How To Create A Landing Page The Definitive Guide 2022

• WHY DO YOU NEED A LANDING PAGE?
• SET YOUR CAMPAIGN GOAL BASED ON YOUR PURPOSE
• DECIDE LANDING PAGE SECTIONS TO INCLUDE
• CRAFT COMPELLING CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
• SELECT RELEVANT BUSINESS IMAGES/VISUALS
• DESIGN A FOCUSED, OPTIMIZED LANDING PAGE
• PREVIEW AND MAKE IT LIVE
• DRIVE TARGETED TRAFFIC USING VARIOUS MARKETING TACTICS
• TEST AND OPTIMIZE TO ACHIEVE A HIGHER CONVERSION RATE

1. Why do you need a Landing Page?

First of all, you must know whether you need a landing page or not. You may already have a website, but still, you’d like to have a landing page (or pages) if you:

Unlike a website, the purpose of a landing page is to accomplish a specific goal or objective. Maybe you want to sell a product, collect emails, generate leads, or promote free trials.

Hence, there should be no distractions. Every piece of content on the landing page must drive a visitor towards the goal.

For example, check out how a landing page on Codecademy is solely focused on promoting the pro membership.

Now if there’s a particular goal to achieve, you just cannot target everyone under the umbrella. There should be a specified group of persons who are most likely to invest/convert.

Hence, having a landing page helps in this situation. It means you’ve got a particular offering for a set of potential customers. And a landing page is a point of contact where both of these meet.

To know what your target audience looks like, you can build a buyer persona using a free tool like Make My Persona by HubSpot or you can conduct independent research at your end.

2. Set Your Campaign Goal based on Your Purpose

You are creating a landing page for a reason. And this reason is your purpose, which can be higher revenue, more leads, greater impact, etc.

Based on your purpose, you’ll set a measurable goal that compels you to put in the effort to achieve what you aim for.

When you know the purpose and the goal, use a landing page:

If you are launching a product or already have one, you can use a landing page to drive sales. In whatever industry you are in, a landing page works for all.

Besides promoting a single offering, you can also promote related offerings by connecting multiple landing pages. These may be up-sells (selling add-ons related to a product) or cross-sells (selling related products).

To show you an example, Waterdrop, an e-commerce company knows how well a landing page converts and, therefore, uses landing pages for the home page as well as product pages.

3. Decide Landing Page Sections to Include

A landing page may contain multiple sections, depending on the purpose.

An email collection landing page may comprise a handful of sections, whereas a product landing page may have all the sections.

But, what are these sections? Let’s have a look at them, one by one.

A headline on a landing page is like the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. It has the potential to hook you instantly.

Hence, always aim at writing a captivating headline that compels a visitor to scroll down the landing page.

To intensify the impact of a headline, couple it with a sub-headline that briefs about the offering or how it benefits the consumer.

Here’s an example of a perfect headline and a sub-headline from Thistle.

The next big thing in the line is a hero image, also known as the hero header. Instead of an image, you can also use a video.

Usually, it covers the whole area above the fold when the visitor lands on the landing page. Needless to say, it further elaborates on the offering or complements the offer.

A hero image should be of the highest quality. But at the same time, the size should be small. Otherwise, it may load slowly, ruining the user experience.

Brand Furniture does it with great ease, showing a relevant hero image that tells you what they have in store for you.

This is the most important component of a landing page. Every type of landing page uses a CTA to drive conversion, whether it’s a product page or an email sign-up form.

A call to action (CTA) has the potential to make or break your sales campaign. Hence, you should be careful while crafting a CTA. Make sure it complements your campaign goal.

For example, if you are an e-commerce store, using “SHOP NOW” and “GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW” are the best CTAs for product landing pages.

Similarly, an email sign-up page may show CTAs like “SUBSCRIBE NOW” and “BECOME A MEMBER”.

As the name suggests, a product description talks about the product listed on the landing page.

You can write a detailed explanation all at once or just provide a brief before writing more about the product.

The former works when you want to write a short copy and the latter works when you plan to write an extensive copy. Therefore, it’s better to break down information and prevent overdose.

