Landing Page

A landing page aims to capture contact information in exchange for something of value, such as a retail offer code or a white paper. Landing pages are different from other web pages in that they don’t live in the navigation of a website.

Landing pages serve a specific purpose in a specific moment of an advertising campaign to a target audience.

A website’s homepage usually provides a general overview of a business. But if you have a specific, short-term goal, a landing page is a valuable online marketing channel that can help you reach that goal in the buyer's journey. Because landing pages are designed for a specific target audience, they give you the ideal opportunity to convert visitors into paying customers.

Landing pages are ideal for digital ad campaigns, but they can also be useful tools when you connect a QR code on print marketing materials to a specific page. The goal of a landing page is to convert visitors, so it’s an essential tool to have at your disposal for all types of marketing campaigns.

What is a landing page?

A landing page is a standalone web page that a person "lands" on after clicking through from an email, ad, or other digital location. Every content strategy should include the use of landing pages to convert more traffic and increase conversions.

Once a user is on your landing page, they are encouraged to take an action, such as joining your list or buying your products. If the user takes the specific desired action, then your landing page has succeeded in getting them to convert.

Typically, a high-converting landing page only encourages users to take one such action, like to fill out the custom signup form on the page. Why?

It’s because of what researchers call the “paradox of choice.” In simple terms, that means that the more options you give people, the harder it is for them to make a decision and act.

Imagine you're offering a free ebook. But on your landing page, you also invite your users to visit your blog and buy a product and check out your social media channels. With each ask, the chances of your users downloading your new ebook grow slimmer because you've directed their attention away from your primary objective.

On the extreme end, too many choices can overwhelm your users, causing them to stall and take no action at all. This is why it’s critical to focus on a single call to action (CTA) rather than 3 or 4.

This is why a landing page should have a clear visual hierarchy and value proposition, and should be tested for the best conversion optimization.

Take a look at these landing page examples to see how successful companies implement these principles and create pages that drive results.

What makes a homepage different from a landing page?

There are a handful of things that set homepages and landing pages apart. Homepages have:

1. More links. On a typical homepage, you can find at least 10 links. There's often a navigational menu at the top, links in the footer, and many in the page’s content. On a well-optimized landing page, though, you'll usually find fewer links, and sometimes only one—the link that allows your users to convert.
2. Broader CTAs. Your homepage introduces your business and serves as a hub from which users can navigate to other corners of your site. Because your homepage has so many jobs to do, its content is often broad and has less specific CTAs (e.g. "learn more"). Since landing pages have 1 goal, they have tailored CTAs (e.g. "download our free ebook").
3. A different audience and purpose. Many of the people who visit your homepage probably haven’t decided what they want yet. On the other hand, users who end up on your landing pages have already shown interest in what you offer. They’ve ventured deeper into your customer journey and are more ready to convert.

Landing pages aren’t all the same. They can be sorted into 2 broad categories, which we’ll discuss below.

Main types of landing pages

Not all landing pages are designed to achieve the same result. Depending on your business model and where your audience sits in the marketing funnel, you will likely use one of two primary structures: a lead generation page or a click-through page.

The main difference lies in the action you want the visitor to take. While one focuses on gathering data to build long-term relationships, the other is built to drive immediate movement toward a purchase or signup.

Understanding these distinctions allows you to align your page design with your specific conversion goals.

Lead generation landing pages

Also known as “lead gen” and “lead capture” pages, this type of landing page focuses on collecting lead data. In other words, it collects information about your customers.

The trademark feature of a lead capture page is a form, which serves as the CTA. In exchange for a product or service, it asks users for data like their names, email addresses, and phone numbers. You can even ask for more specific details like their age ranges or job titles. That way you can contact leads and nurture their interest in your business.

This data serves another purpose as well. The information you collect can teach you about your contacts. You can then focus your marketing efforts and target the people who match them and are consequently more likely to convert. This can increase your return on investment (ROI), especially if you run paid advertising campaigns.

In this way, the data that lead generation pages capture helps improve your marketing strategy and make it more efficient. It allows you to tailor your ads to your audience so that you won’t spend money advertising to people who aren’t likely to convert.

