Back to Website Design

What Is a Landing Page?

6 min to read

Landing pages are standalone web pages designed for lead/customer conversion. Businesses commonly use them in their ad clickthrough links, and they may also feature in emails or on social media.

The main difference between landing pages and larger websites is that landing pages are typically designed for one specific product or campaign. Their aim is to encourage an action (e.g. buying a new product or signing up for an introductory call). Messaging in landing pages must be clear and compel the visitor to move down the funnel.

Key Takeaways:
  • Businesses use landing pages with the primary aim of lead conversion
  • You need a strong call to action (CTA) on your landing page; it must also be clear and relevant
  • Alter the landing page based on your business goals
Hocoos small logo Answers Website Design

What Is a Landing Page?

What are the components of a landing page?

You will normally notice these aspects in landing pages with high conversion rates: 

  • Headlines and subheadlines where the reader can clearly see the brand’s intended value proposition. 

  • Visuals (e.g. photos and/or videos) designed to capture attention. 

  • A CTA that tells visitors what they should do next. 

  • Concise and persuasive copy that highlights the benefits of completing a desired action (the information must, however, be accurate). 

  • Social proof (e.g. customer reviews and real-life testimonials). 

  • A lead capture form; here, visitors will enter their details (e.g. an email address). 

  • A thank you page to confirm that an action has been taken; this will ideally also tell users what they next need to do. 
Pro Tip: 
Consider making your CTA button stand out from the rest of the page by using contrasting colors. For example, if you have a yellow landing page, consider using black or something similar.

What makes a landing page effective?

Utilize these characteristics in your landing pages:

  • Clarity: Communicate the offer clearly and tell the user why they should take action. 

  • Relevance: Your landing page should be consistent with why the user initially clicked on the page. 

  • Focus: Use one CTA and remove anything that distracts the user from this. 

  • Credibility: Use social proof where possible; this is vital for building trust, especially if you’re a new brand.

  • User Experience: Optimize your landing page for mobile and use UX practices like logical navigation.
Pro Tip:
Consider A/B testing for trying different headlines and seeing what does and doesn’t work. You should also split-test your CTAs and page layouts. 

How long should a landing page be?

There is no single rule for how long a landing page should be. It depends on what’s required to persuade your audience, and whether you have a simple or complex offer. In any case, only the essential elements and information should be there – meaning that you’ll probably gravitate toward a shorter landing page. 

Pro Tip:
Since your landing page might be longer, you can use collapsible sections if you have to share more information with your audience. Alternatively, you can use a separate FAQ page.

Do I need a domain for a landing page?

You should consider a landing page domain for professionalism and credibility, even though you can use subdomains. For promotions and events, it’s even more important that you use a specific domain.

Deep Dive:
Think about using subdomains if you’re running more than one campaign. You should also consider tracking their performances individually.

What are the different types of landing pages?

Some common landing page types are: 

  • Lead Generation Landing Pages: Use these if your main aim is to collect user information (e.g. email addresses). Offer something in return, such as a checklist or eBook. 

  • Clickthrough Landing Pages: Common in eCommerce. You should utilize these to build initial rapport before users go to a checkout page. 

  • Sales Landing Pages: Directly promote/sell a product or service. Often used in product launches and for digital products. 

  • Squeeze Pages: You’ll use these if you only want to communicate email addresses; these should be minimalist in design. 
Deep Dive:
Think about your campaign goals before choosing a specific type of landing page. For example, if you’re just looking to build an email list, try using a squeeze page.

What’s the best way to get started creating a landing page?

You can build a landing page in these ways: 

  • Landing Page Builders: Use specifically designed drag-and-drop tools for building basic landing pages (e.g.Hocoos). 

  • Content Management Systems (CMS): You can create CMS tools if you want more customization and flexibility – however, you will need more technical knowledge. 

  • Custom Development: Use this if you want 100% control over design and how the landing page works – understand the extra time and money commitments first. 
Pro Tip:
If you’re new to landing pages, you can start with a landing page builder unless you have technical expertise. Browse through the templates and pick one that matches your campaigns.

How can I optimize a landing page to increase conversion rates?

Consider these suggestions:

  • Testing: Try different layouts, CTAs, headlines, etc. with A/B testing. 

  • CTA: Your CTA must be obvious on the page, and it should also be clear/concise. 

  • Distractions: Minimize distractions by including only essential elements. Remove anything you deem to not be necessary, based on your goal. 

  • Social Proof: If you have testimonials, reviews, or case studies, you should use these on your landing page. 

  • Mobile Optimization: Use a mobile-first approach so that your landing page works on mobile and desktop. 
Pro Tip:
Heatmaps and user recordings will show visitor interaction points, and you should use these findings when designing and testing your landing pages.

How can I optimize a landing page for SEO?

Here’s how to use SEO on your landing pages: 

  • Keywords: Use keyword research to identify what your audience is looking for, and add these terms naturally into your content. 

  • On-Page Elements: Meta descriptions, image alt texts, header tags, and title tags should all be adjusted. 

  • High-Quality Content: Your content must inform and engage users based on what they’re looking for. Use SEO tools (e.g. Ahrefs) if you need to identify content gaps. 

  • Backlinks: Google and other search engines consider backlinks in SEO. You should try and get these organically from reputable websites.

Conclusion

Landing pages can convert leads/customers if you know how to use them and understand their possible limitations. They’re separate from your website and can drive users toward specific actions. Make sure that you understand which one you should use, along with what you should consider when creating these. 

Utilize landing pages for product launches, email list growth, events, and other marketing purposes. And once you’ve designed your landing page, make sure that you’ve optimized it for search engines as much as possible.

Table of Contents

Other articles that can help

READY TO KICK-START YOUR SMALL BUSINESS JOURNEY?

Important Consideration: The information provided by our expert team is designed to give you a general understanding of the website creation process and the features available to you. It's important to note that this information is not a substitute for professional advice tailored to your specific needs and goals.
Read our editorial standards for Answers content.
Our goal is to empower you to create an amazing website. If you have questions or need guidance during the building process, don’t hesitate to Contact us. We're happy to provide assistance and point you in the right direction.