’re a huge factor in generating revenue as well.
What do they look like and when do I start making one?
Here’s an example of a great landing page from Unbounce, which we really like:
This has all of the right elements you need to execute the perfect landing page: it’s got just the right amount of text (which is really helpful for boosting SEO), and it’s packaged in a way that it’s not too heavy or intimidating for site visitors.
The imagery is great as well, and the placement of the two call-to-action (or CTA) buttons give the visitors just enough cues to sign up for their service. Not too little, but not too much either.
(Tip: the Unbounce landing page looks pretty fancy – maybe even a tad intimidating if you’re trying to replicate a similar style on your own landing page – but you could actually create page that’s similar and as awesome-looking using PBS).
MAKE YOUR OWN LANDING PAGE: If you’re new to design, First Site Guide’s Elements & Principles of Design Cheat Sheet proves to be friendly and reliable for beginners.
Take note though, that Unbounce’s example isn’t the only way you can create your landing page.
You can always go for a simpler, cleaner look, like Uber’s landing page below:
The text’s placement, along with the sign-up forms look crisp and clean. There’s also minimal distractions on this landing page, which prompts its visitors to sign up right away.
MAKE YOUR OWN LANDING PAGE: First Site Guide’s Psychology of Color Cheat Sheet is a huge helA, which can help you balance out the right kind of colors that create a minimal yet classy effect for your landing pages.
You can have more than one
This is a little tricky because you have to learn how to strike a balance, but if you think it’ll help generate more leads, you can actually build more than one landing page. Again, different landing pages cater to different needs.
Take this one (out of many) from MailChimp for example, which urges its audience to sign up to their services for free:
(It worked by the way, as we use MailChimp for our newsletter service, too).
Take note of the text – it’s straight to the point, and addresses the target’s audience needs in just three simple, albeit powerful words; enough to catch the visitor’s attention, and convert into a lead.
Here’s another from Truila, which helps its users get an estimate of how much their houses are worth.
Unlike the previous examples, Truilia doesn’t offer a catch to their customers in this particular landing page. They simply offer to give the visitor a chance to test out their service.
Again, take note of the copy: no fluff, and it gets straight to the point.
Usually, landing pages like these direct you towards another, one that has more information about what the website is offering. This is also a great technique used to capture more leads.
MAKE YOUR OWN LANDING PAGE: Did you know that “Under Construction” pages count as landing pages, too? This blog post by First Site Guide teaches you how to make one.
More doesn’t always mean merrier
It’s important to remember that the problem isn’t the lack of landing pages per se – but the lack of well-created, successful landing pages.
Any website can make a bunch of them, but that doesn’t automatically render successful lead conversions.
Again, the business of landing pages is very tricky– so if you can afford to invest in studying the art and science behind it, it’s highly recommended that you do.
Here are some websites that’ll be really helpful in your journey to creating landing pages
Landing Folio
Landing Folio is an extensive gallery that’s really useful when it comes to getting inspiration for landing page designs. They also offer some kick-ass, friendly courses on how to perfect the art of creating landing pages. Plus, all the designs are pretty and fun to look at as well.
First Site Guide
First Site Guide is one of the most resourceful websites on the internet, especially if you’re new to the web and want to make something out of it. They have resources ranging from lists of tools that create content, product reviews and comparisons, infographics, friendly video tutorials, and more. Definitely helpful if you’re just starting out on creating your first landing page.
Conversion Lab
Apart from the fact that their own landing page is pretty well-crafted itself, Conversion Lab does exactly what they say they do: they help you get conversions. They also help out with testing too, which is crucial to any website that’s trying to raise their conversion rates.
Hubspot
https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing
Hubspot is an all-around help site that lends you a hand in almost anything and everything related to online marketing.
They have a diverse collection of articles that range from creating business plans, to content and inbound marketing, and of course- landing pages. It’s a great resource for anyone still new to the realm of digital marketing.
Conclusion
Landing pages can be really tricky, especially if you’re just starting out in any kind of business.
But remember that it’s worth your time to invest into learning how they work and how to make them. Why? Because they generate leads, and leads generate revenue.
Take note that digital marketing trends are changing rapidly. You have to keep with these trends in order for your business to not only survive, but to also thrive.
Do you have any other tips or resources that you’d like to share with us? Comment below, or send us an email at support@pagebuildersandwich.com if you’d like to get featured as a resource in one of our articles.
Happy Page Building!