What is a landing page? What are its types?

Digital Marketing
Updated on: 23 Oct, 2024 12:04 PM

With most of the time being spent on the internet, it is not uncommon to hear the word ‘landing page’. It is pretty much the very first place that you land on when visiting a website. But let’s be more specific. When it comes to the context of marketing, a landing page serves the important function of converting visitors into leads. In addition to the numerous terms that you learn with SEO or digital marketing, landing pages come up a lot of times, mainly due to the huge role they play in business success.  Before approaching your web design company you should have proper knowledge about landing pages then only you can guide or get the best landing pages from them.

But what about multiple landing pages? This might be a question that has probably popped up in your mind so many times. Well, multiple landing pages aren’t uncommon and are highly recommended by experts due to the possibility of expanding the target audience more easily.

What is a Landing page?

A landing page is a unique type of website created to draw in traffic from several channels, such as search engines and adverts, and entice users to do a certain activity, like buying something, subscribing to a newsletter, or completing a form. It usually has one main goal and is composed of components that are designed to increase conversion.

Importance of landing pages

Now you may have a brief idea about landing pages and what it can do essentially. But there is more to this term which makes it a key component of online business growth. To help you understand better, let’s discuss in detail all things landing pages and why their importance has grown so much over the years.

The main function of a landing page is to provide you with the service product or information in exchange for your details as a customer.

Landing pages with only one call-to-action (CTA) link are found to generate more clients compared to multiple links. And this is exactly what separates it from home pages. According to SEO experts and business folks, landing pages are considered to be one of the greatest pillars of online marketing. Mainly because it drives visitors to take action to become regular customers. Contrary to the usual pages of a website, the landing page brings in the most traffic, mostly from social media posts.

Various factors contribute to the importance of landing pages. A few of these are;

• Helps achieve major goals: Landing pages attract the most traffic and therefore make it possible to attain short-term goals with greater results.
• Supports brand reinforcement: Visitors get a clear idea of the brand via its landing page. That is to say, they become more familiar with the appearance of the brand which helps them retain the details for a long. This is especially helpful in cases where the visitors to your website don't necessarily become customers but your brand still provides a good first impression.
• Directs visitors to take action: Landing pages make it possible to generate massive traffic as they enable CTA. Thus, your website attains increased conversion rates.
• Allows more control over the website: The key function of a landing page is to initiate action. It guides the visitors to fill in the details and avail of the services.

Types of landing pages

Now that you know the importance of a landing page, it is not unusual to think if it can be the same as a home page. Well, the home page mainly serves as a guide that gives you an idea regarding the product/service. Whereas a landing page allows you to access it via an action that converts you from a visitor to a customer.

Now since that has been sorted, it’s important to understand that there are different types of landing pages.

1. The sales landing page

Sales pages usually come with the button ‘Buy’ that lets you make a purchase. It is considered to be one of the key landing pages since it plays a crucial role in business success. This is because sales pages have to convince visitors to make payments.

Based on the value of your product or service, the sales page differs as you may or may not have to provide lots of information. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the sales page provides a detailed pitch so that visitors can grasp the information and become customers. This is also the reason why sales pages are usually longer than other landing pages.

2. The Thank you page

Notice how you are directed to the thank-you page soon after filling in the needed information or once the payment is completed. Sometimes, this thank-you page can even persuade the customer to be one of your regulars. To enhance the appearance of your thank-you page, you can add a few of your user reviews to indicate credibility.

3. The unsubscribe landing pages

Constantly being spammed with emails from your favorite brand can sometimes make you feel annoyed, no doubt! And pretty soon, you are on the unsubscribe page. While certain unsubscribe landing pages don’t provide options as your reasons to cancel the subscription, many other pages do. It has also been observed that sometimes these very options or email preferences can drive the users to remain in touch with the brand. Certain brands make clever use of their unsubscribe page making customers refrain from unsubscribing.

4. Squeeze landing page

Just as the name suggests, the squeeze landing page is meant to direct or squeeze the visitor into becoming a customer by making use of psychological tricks.

Unlike the usual landing pages that enable CTA by making you fill out your details, the squeeze is meant to collect your mail address to be added to the general mailing list. Contrary to the usual landing pages, the squeeze page consists of a single CTA and minimal content.

5. Referral landing pages

Known to be a major component of the customer referral program, a referral landing page allows you to refer or recommend friends or family where you get a product for free or at a discount. This can also encourage your friends/family to make a purchase, thereby benefiting the brand as well as resulting in more sales.

Again, referral landing pages can be a golden opportunity for the company to expand its target audience by providing quality user experience to the recommended friends/family.

6. Splash landing pages

Normally when you click an ad on a web page, you are immediately redirected to another page. But in the case of a splash landing page, it comes with a specific task that has to be fulfilled by the visitors. It can be in the form of asking for any of your details.

Splash landing pages are not used for lead generation and are generally meant to make announcements and enhance the appearance of a website.