For example, if you look at the HomeLoanGurus, you’ll see a brief product description right below the hero header, explaining how their product helps home buyers manage their credit situation.

A personal or a brand story has a significant impact on the reader’s mind. A study by Headstream says that 55 percent of the people who heard a brand’s story are most likely to buy in the future, 44 percent will share the story, and 15 percent will buy immediately.

So if you can provide a backdrop on what made you launch a product or a service or whatever you have on offer, people will empathize more, resulting in higher conversions.

For example, see how Frank Medrano, a calisthenics expert and fitness coach, shares his personal story on his website to motivate readers to take an action.

Now right after sharing your story on the landing page, it’s time to reveal your product.

Since people now relate to you and have developed a little trust, they are willing to see what you have in store for them.

For example, if we consider the above example, see how Frank introduces his fitness program right after his story.

Although a part of the product description, it’s better to create different sections for features and benefits.

In the features section, you’ll list all the tasks a product is capable of accomplishing or the attributes that define its qualities.

In the benefits section, you’ll tell how a product solves buyer’s problems or how it enhances their quality of living.

For example, have a look at the features and benefits of the Tropic Feel backpack explained on the landing page. If you want to build a landing page, you must check it out.

Social proof comprises customer reviews, testimonials, real-life product images, etc. Personal opinions from customers who’ve used or are using a product qualify as social proof.

Do you know 70 percent of online consumers read a product review before making a purchase?

Hence, it’s a no-brainer that you MUST include social proof in your landing pages if you want them to convert well.

Almost every landing page has a social proof section, like this one here on WP Astra’s landing page.

You’ve mentioned everything on the landing page – description, features, benefits, social proof, videos, brand story, and CTAs. But if you don’t make an irresistible offer, your prospects may straightaway refuse to buy.

Therefore, along with the best product or service, it’s equally important to present a no-brainer deal that’s too hard to turn down.

For example, check out Amazon’s Prime offer where you get fast deliveries, Prime Video, ad-free music, unlimited photo storage, and unlimited reading. Further, a discount is available in special cases. And there’s a 30-day free trial before you subscribe. Now that’s a lucrative offer.

In most cases, an offer is not enough to persuade a buyer. Now when you add bonuses at no extra cost, an offer becomes a “jaw-dropping” offer.

Needless to say, there’s a higher probability of a user purchasing if you add a couple of bonuses to the offer.

See how Brian Dean of Backlinko offers “bonus material” to attract prospects. You can also throw in bonuses that add value to your proposition.

To further strengthen your proposition, you can add an affirmation section on the landing page.

To put it simply, an affirmation is an assurance that helps you win a person’s trust and also portrays your business as a legit organization.

A simple affirmation can be a 30-day money-back guarantee if a product doesn’t meet the client’s expectations. Or if you are collecting emails, ensure 100 percent confidentiality and strictly no spamming.

For example, here at Glorywebs, affirmations are quite influential when it comes to gaining the trust of prospects and clients.

You may have delivered your best to make a one-of-a-kind landing page. But a prospect may still have doubts that need to be addressed.

To clarify these objections, you’ll have to add an FAQ section, answering commonly asked questions related to your offering.

Here’s an example of an FAQ section available on a website called StartupHR Toolkit.

Every landing page that collects user data for any purpose – like communication or processing payments – must contain legal disclosures stating how the data is processed.

So if you are collecting contact information via sign-up forms and lead generation pages, you ought to add a Privacy Policy on the page.

Further, if you are processing payments, you’ll have to add a Terms & Conditions (Terms of Services) declaration on the page.

Have a look at the landing page screenshot below that has all the required declarations mentioned in the footer.

4. Craft Compelling Call to Action (CTA)

Without CTAs, a landing page is of no use. Because if a visitor cannot take an action, the whole purpose of creating a landing page is defeated.

And it’s not just about adding a CTA but optimizing it for maximum impact. Let’s see how.

Remember your landing page should focus on a single goal? The same applies to the CTA button as well.

If you are collecting emails, just create CTAs that persuade visitors to sign up for your email list. And not asking them to follow you on social media.

