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Landing Pages: What Are They And Why Are They Important?

Landing Pages: What Are They And Why Are They Important?
Tim Parkin

Many ask “What are landing pages and why are they important?” 

Landing pages are independent web pages that get made for ads and marketing. They have a core focus of a call to action. They are important because they get used during the inbound process. This starts from introducing your brand to users in a particular market to seeing to it that they become paying clients.

Landing pages are a vital component of the online marketing strategy of a large organization and upcoming bloggers. A newbie may be wondering what are landing pages and why are they important. To better understand what they stand for, keep reading.

What is a landing page?

A landing page is a static page that serves as a window to your blog or website. Such pages are the ones the visitor or client will land on immediately they click on a marketing promotion, ad, or marketing email. They are also known as destination page or lead capture page.

What landing pages are not

To maximize the rewards of landing pages, you need to know what they aren't. Your web pages and home pages are landing pages. Such pages by default have their predefined functions. For example, the home page is not made for one call to action. Home pages serve as an introduction to your platform and what the visitor can access. Home pages often feature different paths for navigation without a defined call to action.

What makes landing pages vital for marketers?

As a marketer, there is a need to convert leads to actual clients. This gets achieved by using the right CTA tools such as buttons, forms, links, and the likes. Landing pages often serve as one of the first points of call between the brand and the potential clients. Hence there is a need to get this page optimized to increase the chances of conversion.
One thing you must never forget about landing pages is that they have one message, one focus, and one call to action. They are to be unambiguous and easy to follow through.

Connecting the brand and the ads

Picture your landing page as a ladder linking your brand and the advert. This implies that the advert which the potential client clicks on will not portray what the brand stands for. A landing page will walk the potential customer through your brand and what it stands for. While doing this, the main aim is to get the visitor to sign up and be a member of your community or buy into your brand.

One mistake many make with landing page copy is that it does not tally with that of the marketing material deployed. Using landing page copies that match the ad will guarantee the user that there is a consistent message passed. This guarantees them that they are in the right place. This is even more potent if you are working on a cold audience.

Importance of landing pages

Landing pages have several benefits for businesses and brands. Here is a breakdown of some remarkable benefits.

   • They help achieve your business goals

One core importance of landing pages is that they help you meet and your business goals. These goals may include entering a new market, getting new leads, or increasing sales. Landing pages can get tailored for the audience you are targeting. They also encourage immediate action which makes their progress or otherwise trackable.

    • Better conversion

If done well, landing pages can help you get a better conversion with visitors. Landing pages do not have unnecessary ambiguities which makes it easy for the visitor to make an immediate decision. Such conversion translates to more customers which could also mean more revenue.

   • It gives a proper perspective

Business scale easier when they have relevant data to plan and work with. With landing pages, you can tell what is working and what is not. This will help you remove the non-performing segments. This will save you time, energy, and resources.

   • It optimizes paid search campaigns

If done well, a paid search campaign can get measured with click through rates. This click-through rate is dependent on the landing pages. For instance, with SEM campaigns, you may bid on certain keywords that could help give your brand improved visibility in search engines. 

The link used in such ads could be the site's sub-page or the homepage of the website. With a landing page, you will be able to get higher leads than what a homepage would offer.

Using a customized landing page for ad campaigns will draw targeted visitors to your site. This landing page will only display the type of information that is relevant to them. This will increase the chances of them filling a form or even reaching out. Because of the targeted nature of the landing page, the visitor will get encouraged to follow all the outlined steps.

But if the ad links the visitor to the homepage of your site containing general info, the visitor may get lost in the sea of data.

    • They help boost credibility

Because of the focused nature of landing pages, you can get the elements and contents of the landing page done in such a way as to fast track results. Users are more comfortable with pages that have a defined path. They will feel you understand their challenge and your page seems like one that can solve it.

Also, for pages that have testimonials, it gives the visitor a sense of connection when he or she sees someone similar sharing a success story. Associating your brand with the success of your clients shows you have a human face and can do the same for them. This will propel them to act in your favor.