7. Lead capture landing pages

This one is said to be the most important aspect of the marketing process, particularly due to the fact it is longer than the squeeze page. This type of landing page gathers leads through a form. However, since it is also not more than the sales page, it is commonly used in the middle stages of the marketing funnel.

To achieve the best of a lead capture landing page, it is important to keep the lead capture form and offer to collect the leads balanced with each other. That is to say, the reward should be of high value.

How to implement CTA in landing pages

As you can see, each type of landing page has its call-to-action (CTA) for lead generation. But how is it done? The stronger your CTA, the greater the possibility for your website visitor to be converted into a customer. Of course, the body copy is important as it has to be the driving force that enables the visitor to make a decision.

Implementing CTA in landing pages comes with a series of benefits, no doubt. But if its positioning is not right, all efforts can go in vain too. So even if you have a solid plan regarding where you will put your CTA, make sure that you know where exactly to place it on your landing page. One example would be to use the header of the form which can direct the visitor to contribute to the conversion rates. Ensure that the CTA button is below or right next to the content.

How to create the best landing pages

Before creating a landing page, you might want to do a bit of research to get an idea of how you want your landing page to look like. Here are a few factors that you should look into to create quality landing pages;

Headline/Title

Good content can do miracles for your website if done right. But to persuade the visitor to read the body copy, the headline has to be attractive enough. It should spark an interest in the mind of the reader that makes them want to continue till the end. Make sure that your content is of simple language yet is creative enough so that they can understand the value of your offer.

Body copy

Here is where you need to focus on next. While it is crucial to write a good title, it is simply not enough to achieve the desired lead generation rate. Therefore, make sure that your website body copy is clear and interesting enough such that the reader becomes your customer, preferably a regular. The content should be interactive enough so that the visitor becomes engaged in reading.

Valid offer

A compelling offer can drive the visitor to be your customer in no time. But this does not mean you can put up anything! The offer has to be relevant to your business and convince the visitor that they might miss out on it if not claimed soon.

Responsive page

No matter whether it is a landing page or a home page, making it responsive is pretty much one of the solid requirements for boosting website traffic. Good viewing experience contributes to quality user experience. With a vast majority of people doing their shopping via smartphones, making your landing pages mobile-optimized is necessary to reduce the bounce rate.

Unique CTA

Although there are many elements to a landing page that can encourage CTA, if it doesn’t stand out from the rest, it can throw off the website’s appearance. Hence, you have to keep two things in mind – a suitable color and clear instructions towards CTA. This can make it easier for the visitor to follow the directions and engage with the website accordingly. You obviously wouldn't want your potential client to struggle to find the CTA!

Necessary information

One of the easiest ways to piss off your website visitor is to ask for unnecessary information. No one likes to spend much time filling out a form, especially if it is a new visitor. Add only important questions such as the name and email/contact of the visitor to get them started. Along the way, it becomes fair enough to ask for more details so that the customer feels heard enough and that you are trustworthy.

Keyword optimization

Just as for any website to function at its best, keywords are also essential for landing pages. Make a list of all the commonly searched keywords related to your industry or business and add them accordingly to your website content, be it in the images or body copy/title. The keywords should be added in exact amounts as too many can make it look stuffed up.

Thank-you page

As mentioned earlier, a thank-you landing page makes the customer feel acknowledged and encourages them to return for more purchases. It shows that you value their time, money, and energy, further enhancing the user experience. Thank-you pages are also great for promoting more of your products/services, which increases the possibility of additional sales.

Suitable image

Using the right images for your landing page content can easily pass on the message to the target audience. Pictorial representations, photographs, or illustrations do a great job at this so ensure to use only quality images in required amounts.

Lead form

Scrolling for long is another factor that can irritate any prospective customer. Therefore, make sure that your lead form is easily accessible which can result in faster conversion. It is best to make the lead form easily visible, ie; anywhere at the beginning of the page as this can save a lot of scrolling time. A common trend is that the lead form moves as you scroll, a great tactic that can be tried out!

Conclusion

The importance of a landing page is endless due to the immense benefits it provides. It pretty much serves as the heart of a website due to the role it plays in converting visitors to customers.

By taking the right measures and utilizing clever tactics, your landing page can easily help attain your business goals.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

1. Is it mandatory to have a landing page?

Landing pages are the key to conversions and if you are looking to achieve high conversion rates for your website, a landing page is crucial.

2. Is it okay to put more content on the splash landing page?

Splash landing pages usually consist of less copy and are more focused on the background image and message to the customer. This is because it is usually associated with a specific task for the visitor.

3. Can a thank-you page generate more leads?

A thank-you page has the potential to generate regular customers as they feel valued for making the purchase.

4. Can I add the CTA button at the end of the landing page?

It is usually recommended to add the CTA button at the start of your website content. This can allow visitors to convert faster which can reduce bounce rate.

5. How to generate more customers via a landing page?

There are various techniques for this one. Examples include promoting attractive offers, writing quality content, easily accessible CTA buttons, etc.