A landing page is an integral part of any website, especially websites that will benefit from more user information and ones that are built to focus on certain actions. It is a dedicated web page that people are brought to or ‘land’ on when they click on a link to that website, usually from social media or email. In this guide, we’ll discuss the importance of the landing page – especially when it comes to lead generation.
Homepage vs. Landing Page
First things first, the homepage and landing page are quite similar but they do have distinct differences. While both pages serve to present the identity or brand of a company to a visitor, the two pages have different purposes.
The homepage is the general web page that helps a user navigate around the website. It is primarily characterized by numerous links and features all around that will guide and encourage the user to check out other parts of the site.
On the other hand, the landing page has a more focused purpose. A landing page should have far less links than the homepage – usually just one main call-to-action. This is because the landing page should encourage a user to a certain action.
There are two major kinds of landing pages: the lead generation landing page and the clickthrough landing page.
The lead generation landing page is the kind that collects personal information from visitors while the clickthrough landing page is more direct and offers something right away in the form of a singular button.
Lead Generation
A lead is a sales industry term for a prospective customer. To generate a lead is to attract random users to become people who would actually be interested in your company’s product or service.
Getting a person to purchase is to close that lead. Now with all this information, what does a landing page have to do with generating a lead?
Firstly, studies have shown that landing pages generate more leads than a homepage does. A stranger entering the homepage of a website can become confused with all the information being thrown at them. Furthermore, while the homepage is effective at guiding users around the site, homepages do not necessarily encourage them to do so.
Compared to the homepage, the landing page with only one call-to-action link, is way more likely to be clicked on. Our Orlando Web Design services page illustrates this nicely. With all its available information and links, the homepage makes a user confused and wonder “what do I want?” On the other hand, a landing page is simpler and more direct in terms of “do I want it?”
How Else Can a Landing Page Improve Lead Generation?
It can lessen the overall cost of getting leads. An effective landing page can essentially feed a thriving website with customers, saving a company money for future marketing campaigns.
Random users end up on the landing page from so many sources (e.g., search engines, social media, etc.) and all of them are funneled into the landing page.
Users arriving at the landing page means that they already have a certain degree of interest in the company. The landing page just pushes them further towards becoming a lead.
Data Collection
Not only can a landing page help a website generate leads, but more importantly, it can also help a website collect data. This data can be used to generate even more leads.
A typical usage of a landing page is to entice a user to input their personal information or to make an account in exchange for something of value. Some websites may offer discounts or free informational material (e.g., a free pdf, a webinar, etc.) in exchange for personal information.
A common form for personal information would contain basic demographic information that can be used for marketing and advertising to dial in the best demographic market. Take a look at our Tampa Web Design page to see how we are implementing data collection there.
Landing pages can also gain data even without asking for personal information. This data comes from clicks. The effectiveness of a landing page can be assessed based on just very basic information such as the time a user is on a page, the conversion rate (from random user to lead), and many more.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the landing page is an incredibly multifaceted and effective tool for lead generation – the first step in getting customers. The landing page has just the necessary information for a specific call-to-action, unlike the homepage that might confuse as it shows everything.
Furthermore, the landing page can help a company collect more information from users to help guide them when making future decisions regarding their market. With this information, you should certainly start thinking deeper into utilizing an effective landing page to collect leads for your business. If you’re unsure of where to start, contact Get The Clicks – we are the digital marketing agency you can trust!
Stephan Boehringer is the CEO of Get The Clicks, a web marketing company. Stephan has over 20 years of experience in the field of web marketing, and has been a speaker and consultant for many years. Stephan is passionate about web marketing and helping their clients be the best they can be.
Stephan Boehringer graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor of Science in Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services.
