When it comes to digital marketing, deciding between a full-blow website or a landing page can be difficult. While there is no right or wrong answer, you do need to consider the following factors carefully.
Websites are usually used to inform or educate visitors or to sell products via e-commerce.
Landing pages are usually used for lead generation.
Both can be used as top of sales funnel content.
What is the difference between a website and a landing page?
You might be asking yourself, “what is the difference between a website and a landing page?” Well, let me explain.
A website can be used for any purpose, while a landing page is specifically designed to make people take the desired action and move towards conversion.
The advantage of landing pages is that they are limited in scope and very simple, which means easier to maintain. On the other hand, the goal of a landing page should be apparent for visitors; they should know within seconds what the purpose is.
In comparison, a website can cover multiple topics or serve numerous purposes and tends to be larger in size (can contain thousands of pages). A website also requires more resources and time to develop because it often contains an abundance of content.
Why would you use a landing page as opposed to a website?
Landing pages are used when you want a visitor to take a specific action, such as subscribe to your email list.
Landing pages can also convert better than a full-blown site since they are simpler and more focused. In addition, the visitor knows exactly what will happen if they interact with the page (since it’s only one action).
Another benefit is that once a user has converted, all of their information can be gathered in one place (on the backend), making it easy for marketers to re-target audiences by sending them relevant content or ads.
For example, if a customer visits your site to learn about the different types of dog food, you could re-target them with an ad for specific puppy chow once they convert.
Why would you use a website instead of a landing page?
If your goal is to inform people about something, then I would recommend using a website instead of a landing page.
If you’re looking to inform people about your company or brand, then I suggest building out an entire website rather than trying to cram all of that information on a landing page.
Alternatively, if you want to sell products via an e-commerce store, then a website is your best option.
Do you need a website or just a landing page?
It depends on your goal and your business model.
If your goal is to have people buy something like coaching, an ebook, or an information product, then you should definitely use a landing page.
It’s much easier to get people to take action if they know exactly what will happen when they click “order” or sign up for the email list.
You can also send them follow-up emails with special offers, discount codes, and other relevant information once a user subscribes.
There are also some benefits of having both.
A website allows users to view content in multiple ways; however, when it comes time to convert someone into doing an action, you should be implementing landing pages (with clear calls to action).
How are websites and landing pages similar?
Both websites and landing pages are ways of online marketing that can be used for lead generation or content creation.
However, both have pros and cons depending on the goals of the business.
So which should you choose?
If you’re looking for long-term results, then consider investing in a website if it’s within your budget; it’ll provide more flexibility down the road if your company grows and changes its focus. For now, though, try starting out with a landing page and work from there.
Is it possible to create both?
You might wonder if a combination of both (landing page/website) would be better.
The answer is it depends on your business model and goals.
In my business, I use a mix of both.
I use a website to host evergreen content that ranks in search engines, and a landing page that converts visitors into leads.
I use both as part of my onboarding process because the content pulls people to my sites, but I also use landing pages to get people to sign up for the email list.
Driving traffic to a landing page
The easiest way to drive traffic to a landing page is through advertising.
There are a few platforms (like Google Adwords or Facebook) that allow you to target specific keywords or audiences.
For example, I could use these ads to target people who are searching Google for info about “email list software.”
If they convert, I would know exactly which platform is converting the best.
You can also use social media to drive traffic.
One part of my marketing strategy is to drive traffic to my landing pages from blog posts and Youtube videos.
Driving traffic to a website
There are a few ways to get traffic to your landing page.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the most common way, and it’s also free.
Your goal should be to have as many of your keywords in the URL as possible: Websites should use target keyword –product-name instead of product-name.
You can also include relevant long-tail search terms in the domain name and description tag on your website so it ranks higher for specific queries. Another option is building links from relevant articles and forums that link back to your site or blog posts.
How to design a high converting landing page
Depending on the purpose of your landing page, you should include a clear headline and compelling/interesting copy.
You’ll also need images or videos to help tell the story.
If your goal is to get the user to take some kind of action, such as signing up for an email list, you will want to clarify what they need to do.
The great thing about landing pages is they take advantage of marketing automation software.
Use a landing page builder to create the page, hook it up to your email service provider, and have an automated marketing campaign.
How to design a high converting landing page
Depending on the purpose of your landing page, you should include a clear headline and compelling/interesting copy.
You’ll also need images or videos to help tell the story.
If your goal is to get the user to take some kind of action, such as signing up for an email list, you will want to clarify what they need to do.
How to write effective copy for a landing page
The headline helps encourage click-throughs, while the subheadline draws attention to what’s most compelling about the product or service. In addition, bullet points are great because they break up text into manageable bits (especially for long sales pages) while making it easy to read the key benefits of your product or service.
For example, you could use bullets like these if you’re trying to sell something on an informational website:
• [BULLET POINT] How to get higher rankings in search engines
• [BULLET POINT] How to do email marketing the right way
• [BULLET POINT] How to make your blog more popular on Facebook
If you’re offering services, then include more detailed information about what clients can expect from working with you: What are the main benefits? How do you deliver results?
If you’re running a service business, then share results or testimonials from clients.
Who is already using your service? Whom can users connect with for recommendations?
This is an easy way for visitors to see how you’ve helped others and, as a result, decide if they want their business or brand to reach similar goals.
Case studies are also great because they provide valuable information that can teach people something while showing them what they’ll receive by working with you.
Consider using an attention-grabbing headline like “How I got my first 1,000 Facebook fans.”
Include your credentials in a clear way that draws attention.
Effective landing pages answer questions and give people the information they need to decide whether or not they want to convert into a lead (or a customer).
How to structure an easy to use website
The navigation of your website is very important.
You want to make sure that people can find the information they need quickly and easily so that they won’t get frustrated and leave.
Your website is also a reflection of your brand, so you’ll want to present it in the best way possible with a clean design that is easy to read and follow.
Consider including the following features to help users navigate your site easily:
Site map: This is a list of every post or page on the website, along with links to those pages.
It helps navigate an informational website where users want to find specific information about a topic. (If you’ve built this into your website, then make sure it’s prominently placed so people can find it easily.)
A search bar: You should include a search bar so that visitors can more easily look up what they’re looking for if they don’t know how to navigate the site map. (This will also increase organic traffic if someone searches for something relevant instead of clicking-through from an external link.)
Contact page: This is where people will go if they need to contact you for any reason. Make sure it includes your email address and phone number, along with links to social media profiles (such as Facebook and Twitter accounts).
Creating evergreen content for your website
Evergreen content is content that will always be relevant.
This is an integral part of an inbound marketing strategy because your content will rank in search engines.
As a result, evergreen content can also bring a lot of traffic to your website. So you’ll want to keep publishing content that stays relevant for a long time.
These “evergreen” posts will continue to bring new traffic to your site and help you grow an audience over time.
Conclusion
So when it comes to website vs landing page, it depends on your business and marketing goals.
A landing page is a great way to build an email list of targeted leads, while a website is great for traffic generation from publishing blog posts and making e-commerce sales.