What’s the difference between a homepage and landing page?
Think of your homepage like your brand’s digital snapshot. Users should immediately know who you are and what you offer upon visiting your homepage. On the other hand, a landing page is created to highlight a specific product or sector of your company. Where a homepage is essentially a catch-all for anyone who finds it, a landing page is designed to be found only by those specifically searching for it.
For example, if you search for “best dog bowl for tiny dogs” you expect to find a page with information about or products for best dog bowls for tiny dogs. It would not be as helpful to find a page with information about or products for general dog bowls. You entered a specific query, and you expect a specific result.
How can a landing page help my online business?
Landing pages can improve your digital presence in two main ways – content strategy and conversion opportunities.
As we’ve discussed, a landing page is essentially a webpage with a very clear focus, created to reach a specific goal. This makes landing pages ideal for SEO, SEM, and UX – all of which are concerned with giving the user exactly what he/she wants.
However, it’s important to set a clear goal about what the landing page is for, and which above category it falls into. Otherwise, you run the risk of trying to wear too many hats at once, overwhelming the user.
SEO landing pages
An SEO landing page is helpful because it’s a content-heavy page that incorporates a wide span of keywords or phrases which are related to one topic, but relevant to many queries. These pages are great for top-of-funnel queries, when users are still doing due diligence.
Every element on this type of landing page should work to further the user’s understanding of the landing page’s topic. These pages work best when they stay informational, but they can certainly link to the next type of landing page, which is action-oriented.
These content-heavy pages are typically created to support a larger content strategy, and can aid in the customer prospecting and lead cultivation process thanks to the value they offer users.
Conversion landing pages
On the other hand, a conversion-centered landing page assumes that the user has already researched and explored, and is ready to take an action. These pages are extremely effective for Google Adwords campaigns or other PPC efforts, as they create a clear path to conversion.
For ecommerce websites, these landing pages can be as simple as a well-designed and structured product detail page, where users are directed to add a product to their cart. Conversion landing pages can also be used to gather information about users through a sign up or contact form.
The key to designing landing pages that convert is making sure every element on the page leads users to take the desired action. But don’t confuse quality for quantity. Each element should be thought-out and purposeful, and there should be as few elements as possible. Less distractions, more conversions.
How do I create a landing page for my website?
Your digital team or web agency should be able to easily implement a landing page for you. Every CMS is different, so actual implementation will vary, but what is most important is the landing page strategy. To recap, your landing page should have:
- One specific focus
- One quantifiable goal
- A design which is optimal for UX
- User-centered content
- Best SEO practices
And a teeny tiny humblebrag…
Hudson’s CMS makes it extremely quick and easy to design conversion-focused or SEO landing pages. Our CMS features a unique page builder feature, which allows our clients to easily design landing pages, complete with calls-to-action (CTAs), forms, and all types of content – in a matter of minutes. Additionally, our CMS allows all pages to follow best technical SEO standards.
If you want to learn more, let’s chat. Nothing gets us going quite like a new landing page.