The term “landing page” is often used interchangeably with “website.” In reality, these are two different web development products, each serving a unique purpose. Understanding the aim of each and what features distinguish the two can help you make development decisions to improve your online presence and increase conversion rates.

As a leading web design company, Newpath Web has built countless digital products tailored to our clients’ needs that deliver real results.

How do you define a website?

As per the Cambridge dictionary, a website is “a set of pages of information on the Internet about a particular subject, published by a single person or organisation.”

The key here is the word “set”. A website contains numerous pages, which are linked to each other and grouped under variations of the one domain name. If your website contains only one page, it is more likely to be referred to as a…landing page.

What makes a landing page a landing page?

A landing page is a standalone page that is usually created for a specific purpose, like a marketing campaign. Visitors will normally arrive at your landing page after clicking on an advertisement from a social media platform, a marketing email, or Google.

A landing page has a very specific, singular goal. Usually it’s for customers to purchase a certain product or perhaps sign-up to an email newsletter. This is different from a website, which can have any number of calls-to-action running simultaneously.

When should I use a landing page?

There are many practical uses for a landing page and most are implemented with the goal of increasing conversions. The fact of the matter is that for many people, websites are quite overwhelming — particularly if you run an e-commerce store that is chock-a-block full of exciting products and advertisements. Some visitors want to clearly be told what to do and spend as little time as possible doing it. Enter the landing page.

You should use a landing page if you have a very specific goal you want your visitors to achieve. It’s not enough to simply say “my goal is for more visitors to access my site.” It needs to be more along the lines of “I wish to increase the number of customers purchasing my personalised pencil-cases by 25 percent.” Only by having such a specific goal are you likely to create a call-to-action that is appropriately clear and be able to measure the success of your landing page.

What should my landing page include?

Building an effective landing page is deceptively tricky. There are a number of best practice techniques that are worth paying attention to:

Make sure the messaging is clear and consistent: If a visitor arrives at your landing page after clicking on a YouTube ad advertising “Buy two indoor plants, get one free!” they’re not going to be very happy if they’re greeted with a page advertising 15 percent off pots. There’s nothing wrong with 15 percent off pots, but it’s not what they’re looking for. Ensure that the messaging is clear and consistent across your advertisements and landing page.

Consider the placement of your call to action: While a landing page doesn’t mean you can’t have visitors scrolling vertically or horizontally, the call to action should be immediately evident. Ideally, your design team will use responsive web design principles so that the placement is consistent across all devices and screen sizes.

Don’t try to direct your visitors elsewhere: If your marketing is done right, your landing page will be the first time many customers visit your site. Don’t fall into the trap of trying to direct them to your main website. They’re unlikely to respond well, given they have been “promised” a certain experience. Your landing page will work best if it stands alone.

If you really want to connect your main website to your landing page, you could always include a link once the entire call to action (for example, making a purchase) has been completed.

Don’t abandon the backend: A landing page is like a regular website in that it needs to provide users with a fast, seamless experience. Make sure your landing page is built by an experienced development team who understand what type of traffic numbers you can expect and the technical resources required to facilitate this. Such a design and development team can also implement responsive web design to ensure a positive user experience for all.

The best landing pages are the simplest, but they can still take a web design company considerable time to brainstorm, test, and build. If you’ve got an idea for a marketing campaign but aren’t sure how to execute it from a design perspective, speak to the experienced team at Newpath Web today.