    • Brand awareness

When you are building a landing page, you should ensure that the page look, style, copy, and other components tally with the main content. When a landing page has consistency, it helps with brand marketing. Doing this will improve your business by improving the legitimacy and consistency of your brand. When people find their way to your landing page a second time, they will be familiar with it.  Most people are more comfortable dealing with brands they are familiar with a landing page will help them remember the brand.

    • Cost-saving

Spending money on ad campaigns without noticeable results can be frustrating. But using a well-designed and focused landing page can be a game-changer. The proper landing page analytics will help highlight the performing sections of your website while showing the underperforming ones. This data will help you know where to make improvements and where to maintain momentum.

Also, having a targeted approach based on available data will help cut costs. Also, using data like the demographics and contacts provided on such pages means you won't spend money scouting for such using other means. The follow-up process will also be easier because you know your visitors and what they are like

Types of landing pages you should know

Different marketers have different targets with landing pages. This is why different types of landing pages can get used depending on the campaign. Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular ones:

    • The opt-in bribe landing page

The opt-in bribe landing page is one of the most used on the internet. It composes of a copy, product image, and a form to get filled. When a visitor finds him or herself on this page, they may choose to subscribe to the newsletter while they get a reward like a downloadable guide.

There are three distinct reasons why this page works well. The first reason is that it has a preview image of the product. This helps the visitor have a picture of the product and also makes it look more real. Products projected with an image stand a better chance to sell than those without.

The second reason for the success of this landing page is that it is headline focused. Once you find yourself on the landing page, you will notice the headline. The right headline has the power to catch the attention of the reader and sell your product.

The third reason is short for which has about three fields. The form is not ambiguous and can get filled in a few seconds.

This landing page has four distinct ingredients that make it stand out. They include the product image, the headline, form, and the benefits section.

    • Video landing page

The video landing page has a focus on videos. Such videos usually do not have a pause or play butt and use a blank background. Doing this ensures that the viewers do not get distracted from the video. You may even opt to disable the volume of the video. Once the viewer has finished watching such videos, they get directed to a sales to a sales or download page. 

The outstanding benefit of using this type of page is that they guarantee better conversion, limited distractions, and offer improved engagement. The main components of a video landing page include the button, form or landing page, and the video.

    • Product landing page

Despite what many people may think about this page, it works well! The page works well because of three reasons. The first is it has a focus on features and the readers will get a good idea of what the product is about and what it aims to achieve.

Also, this landing page displays the product's design and features. Another reason is that the landing page uses tools such as FAQs, social proofs, and the likes. Products with user reviews, testimonials, and likes help to assure the potential customer and lead to increase sales. 

The average product page is made up of a list of benefits, a hero picture, some proof, how to buy a directive. The page is quite flexible and you fix in one or two features that help make your platform more appealing.

    • Long sales page

This landing page has established a strong reputation in the marketing industry for years now. Such pages are quite long sometimes exceeding 10,000 words. The paradox here is that despite the disinterest among people in reading long tests, such pages tend to convert when they get done well.

This page type is best for customers who have been nurtured already and need slight encouragement to make the purchase. Such pages emphasize the value proposition of the product.

There are two distinct reasons why this page seems to convert well. The first is that it has a way of capturing the attention of the customer. Once there is a good story behind it, there are enthusiasts who would not mind reading through.

The next reason is that it has a focus on the value proposition as the best pages will always focus on the value you will derive from purchasing such a product or service. To make the most of this landing page, ensure the headline, body copy, and CAT is well done.

One challenge with this type of page is that they may get viewed as being spammy. The easiest way to avoid such a situation is to use the right SEO and design. 

    • Lead generation page

A lead generation page aims to convert the website visitor into a possible lead for your brand. This gets achieved by going for information such as email address, name, number, job role, size of the company, and the likes.

Having such information will help you speed-up the lead conversion process. This landing page type is more useful in build funnel users and email subscriptions. 

Best practices for landing pages

If you want to get the best performance from your landing pages, you should be mindful of the following.

    • Be visual 

Giving a visual expression of your product on your landing page with videos and pictures. Doing this will ensure you scale conversions at unprecedented rates.

