Landing pages – even the term is enough to send some people into a cold sweat. The term applies to a page people will land on when they arrive on your website. You want them to hang around rather than leaving for somewhere else, so it makes sense to create a landing page capable of holding their attention.
A landing page could be part of your website, i.e. the home page, or it could be a dedicated landing page on its own site. In both cases, though, it must grab the attention and encourage the visitor to stay and find out more.
What should your landing page do?
It’s not enough for someone to arrive on your landing page and hang around for a while before leaving. You want to encourage them to become a customer or to sign up for a free newsletter or email, so you can maintain that initial contact. This could mean getting them to give you their name and email address, or it could mean getting them to find out more about your business, your services, or your products.
Don’t confuse people
It’s easy to do – when someone lands on your page, you want to tell them all about your business. They’ve got to find out as much as possible, so they can decide what to buy, right?
Well, no, not right. A dedicated landing page must have one focus, and one only. For example, if you have a weekly newsletter promoting your internet marketing course, or new lawnmower, or eBook (or whatever – you get the idea), your landing page should have the sole purpose of encouraging people to sign up for that newsletter. Conversely, if you want to make sales from that landing page, you must make this the focus of the page.
Achieving your aim
The best way to create a great landing page is to decide on your sole aim, and to put yourself in your customer’s shoes, or in the shoes of your potential lead, if you want them to sign up for more information. Why should they do what you want them to do?
Start thinking of the advantages of the benefits you are offering them. For example, your lawnmower could cut grass faster, more easily, and with no clippings left on the lawn.
That’s just one example – but it shows how a great landing page must target the audience effectively for it to work.
Tristan Whittaker
Founder & Director, Infinity3
Tristan Whittaker is the founder and director of Infinity3, with more than 20 years of experience in web design, digital marketing and technology. He works with businesses across the UK to improve their online presence, generate more opportunities and make better use of digital tools, AI and automation.
Combining strong technical knowledge with a practical understanding of how businesses actually operate, Tristan has helped hundreds of organisations create better websites, improve their visibility and simplify the systems behind them. He’s particularly interested in finding sensible ways to use technology to solve real business problems, without unnecessary complexity or jargon.