Lead-generation landing pages are a valuable asset to your business because they provide insight on who your potential customers are as well as how you can reach them. If lead nurturing is a priority for you—or you need to understand your audience better—consider adding one to your site.

Click-through landing pages

Unlike lead gen pages, which use forms, the focal points of click-through landing pages are CTA buttons. Clicking the button redirects your users to a page where they can complete your desired action.

For example, a button that says "schedule a demo" might take the user to a scheduling page, “order X now" would redirect to a checkout page, and so on.

You’ll often find click-through landing pages on e-commerce websites or other sites that are more focused on making sales immediately rather than collecting user information. Besides the CTA button, these landing pages generally include persuasive information like product details or user testimonials to further intrigue and engage prospective customers.

When you create landing pages for your marketing funnel, it's important to understand where each type fits in the customer journey.

Lead generation landing pages typically serve top-of-funnel audiences who are just beginning to explore solutions and aren't ready to make a purchase. These visitors are more willing to exchange their contact information for valuable content or resources.

In contrast, click-through landing pages target middle or bottom-of-funnel prospects who have already demonstrated an interest in your offering and are closer to deciding whether or not to make a purchase.

To create high-converting landing pages, marketers need to match your page type to your audience's position in the funnel. Understanding this distinction helps you create impactful landing pages that meet your visitors exactly where they are in their buying journey.

Benefits of a landing page

Landing pages are different from other pages on your site because they focus on specific, short-term goals so that you can get the results you want. Besides increasing conversions, improving paid ad campaigns, and yielding new audience insights, the best landing page can:

• Boost your credibility: When you build landing pages, keep in mind that users typically appreciate clear, simple messaging that explains the value of what you’re offering. A well-planned landing page shows your customers that you have their best interests in mind. They’re also places where you can insert testimonials about your product or service, which are an element of social proof. Social proof has been shown to increase conversions.
• Reinforce your brand: You’ve already put in the work to build a digital brand, so use what you’ve learned. This is the result of maintaining consistency in your website’s appearance, tone, style, and copy. Having a clear and strong brand has several benefits. When your users don’t convert immediately, a strong brand identity can help them remember you in the future, respond to your remarketing efforts, or recommend you to their friends.
• Generate leads: Both types of landing pages can generate leads for your business and increase sales. Landing pages are more targeted, allowing them to focus on conversion rates rather than education and information. Instead, you can highlight the features of your products and services and sell more to a targeted audience that’s already interested in your offerings.
• Increase traffic: Even if lead generation isn’t your main goal, you can still increase website traffic with a landing page, increasing brand awareness and allowing potential customers to learn more about your business. When your landing pages are optimized for SEO, they can further target organic traffic to increase the potential for conversions.

Clearly, landing pages are essential to your marketing strategy. And the more optimized landing pages you have, the better. But that raises 2 questions: how should they be optimized, and what should they be optimized for?

16 landing page tips for SEO and conversion

A high-performing landing page must satisfy both search engine algorithms and human visitors. By following these 16 best practices, you can improve your visibility in search results while turning more of that traffic into customers.

Search engine optimization (SEO)

To appear in AI-generated answers and organic search, your page must be technically sound and keyword-optimized.

• Target long-tail keywords: Focus on phrases with four or more words (e.g., "organic dog food for seniors") to capture high-intent traffic with lower competition.
• Improve page loading speed: Optimize image sizes and minimize code. Faster pages reduce bounce rates and are prioritized by search engines.
• Earn quality backlinks: Gain "votes of confidence" from authoritative sites through guest posting or PR to boost your domain authority.
• Match H1 headings to meta titles: Ensure the headline a user clicks in search results matches the H1 on your page to prevent users from leaving immediately.
• Segment your traffic: Create unique landing pages for different buyer personas to ensure the keywords and messaging are hyper-relevant.

High-conversion design

Great design guides the user’s eye toward your primary goal: the call to action (CTA).