    • Keep the CTA high

Even though long-form landing pages boost conversion when well used, it may be different for your campaign. In such a scenario, ensure that your CTA remains above the fold. 

    • The lesser the page navigation the better

While creativity isn't exactly a bad idea, you shouldn't use too much navigation as you want the potential customer to focus on the CTA.

    • The shorter the better

The main focus is for your visitor to visit and breeze through while taking an action. This means you don’t want to include too many distractions such as designs and copy. The simpler the better.

Also, make sure you focus more on value so that the visitor will get encouraged to take immediate action. Know what your customer wants and aim to give it to them on the page. 

    • Don’t be too sure

While you may be an expert with long experience with landing pages, it is always ideal that you carry out due diligence before proceeding. You need to test every aspect of the page ranging from the best headline to use and even the videos and images.

How to get the best results from landing pages

Landing pages are vital for companies looking to gain traction. Here are some of the outstanding benefits of landing pages:

   • Lead generation

Landing pages get made to tell the story of your organization in a unique and moving manner. They are also used to draw visitors to your brand and to change the visitors to loyal customers. They are vital for lead generation.

It is easier for a marketer to get a lead by directing them to a landing page. One mistake many companies make is that they focus more on their homepage and ignore the landing page. But visitors don't want to waste time searching for the information they need, they would prefer it to be efficient and quick. Landing pages get designed to be specific and this exactness is one thing that draws visitors to them.

    • They help with demographic data collection

The logic behind landing pages is that you are offering your visitors something (like an e-book) and you expect them to pay you with information. Most landing pages have a place where you can fill forms. The information usually requested center around demographics and contact data. With this vital information, contacting the leads becomes easier.

The demographics also gives you an idea of how to pursue the leads and the strategies to deploy. With this data, you will know the right team to follow up on the leads and the type of mails you will send. With the demographic data, you can tell which leads stand a better chance of becoming closed deals.

   • Data tracking

The good thing about landing pages is that you can track the data contained in them and this will help you know the level of engagement of your leads. You can tell if your lead has signed up for offers and this will tell you the level of engagement from their end.

Also, with the data from the landing pages, you can tell how well the offers are doing. A comparative analysis of the offers and their performances will tell you what is working and what should be stopped.

Some of the vital data on the landing pages include the page conversion rate, time, and page bounces.  Having these data will help you understand which pages and working and why and then apply the same to the non-performing ones.

    • Elimination of obstacles 

With landing pages, you can be sure of minimal distractions for your leads. With the homepage, the visitor may get tempted to explore the different options and end up confused. Most visitors often decide on your page within the first few minutes which is why you need them to be in the right place. 

This is why landing pages should have minimal distractions. A landing page shouldn't have social buttons, unnecessary navigations, links, and other offers. As good as these are, they will only distract your visitor from becoming a lead.

    • Optimization and testing

The landing pages can get tested and optimized like the landing page data can get processed. You should be able to carry out tests on most of the landing page elements. You can test the copy, videos, and images, and form to see what is working and end what isn't converting.

    • The form

One thing that puts people on many landing pages is a situation where the page owner becomes too demanding by asking for too much information. Forms with too many questions get fewer conversions. The lesser the form fields the better for you. Stick to the most important information and leave out the rest. For instance, if you have the email of the prospect, you may not have to request a phone number. 

You don't need to ask them to fill in their marital status if you don't need the information and you don't need them to disclose their job type or income. It is a fact that forms that have more than three fields have less conversion, especially among newbies.

    • Use evidence

Anyone visiting your landing page will be more likely to subscribe if they see people who have gotten results from what you are offering. You should add names, testimonials, videos, titles, and pictures of beneficiaries of your content with proof of their feedbacks. This will upgrade your rate of conversion and draw more people to your page.

Summary

Even though "landing page" could stand for different pages on a website, in the field of marketing, they refer to certain pages made for marketing campaigns. Such landing pages can improve the chances of success of your marketing campaign. They help create focuses traffic and lead conversion for your website.

We have taken out time in this article to explore what a landing page is and the benefits they offer. We believe we have answered the question "what are landing pages and why are they important? “ Getting a functional landing page is not an option for any serious business, it is a necessity!

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