One of the main constants in marketing is to keep things simple for your audience. The more they understand what it is you are communicating, the more likely they will be to engage with it. This is the central reason why we use landing pages in digital marketing. There are some simple steps you can take when creating landing pages to increase the likelihood that your audience will engage – and convert.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is what it sounds like – a standalone web page where your potential customers can “land” after clicking on an ad or link. They are designed with a singular goal or focus in mind, and because of this, can often be attributed to an increased likelihood of conversion – or action-taking – on the part of the consumer (when done well of course.) 

When to use a Landing Page

Landing pages are great, but they do not replace your main website or homepage and should not be used for all stages of the consumer journey. For example, when building brand awareness, educating early-stage customers or encouraging browsing, it’s best to lead your audience to your main website. 

Alternatively, some scenarios that would be good uses of a landing page include:

• Focused or targeted campaigns with a specific audience in mind
• Event or product launches with a specific timeframe or action
• Online ad campaigns where you want to measure results
• Lead generation efforts where your goal is to capture emails

What Makes a Good Landing Page? 

When designing a landing page, there are a few key elements to keep in mind:

1. Strong Headline: Just like any piece of marketing content, the headline is more likely to be read than any other section of the page — so make it count!
2. Concise and Persuasive Content: Remember, landing pages need to have a simple, singular focus. Content should be scannable and easy to read and convey a persuasive message about your offering. Consider including testimonial quotes, easy to scan data points or bullets.
3. Clear and Compelling CTA: Try to create a super-specific and clear CTA, stick to just one if you can, and put it in a few places. For example “Start Your Free Trial” or “Learn More about PRODUCT” or “Download Your Guide Now.” Remember, this is the reason you are creating this page in the first place! 
4. Related Imagery: Making the landing page appealing to the eye is one part scannable content and one part relevant/clean and pretty design. Using relevant images can engage your consumer and help educate them further about your value proposition (even if they don’t read the whole page.) 
5. Distraction-free Design: Speaking of design, don’t over do it! Keep in mind the singular focus of landing pages….and help your consumers stay focused! Keep only the content that is most relevant and beneficial to your messaging, and avoid adding too many links.

Landing Page Guides and Templates

Ready to build your landing pages? Whether you are building a landing page in a sophisticated CMS or an out-of-the-box one, the best practices remain the same. 

If you are a visual learner or need more guidance, here are two great landing page resources (filled with examples) to help you get started:

1. Hubspot “Landing Page Design Examples to Inspire Your Own in 2023”
2. SEM Rush “What Is a Landing Page? Landing Page Examples + Guide”