If you are selling a product, focus on facilitating a transaction on the payment page when a visitor clicks on the CTA.

See how precise Ahrefs is while promoting their free trial across the website, including the home page.

Be Specific and Not Confusing

Instead of using “GET STARTED NOW” as a CTA for collecting emails, use “SIGN UP NOW”.

Similarly, instead of using “CHECK OUT NOW” as a CTA on a product landing page, go ahead with “GET INSTANT ACCESS NOW”.

The crux of the story is that the visitor should know what would be the outcome of clicking on the CTA.

Again, let’s take an example here.

You can either use “BECOME A SUBSCRIBER NOW” or simply use “SUBSCRIBE NOW”.

You can either use “REGISTER FOR WORDPRESS SECURITY WEBINAR” or keep it short and crisp as “REGISTER NOW”.

You can either use “REGISTER FOR WORDPRESS SECURITY WEBINAR” or keep it short and crisp as “REGISTER NOW”.

BIG:

Visitors should not hunt for CTAs. The CTAs should be big enough to capture the attention of the visitors.

BRIGHT:

Color combinations play a vital role here. Always use bright colors like red, yellow, blue, green, etc. against contrasting backgrounds. For example, using a red-colored CTA against a black or white background.

BOLD:

The text in the CTA should be bold and large so that everybody can read it properly. Moreover, text color should stand out against the background. For an instance, if the CTA button is black, the text should be in white.

Don’t hesitate to use CTAs frequently throughout the landing page.

One CTA should appear above the fold when the landing page loads on the user’s device, whether it’s a desktop or a mobile or a tablet.

You can place other CTAs after every section. Ensure there’s enough white space around the CTA.

Lastly, you can also consider floating CTAs that stick either at the top or at the bottom.

See how AWeber places CTAs intelligently, targeting the hotspots on the landing page.

5. Select Relevant Business Images/Visuals

Do you know text with illustrations performs 323 percent better than text without illustrations? Hence, your landing page should be a perfect mix of text and visuals. Let’s see how.

The first thing a visitor sees on a landing page is the hero image, a large visual covering the majority of the above-the-fold area.

Since 57 percent of users’ page viewing time goes to above-the-fold content, you need to make it as impactful as possible.

Use an image or an animated video or a custom illustration that explains your offering in the best possible way.

For example, LinkedIn’s hero image is a custom illustration depicting a person who is either at work or networking or learning a new skill. Notice how they have incorporated a work-from-anywhere theme in the graphic.

Viewers gravitate towards images with faces before moving to the text. Further, human faces trigger an emotional response, resulting in better engagement.

Hence, if possible use images with faces in your landing pages. For example, share customers’ pictures using your product or a group photograph of your team.

See how Voya makes judicious use of images showing the human face.

Custom illustrations add a fresh, premium outlook to your landing page. Further, if designed by an expert, it will instantly grab the attention of an onlooker.

Even 40.8 percent of the marketers agree that original graphics like infographics and illustrations helped them achieve marketing goals in 2020.

Take the example of Siteground, a web hosting company. The cool, vibrant illustration complements their offering for the summer in the best possible way.

Do you know using videos in marketing campaigns results in a 34 percent increase in conversions?

That’s why it’s a good idea to use videos on your landing pages. And immediately after a video, place a CTA to maximize the number of clicks.

For example, here’s AuthorityHacker’s landing page that uses a video to explain their offering. Similarly, you can also use videos, preferably 90 to 180 seconds long, to convey what you have in store for viewers.

6. Design a Focused, Optimized Landing Page

Now that you are aware of what constitutes a landing page, it’s time to get your hands on building a well-optimized landing page.

You can either hire a designer who specializes in creating landing pages or do it yourself by using a landing page builder.

Let’s discuss both options.

If instead of hiring a web designer, you want to experience the joy (or pain) of creating a landing page, you can invest in a landing page builder.

7. Preview and Make it Live

Once your landing page is ready and set to make an impact, it’s time to make it live.

But before you launch the landing page, you’ll have to accomplish the following tasks.

A landing page is a standalone web page. Hence, it has a URL.

You can use a custom URL for the landing page, which can be an extension of your website domain name.

