If you're in the world of online marketing, you've probably heard a lot about web marketing techniques such as Facebook advertising, affiliate marketing, SEO, and PPC. But have you heard much about landing pages?

While they may not get as much attention, landing pages are incredibly important for the success of your online campaigns.

A landing page is a standalone web page that is designed specifically to convert visitors into customers. It's where a visitor “lands” after clicking on a link or ad, and it's the first thing they see when they arrive on your website. It's the first impression that you make on your potential customers, and it's crucial that you make a good one.

The science behind landing pages is simple…

They're designed to guide visitors towards a specific action, like making a purchase or signing up for a newsletter. But it's not as simple as just throwing together any old page and calling it a landing page. The design, layout, theme, and content of your landing page all play a critical role in its success.

There's no one size fits all solution for landing pages.

Every business is different, and every campaign is unique. It's important to understand your audience and tailor your landing page to meet their specific needs. For example, a landing page for a B2B company will look different than one for a B2C company. Makes sense right?

To give you an idea of what a great landing page looks like, here are a few criteria to include effective landing pages:

• • A/B Testing: This landing page for a tool that helps businesses test their website designs is clean and simple, with clear calls to action and an easy-to-use interface.

• • Ebook Download: This landing page for a free ebook download is visually appealing and includes a simple form for visitors to fill out to receive the ebook.

• • Product Launch: This landing page for a new product launch is visually stunning, with a countdown timer and clear calls to action.

By the end of this article, you should have a better understanding of what landing pages are, why they're important, and how to create effective ones. Landing pages may be small, but they pack a big punch when it comes to online marketing. Make sure you're not neglecting this tiny detail in your campaigns.

UNDERSTANDING LANDING PAGES

Landing pages are a crucial aspect of online marketing. They are specific web pages or sections of a website where your target audience lands after being directed from external sources such as a social share from your favorite platform, a website where you are reading content that leads you to a landing page, etc…

To better understand landing pages, think of them as an online version of traditional advertising methods. In the past, businesses would use flyers, billboards, and commercials to promote their products or services. Customers would see the message and then head to the store or place of business to make a purchase.

Now, with landing pages, businesses have a more efficient way of reaching their target audience and converting them into customers. They can create web pages specifically designed to hook in potential customers and convince them to make a purchase with a compelling offer.

But it's not just about sending out flyers and expecting customers to come in droves. Landing pages require careful planning and strategy to be effective. In the next section, we'll delve deeper into the science behind landing pages and why there is no one-size-fits-all solution for them.

UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE BEHIND LANDING PAGES

Landing pages are an essential part of online marketing, and a well-designed one can make or break your success in acquiring more leads, customers, and sales. Like search engine optimization, there is such a thing as landing page optimization (LPO). Yes and I chuckled the first time I discovered this term!.

It's crazy, there is a name for everything nowadays… I digress…

To understand LPO (Landing Page optimization), we must break down the elements of a successful landing page.

1. 1. The Headline – The headline is the first thing that your audience will see, and it should be clear, concise, and memorable. It should encapsulate the essence of what your company does in a tagline and convey your unique selling proposition.

1. 1. The Offer – The offer is the heart of the landing page, and it should be detailed without giving too much away. It should be worth the visitor's time and align with the external source that directed them to your page. Ryan Deiss, CEO, and founder of the DigitalMarkerter, once taught the importance of marketing message congruency. It's important to remember that placing ads in the wrong context can be detrimental to your business. Additionally, if applicable, the offer should convey a sense of urgency.

1. 1. Aesthetics – The design, visuals, videos, and colors of the landing page should be consistent with your branding and should be visually appealing. The headline should be prominently displayed, and images and videos can help to explain your offer. Make sure to give visitors enough space to relax and take in the details.

1. 1. CTA – A call to action (CTA) is essential on a landing page, and it should be prominently displayed and easy to spot. It should contain great copy and convey a sense of urgency. When clicked, it should direct the visitor to the desired action, whether it be signing up, purchasing, or more.

1. 1. Benefit – The landing page should answer the question “why should I care?” by outlining the benefits that the visitor will receive by taking the desired action. It should be clear and easy to understand.

CUSTOMIZED APPROACH TO LANDING PAGES

When it comes to creating a landing page, it's important to remember that every business is unique. The needs and goals of a food business will differ from those of a digital content business. Therefore, a one-size-fits-all approach to landing page optimization will not be effective.

Luckily for us, there are platforms that have gathered enough data points to offer suggestions of the best landing page that fits your business, based on active data gathered from their customers. We use Leadpages extensively mainly because of this one main reason. It makes it easy for us to handpick a niche and create a landing page that is known to convert well in that market.

It's essential to tailor your landing page to the specific needs of your business and target audience. This may involve testing different designs and strategies, and being open to experimenting with new and unique ideas.

Keep in mind that traffic to your landing page may come from a variety of sources, such as social media, email newsletters, PPC campaigns, or organic marketing from external sites that have featured or reviewed your business.

It's important to consider the specific characteristics of this traffic when creating your landing page.

