Landing page vs website
What’s the difference between a landing page and a web page?
Do you know when you should use a landing page instead of a web page?
We’ll explore the differences, Landing Pages vs Web Pages, in this post and give you insights on the differences, when to use, and an easy way to create landing pages.
The Basics:
Landing pages are a form of a web page. They usually are intended for a very specific purpose such as a sign-up, to gather information or to sell a product.
Standard web pages are part of a larger website. As such, they have common design and navigation items, meaning more things to see and more ways to go other places on the site.
Web Pages:
For example, a website often has standard links at the menu of the page and often at the side of the page for items like:
- About
- Services
- Company Information
- Blog
- etc, ( Basically whatever links are key to their business)
They may have other images or call-outs as well that lead to other pages of the website. It’s an integrated group of pages geared to help the web visitor coming to a website and wanting to find and then navigate to an area of interest.
Landing pages, however, are a different tool than web pages of a site.
They are not for general use, and do not look like the other web pages, though they can be at the same domain.
Landing pages are built to drive traffic for a specific marketing campaign goal.
The intent is to focus the visitor solely on the intent of the page, such as the sign-up process.
No distractions. No other options. Simply to inform and get user to take the single action noted.
Best practices to create a landing page
Goal: To create the world’s most effective landing page.
Problem: Where do I start?
Crafting a competition-crushing landing page is not for the only solution but the most important is “what the customer wants”.
How can you demystify the process and unleash your landing page, to the amazement of the watching world?
Keep reading, and I’ll lay it out for you. But before I do, I want to assure you…
There is no standard manual on the creation of a perfect landing page.
Isn’t there some practical, step-by-step guide to putting together such a landing page? There are guides on how to build a real rocket. What about landing pages? Where is the easy, go-to guide?
You’re reading the closest thing to it.
Landing pages have so many differentiating factors.
Landing pages are as different as the people looking at them. Every landing page has a different call to action (goal), a different reader (user), a different product or service, and a different niche.
There is an incredible amount of variation among audience, purpose, intent, product, angle, focus, industry, niche, perception, buy-in, cost, messaging, value proposition, testimonial approach, shipping method, and a host of other factors.
One size does not fit all.
There are unifying elements that characterize highly successful landing pages.
Because we’re talking about landing pages, however, some things do remain constant. High-converting landing pages do have several characteristics in common
1: Killer Headline
A headline is where everything begins — interest, attention, and understanding. The headline is your first and most critical action of a landing page. Here’s what it needs to accomplish:
- The headline should grab the reader’s attention.
- The headline should inform the user what the product or service is all about. Note: If your headline complements an image that explains the product/service, then you’re good.
- It should be short — never more than twenty words, and preferably only ten.
2: Persuasive Subheadline
If the headline makes the user look, then the subheadline should make them stay. A subhead is part of the one-two punch of a landing page’s power.
- Normally, the persuasive subheadline is positioned directly underneath the main headline.
- The subheadline should have some element of persuasiveness. Remember, you’re luring them to stay on the page with the subheadline. You take the concept of the headline, and push it a little bit further.
- The subheadline can go into slightly more depth and detail than the main headline.
Essential Element 3: Pictures
The brain processes images faster than text. A user will be affected by the images on your landing page immediately.
- The pictures should be large.
- The pictures should be relevant to your product or service. If you are selling a physical product, it is essential that your landing page contain an image of the product.
- If you are selling a service, then the primary purpose of the image should be to grab attention, and demonstrate relevance to the product.
- Make sure the pictures are high-quality.
4: An Explanation
If a user doesn’t understand what your product or service is about, you’ve lost them. An explanation — in whatever form it comes — is crucial. The best explanations are those that are straightforward.
- Your explanation can be integrated with your headline, or completely separate.
- Your explanation may combine elements from several sources: 1) your headline, 2) your subheadline, 3) your image, 4) a separate paragraph. Taken in isolation, each of these elements does not explain the product or service, but as a composite, they accomplish what an explanation should do.
- An explanation should be benefit-oriented. Explanations are functional, but functionality should be tilted in favor of the user. For example, “We make websites” is a functional explanation, but it lacks the user-focused orientation. To make this explanation even more compelling, you could angle it towards the user to show them the value: “Get a website that makes you money.”
5: Value Proposition or Benefits
The value proposition is defined as “an innovation, service or feature intended to make a company or product attractive to customers.”
- Like the “explanation,” a value proposition can be found spread among the various essential elements.
- One of the best ways to advance your value proposition is through a list of benefits. Many landing pages use an unadorned bullet point list to explain the benefits of their product or service.
- Benefits should be clearly focused on the user. Benefits are “the user will be awesome with this product or service.” For example, let’s say you are selling Web hosting. Option 1: “We have 99.98% uptime!” Option 2: “Your website will have 99.98 uptime!” Which one is customer-oriented? It’s the second one. That’s the kind of benefit you should be going for.
6: Logical Flow
The logical flow of a landing page is just as important as the actual content you have on the landing page.
7: Something about Pain
Mention what a user will lose, not just what they will gain.
8: Something about Pleasure
Your goal in the landing page is to show how pleasure is a by-product of having the product or service.