If you are using a landing page builder, you can use their website domain to create a URL for the landing page.

For example,

A custom URL can be https://glorywebs.com/landing-page-123

And if using Mailchimp for a landing page, the URL will be https://glorywebs.com/landing-page-123

Setting up analytics is important if you want to retarget landing page visitors by running advertisements or if you want to analyze user behavior on the landing page.

For example, you can add Facebook Pixel code to the landing page to gather data related to the site visitors. Later, you can retarget them by running ads on Facebook.

Similarly, setting up Google Analytics helps you in analyzing user behavior and interaction on the landing page. You also get to know about the demographics. Further, you can set up goals and events that help you out with the conversions.

A fully functional landing page is integrated with different tools that add functionality to the page.

Based on your requirements, you’ll have to integrate tools to render a seamless user experience.

For example, on a product landing page, you’ll have to integrate a payment gateway to facilitate payments in all forms.

For a lead generation page, you’ll have to connect a CRM that handles leads in the most organized way.

An email marketing tool is a must. You can drive visitors to the landing page and generate sales if you have an active email list.

Now that everything is ready, you just have to push it live.

However, proofread content one last time to find and correct any grammatical and syntax errors in the copy.

A visitor may judge your proposition by finding a grammatical error in the copy.

Therefore, you must ensure there are no mistakes whatsoever.

8. Drive Targeted Traffic using Various Marketing Tactics

A landing page is useless if there’s no traffic.

And to drive traffic, you’ll have to market your proposition, create noise in the industry, build the hype, connect and collaborate with influencers, reach out to your existing customer base, and so on.

How can you accomplish all these? By implementing the following strategies:

PPC stands for pay-per-click. Whenever someone clicks on an ad, you’ll pay an amount for the click.

The most prominent form of PPC advertising is search engine marketing.

You set up a campaign wherein you target keywords in ads for which you want to rank on search engines. In the ads, you add a link to the landing page.

As you can see, with PPC advertising, you’ll directly link ads to the landing page.

Therefore, it’s vital to have a highly optimized landing page if you want to witness the best conversion rate.

In the long term, SEO can be a major source of the traffic to the landing page. So much so that it can overtake PPC advertising in terms of revenue and conversions.

The average SEO conversion rate for a landing page stands at around 2.4 percent.

And if you publish educational content related to the landing page, you can drive massive traffic as you’ll rank for more keywords, resulting in higher sales and revenue.

Do you know the average conversion rate for email marketing in 2020 was 15.11 percent? Email marketing conversion rates are certainly one of the highest.

This is because you promote your offering to the audience that’s already subscribed to your content. Hence, the trust factor is already high.

You just have to provide value to your subscribers. If they find your proposition worthy, they’ll pay for whatever you are promoting on the landing page.

So if you haven’t started building an email list yet, it’s the right time to start because if you invest in email marketing to promote your landing page, you can earn $42 for every $1 spent, a massive 4200 percent return.

In affiliate marketing, you collaborate with online marketers and influencers to promote your offering.

Various platforms facilitate collaboration between sellers and affiliates.

For example, JVZoo is an online marketing platform that primarily focuses on software and tools. So if you have launched a product in this niche, you can connect with affiliates on JVZoo to promote your offering.

Similarly, there’s another affiliate marketplace called ClickBank, primarily used by sellers to promote e-books.

9. Test and Optimize to Achieve a Higher Conversion Rate

Once the traffic starts coming in, the analytic tools start collecting and processing the data.

Now it’s your job to assess this data and tweak the landing page to attain a higher conversion rate.

We discussed Google Analytics in one of the previous sections, remember?

It gives you all the information necessary to analyze user attributes and behavior on your landing page.

Whether it’s demographics, location, traffic sources, events, goals, or anything else, Google Analytics will provide data for the analysis.

Besides, if you are using a landing page builder, you can use their in-app reporting and analytics feature to track conversions.

According to 50 percent of the professional marketers, A/B testing is the most successful conversion optimization strategy to tweak conversion rates on landing pages.

Therefore, you should invest time and money in A/B testing to identify the winning variant of a landing page.