Imagine that you are sitting in a meeting with your boss or client, discussing details of a campaign that you wish to launch. That’s when your boss or potential client turns to you and asks, “Can you create a landing page for this?” What is your answer? Yes? No? Do you know what should go on a landing page (or NOT go on a landing page?)? In this episode, we’re going to discuss all the details of what makes a website, what makes a landing page, and what the differences are between each one.
We invite you to listen here on our website or from your favorite podcast player. Scroll below for episode summary and other resources.
Episode 22 Summary
- After you buy your domain, also known as your URL or your dot com, you can create one or more pages that are connected to your domain and that are published to the internet. Once you do that, you can share your domain with others so they can visit and see what you published online.
- So, what is the proper name for that page or pages that are live and online? Do you call it a website? A blog? A landing page? One of the most common online terminology mix-ups we see involve websites and landing pages. While there are some similarities between them, they each serve different purposes, too.
- To start, while single-page websites have gone in and out of vogue over the years, typically a website has multiple pages to it.
- Websites cover the Who, What, Why, and How of your business; a potential customer should be able to visit your website and gain a holistic understanding of your business, its offerings, and how it solves clients problems.
- Websites also have standard features like a footer area at the very bottom of all the pages, a sidebar on blog posts or pages, and a visible navigation bar or menu that displays names and links to other pages of your website.
- A website can even have one or more landing pages attached to it, but those landing pages are typically hidden from the navigation menu so no one can easily find them.
- A landing page, on the other hand, has a single, distinct purpose. Often referred to as a “sales page”, landing pages are often used for specific campaigns and are free of distractions like links in the main copy of the page that a visitor could click on and take themselves away from the landing page, a footer, and any type of menu or navigation.
- The goal of a landing page is to drive some type of conversion: a sign-up for an email list or a free challenge, or a paid purchase of a product or course
- There are several landing page softwares you can sign up with, but we recommend building landing pages on your own site and domain. Many website platforms have a built-in landing page template that you can use. Keeping all of your campaigns on your site simplifies your online marketing in many ways.
- Note: If you build your landing pages on a 3rd party software (not on your website), make sure to investigate if you can verify your domain with Facebook, add social media pixels to it, and include Google Analytics tracking code. If you can’t, your conversion and data tracking will be limited.
Episode 22 Takeaways
Liz: Please, please, PLEASE add landing pages to your website instead of using a 3rd party software.
Ronda: Be clear with expectations when asked for a website or a landing page.
Resources: How to Plan and Build an Awesome Website, Do I Really Need a Website
Listen On: Apple Podcasts, Google Play, and Spotify
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Liz Jostes – LinkedIn, Website
Ronda VanBuren – LinkedIn, Website
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