How is a Landing Page Different from Every Other Web Page?
Contrary to popular belief, a “landing page†is not just any page on your website where a visitor might “land.†Your home page is not a landing page. A page about your services is also not a landing page. Instead, pages where visitors may land should simply be referred to as “web pages,” whereas “landing pages” are pages where visitors may land that 1) have a form and 2) exist solely to capture a visitor’s information through that form. In other words, all landing pages are web pages, but not all web pages are landing pages.
Here are some examples of web pages that ARE NOT landing pages, even though they may contain a form:
While some of these pages have forms, none of them exist solely to capture visitor information or secure a conversion. Below are examples of web pages that ARE landing pages:
As you can see, landing pages are free from large chunks of text and do not feature the website navigation at the top of the page. There are no distractions to keep the visitor from filling out the form.
Why Web Pages With Forms ARE NOT Always Landing Pages
If your small business website is like most others, you probably have a form on your home page or other pages on the site. However, simply having a form does not qualify a web page as a landing page. It's not a bad thing to keep a form on your home page, but its presence alone does not change the definition of the page. A landing page has to have a form and exist solely to capture a visitor's information through that form. A home page may have a form, but it serves a purpose beyond simply capturing visitor information. A home page typically introduces your company, describes your services, lists your hours and location(s), and generally serves as a central station for delivering your content.
— CyberMark Intl. (@CyberMark)
May 21, 2015
In contrast, a landing page has a specific job to do. For example, if you want to run paid search advertising or start a Facebook Ads campaign to sell your product, a landing page can help you be much more successful. Instead of a cluttered web page that has been built to serve many purposes, visitors will land on a clean, concise, conversion-optimized landing page that is specifically designed to secure the sale.
Whatever the purpose of your landing page, you will need to offer something in exchange for your lead's information. For example, you may want to offer a special discount for those who fill out the form, or perhaps you have an e-book to give away in exchange for a contact form. A simple “free consultation†or “contact us†will not likely yield conversions, so be prepared to offer something of value in order to obtain leads.
There are four questions that your landing page needs to address within the first few seconds of someone viewing it.
- What is the offer?
- Why does it benefit me (the visitor to the page)?
- Why do I need it now?
- How can I get it?
If your page can answer these questions at a glance, you know you have an optimized landing page.
At CyberMark, we believe that landing pages are the heart of the sales cycle when small businesses are trying to achieve a clearly defined objective. To discuss your campaign and get a custom-designed landing page for your website, please contact us today! In the meantime, we would like to offer you our latest e-book that will teach you 30 ways to generate more leads online.
