Types of landing pages
Now that you know what a landing page is and how to create one, let’s dive into the two main types of landing pages:
Lead generation landing page: This mini-site generates leads by collecting information about your audience. It typically includes a form where visitors can submit their contact information, allowing you to follow-up over email and continue the line of communication. To encourage users to enter their details, offer an incentive such as a coupon code, e-book and webinar, or exclusive content via newsletter.
Clickthrough landing page: This type of landing page takes users to a sales or subscription page. It typically has a CTA that sends visitors directly into the checkout flow, nudging them to buy or subscribe.
When considering which type of landing page is right for your business, think about your goals. Are you interested in gathering contact information for leads? Are you offering a unique sale? Are you collecting RSVPs for an event? Focusing directly on this goal will help you build a precise and highly targeted page.
When to use a landing page
No matter what your goals are, there are a few ways you might seek to achieve them using a landing page. Here are the different kinds of situations in which a landing page comes in handy:
Directing users to your product: By creating a landing page with an actionable CTA, such as “Buy Now,” you can bring users directly to your product purchase page or eCommerce store.
Offering a free trial: If you offer a subscription service, use a landing page to get users to sign up for a free trial.
Capturing leads from a blog post: Turn your blog readers into leads by incentivizing them to enter their contact details in exchange for more in-depth content, such as a free e-book or whitepaper.
Obtaining newsletter subscribers: Use a landing page to encourage signups to your email newsletter.
Getting event registrations: Capture additional leads with a landing page that entices people to register for an event, such as a webinar or online course.
Creating user memberships: Use a landing page to get people to sign up for a paid membership that grants them VIP perks, such as exclusive content or members only invites.
Anatomy of a landing page
At this point, you should have a big picture view as to what a landing page is and why it’s important for your business. Let’s go over the basic elements that comprise a landing page so that you’ll know exactly what to include:
01. Enticing headlines
The first thing you’ll notice on landing pages is the headline. Like a headline in a newspaper, it can make or break whether people will want to keep reading. Sometimes, a strong landing page headline is data-driven, drawing in readers with a powerful statistic. Other times, it’s an actionable statement starting with a verb that speaks to your audience’s needs. The key is to write a headline - often, supplemented with a supporting subheadline - that immediately resonates with your audience and makes a promise to resolve their problems or improve their lives.
02. Stunning visuals
There are times when the visuals on your landing page may be more important than the text. Capture your audience’s attention right away with a beautiful template, a powerful image, a video or animation. This is your chance to shape the content in a way that resonates emotionally with your visitors. Be sure to place your most important visual content above the fold so that visitors are immediately drawn in.
03. Call-to-action
A CTA is the short phrase that prompts visitors to complete your desired goal, and it’s one of the defining elements of a landing page. Your CTA should be the action item you want visitors to take - for example, “Subscribe,” “Start My Free Trial,” or “Register Today.” If you’re stuck on what to use as your CTA, check out these powerful call to action examples to inspire you.
04. Summary of benefits
On a landing page, every word counts. You have one page to persuade your visitors to click the CTA and take action. Keep in mind that your audience is more likely to convert if they know that taking your offering will benefit them. Rather than using your limited web space to give a detailed explanation of what your offering includes, you should focus on showing what people can gain if they purchase or sign up.
05. Testimonials
Even after summarizing the important benefits of your offering to your audience, you’ll need to find a way to back up your claims. The best way to do this is by providing customer testimonials, which are quotes from actual customers who have used and loved your product. Including a testimonial on your landing page can be instrumental in motivating people to click the CTA.
06. Closing statement
For those visitors who scroll all the way to the bottom of your landing page, you can pack a punch with a persuasive closing argument in which you reiterate why they should convert. This statement should reinforce the main points of the page. While many visitors won’t reach these final lines, a closing statement nonetheless has the power to give that final push to those who are still on the fence.