Landing page creation is a necessary part of total website creation for the important role these pages play in online marketing. Yet before you can benefit from well-designed landing pages, it is essential to know how they differ from your website’s home page.
Although they work together as part of an overall marketing plan, each kind of page has a specific purpose in brand exposure and marketing.
What Is A Home Page and What Does It Do?
A home page is basically the welcome mat to your website. Users who arrive at your home page are immediately greeted by your brand identity, featured content, and a navigation menu they can use to explore the site.
It is the home base of your entire website. A well-designed home page gives visitors a look at what your business does and tells them how they can connect with you.
Your home page is an essential tool to create awareness about your brand and leave a favorable impression on visitors. Even though most users spend just seconds on the main page of a website, your business will be judged by the look, feel, and function of the home page.
For the best impression, this essential page must be easy to use and cater to the needs of your audience, not those of your business.
What Is A Landing Page and What Does It Do?
While landing pages may look like simplified home pages, these mini-sites have two separate and distinct purposes: generate leads and support onsite optimization. They are designed to pull in traffic from one specific source, such as an email, a paid ad, a link in an article, or through an organic search for specific content.
That connection bypasses the home page and takes viewers directly to more information on a specific topic or to a conversion point like a signup form or purchase button. There are usually many landing pages internally linked to website content.
They enhance SEO for the entire website while increasing the chance that your pages will show up in the SERPs.
How Do You Create Landing Pages?
Landing page creation is also very different than home page design. A landing page provides information about one specific item or topic.
This may include promotional and informative copy, product images, video, customer testimonials and other content designed to raise interest and convince viewers to click on a Call to Action button.
They do not contain navigation menus, contact information, features, or other content that is on your home page.
When Should A Landing Page Be Used?
If you consider these two pages in terms of their main goals, it is fairly easy to decide when to use landing pages over directing users to the home page:
- A home page gives users all the information they need about your company, products, and how they can get in touch with you. So put the Home Page URL link on business social media profiles, forum signatures, and anywhere you list your business as a whole so that people can visit your website.
- When focusing on a specific product or topic with paid advertising and search campaigns when launching new products or when you want to reach out to users directly, a landing page is more effective.
- You can use either a landing page or a home page with retargeting campaigns, depending on where you want viewers to go. Use the home page if you want them to see all your company’s features and special offers. Use a landing page if you are retargeting specific items.
Every website has a home page that introduces viewers to the company and helps them find solutions to their questions and problems. When you include landing pages that target specific viewers and take them directly to content that addresses their needs, your conversion rate will go up. Landing page creation is an essential part of a successful SEO marketing campaign!