IMPROVING LEAD GENERATION AND CONVERSION RATE: REAL-LIFE EXAMPLES

The ultimate goal of landing pages is to generate more leads and increase conversion rates. But how do you achieve that? Here are some strategies that have been proven to work:

1. 1. High-CTR Design:

Paypal's landing page immediately grabs your attention with a clear sense of urgency and high color contrast.

2. Unique Offer:

Canva offers free design tips and challenges, along with a free guide, making it an irresistible offer for design enthusiasts.

3. Compelling Headline:

ClickFunnels excels at creating headlines that are sure to catch the eye, as well as a visually appealing design with a strong CTA and detailed offer.

4. Stunning Aesthetics:

George Washington University's landing page uses a virtual tour to showcase its campus, making it a highly engaging and interactive experience.

5. Clear Benefits:

Drip's landing page presents the benefits of its service in a clear and non-intrusive way, with a pop-up that provides just the right amount of information.

Our Favorite Landing Page builders

There are numerous methods to create a landing page. You can opt to code your own using HTML and CSS and host it on Amazon Web Services. However, it's more convenient to use a specialized tool designed for this purpose. While many content management systems can aid in building a landing page, in this context, I will be highlighting specific landing page software. My top three choices for landing page tools are:

1. 1. LeadPages

1. 1. Aweber

1. 1. InstaPage

1. LeadPages

One of the standout features of Leadpages is its drag-and-drop editor, which makes it simple to create professional-looking landing pages without any coding experience. Additionally, Leadpages offers built-in payment and checkout functionality, as well as lead capture forms, making it a great option for businesses of all sizes.

But Leadpages isn't just a landing page solution – it also offers full website-building capabilities, including a wide selection of attractive templates. This means that you can create an entire website with Leadpages, rather than just a landing page.

While Leadpages may not be as scalable as some of its competitors, like Unbounce and Instapage, it is more affordable at just $37/month. And according to G2, Leadpages scores a 4 out of 5, making it a great option for businesses looking for a cost-effective and user-friendly landing page solution.

Overall, Leadpages is a great choice for businesses looking for a user-friendly, feature-rich landing page solution that won't break the bank.

2. Aweber

Aweber is a great option for small businesses looking for a landing page tool because it offers a number of features that can help them grow their email list and increase conversions. Here are a few reasons why I would recommend Aweber:

1. 1. Lead capture forms: Aweber offers a variety of customizable lead capture forms that can be easily integrated into your landing pages. This makes it easy for small businesses to collect email addresses and grow their email list.

1. 1. Email automation: Aweber has a robust email automation feature that allows you to create and send targeted, automated email campaigns to different segments of your email list. This can help you increase conversions and improve customer engagement.

1. 1. Landing page templates: Aweber has a variety of landing page templates that can be customized to match your brand. This means that small businesses don't need to have any design experience to create professional-looking landing pages.

1. 1. A/B testing: Aweber has a built-in A/B testing feature that allows you to test different elements of your landing pages and see which version performs best. This can help small businesses optimize their pages for maximum conversions.

1. 1. Affordable: Aweber is affordable and has pricing plans that start at $19/month which makes it a great option for small businesses looking to save on costs.

Overall, Aweber is a great option for small businesses looking for an all-in-one solution to create landing pages, grow their email list, and increase conversions.

3. Instapage

If you're a small business looking for a landing page tool that can help you create high-converting pages and improve your online marketing efforts, Instapage is definitely worth considering. Here are some of the key features that make it a great choice:

• • High Customization: Instapage's drag-and-drop editor allows you to fully customize your landing pages, so you can create pages that perfectly match your brand and messaging.

• • A/B Testing: Instapage's built-in A/B testing feature enables you to test different elements of your pages and see which version performs best, so you can optimize your pages for maximum conversions.

• • Mobile-Responsiveness: Instapage's landing pages are mobile-responsive, which is crucial for small businesses since most online traffic comes from mobile devices.

• • Integrations: Instapage integrates with a variety of marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Salesforce, and more, which can help small businesses track their marketing efforts and get a better understanding of their audience.

• • Templates: Instapage offers a wide range of templates for small businesses to choose from, including ones specifically designed for lead generation, webinars, and more.

• • Advanced Analytics: Instapage's advanced analytics dashboard allows small businesses to track and analyze the performance of their landing pages, from conversion rate to visitor behavior.

All in all, Instapage is a powerful and customizable landing page tool that can help small businesses improve conversions and track their marketing efforts. It's definitely worth checking out.

Creating a landing page has become relatively simple thanks to the wide range of affordable and user-friendly technology that is now available. With the right tools, building a landing page can be a straightforward process.

However, the real challenge lies in creating high-converting landing pages that effectively convert visitors into customers. And even more challenging is managing a large number of landing pages and ensuring they are all consistent and continuously optimized for conversions.

But that is a topic for another discussion.

For now, you now have a basic understanding of how to build a landing page, specifically using Leadpages, and some best practices to follow. So go ahead, and create your own landing page!