• Position CTAs above the fold: Place your primary button where users can see it immediately without scrolling.
• Use directional cues: Incorporate arrows or imagery of people looking toward your CTA to subconsciously guide the visitor's focus.
• Repeat your CTA: For longer pages, place buttons at the top, middle, and bottom to provide multiple conversion opportunities.
• Use bulleted lists: Break down complex features into scannable points. Large blocks of text are often ignored by modern users.
• Test several variations: Use A/B testing for headlines, buttons, and layouts to discover which combinations drive the most conversions.

Compelling content and media

Engagement is a key signal for AI search models. Quality media keeps users on the page longer.

• Write enticing headlines: Use power words like "free" or "now" to grab attention and state your value proposition clearly.
• Deliver messages via video: Supplement text with video content (including subtitles) to cater to different learning styles and increase time-on-page.
• Show products in use: Use demos or lifestyle photography to help prospects visualize how your solution fits into their lives.
• Make content shareable: Create unique, high-value resources that encourage users to share your link, naturally expanding your reach.

Trust and authority

Visitors only convert if they trust your brand. Use these elements to establish credibility.

• Provide social proof: Feature customer testimonials and "wisdom of the crowd" stats (e.g., "joined by 10,000+ users") to build immediate trust.
• Include contact information: Displaying an email, phone number, or physical address signals that your business is legitimate and accountable.

Common mistakes to avoid when creating landing pages

While studying landing page examples might give you inspiration, it's crucial to avoid these common pitfalls that can derail even the right landing page design. Here are three critical mistakes that could impact your entire page's performance:

Overloading the page with too much information

When visitors land on your page, they need clear, concise information that guides them toward your desired action. Cluttering your landing page with excessive text, multiple offers, or unnecessary images can overwhelm users and dilute your message. Keep your content focused and relevant to your specific offer.

Using weak or unclear CTAs

Your call-to-action is the cornerstone of your landing page's success. Vague CTAs like "Click Here" don't create urgency or communicate value. Instead, use specific, action-oriented language that clearly states what users will get when they click, such as "Start Your Free Trial" or "Get Your Custom Quote Today."

Neglecting mobile optimization

You should always optimize landing pages for mobile because many customers use their smartphones to access websites. Failing to do so can significantly hurt your conversion rates. Ensure your page is responsive, loads quickly on mobile devices, and maintains an intuitive layout across all screen sizes.

How to measure the success of your landing pages

To optimize your entire page performance and stay competitive with other landing pages in your industry, you need to track the essential metrics that tell you how well your landing pages are performing. Here are the essential metrics to monitor:

Conversion rate

Your conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete your desired action, whether that's filling out a form, making a purchase, or downloading content. This metric directly reflects how well your landing page resonates with your audience and fulfills its purpose. A good conversion rate varies by industry and offer type, but generally, rates between 2-5% are considered average, while top-performing pages can see rates of 10% or higher.

Bounce rate

The bounce rate tells you the portion of website visitors who leave your page without performing an action.

A high bounce rate might indicate that your page content doesn't match visitor expectations, your page loads too slowly, or your offer isn't compelling enough. Monitor this metric closely, as it can reveal issues with your targeting, messaging, or user experience that need addressing.

Average time on page

This metric shows how long visitors typically spend engaging with your landing page content. Longer times usually indicate that visitors are reading your content and considering your offer, though what constitutes a "good" time will vary based on your page's purpose and content length.

For pages with detailed information or video content, longer average times are generally better, while simple offer pages might naturally have shorter engagement times.

Traffic sources

Understanding where your visitors come from helps you optimize your marketing efforts and budget. Track whether your traffic comes from paid ads, social media, email campaigns, or organic search results.

This information can help you identify your most effective marketing channels and adjust your marketing strategy. Different traffic sources often show different conversion rates, so analyzing this data can help you focus on the channels that bring you the most valuable customers.

Create must-click destinations

Landing pages work best when they're strategically designed to convert leads into paying customers, making them a necessary part of your digital marketing and advertising strategy. Each landing page guides the customer journey, providing the perfect opportunity to encourage specific actions.

Ready to start building your own conversion-optimized landing pages? Whether you're a seasoned marketer or just getting started, Mailchimp's free landing page builder makes creating professional, high-converting pages easy.

Our intuitive features let you design, test, and optimize your landing pages. Start building your first landing page today and watch your conversion rates grow with every click.