Landing pages 101. What are they? Why does it matter?

Hi! I'm Ali, the copywriter who specializes in fixing broken landing pages. This article is a compilation of a 5-part series I published a few months ago.

Part 1

The one biggest question I get about landing pages:

Q: What's the difference between a landing page and a home page?

Simplest way to explain it:

You have a jewelry store. Your 'storefront' is like your home page. It's the place people reach when they arrive, through a google search or your business card.

If someone walked in and wasn't sure what they wanted, you'd probably tell them to look around.

In contrast, if a visitor told you they'd just gotten engaged, I bet you'd take them right to the special side room where the engagement rings are kept!!

That last example is your landing page.

A landing page is a sub-page in your website where you send visitors. Since everyone who comes to the landing page was purposely sent there by you, you know exactly who is reading.

Of course, not everyone you try to send to your landing page will 'get there.' That's OK. That's your conversion rate.

The implications:

?? You can target directly to those people

?? You can totally mirror the words your people use

?? You can show your landing page draft to people in your target market

Did this help?

Part 2

The word 'shocked' gets thrown around a lot, especially in marketing.

Still, you'd be shocked how many business owners don't know what a landing page is!

Luckily, people feel comfortable enough to ask. Maybe it's because of my big understanding eyes which have seen no evil. Maybe it's because of my perma-smile. Here's my answer:

Q: What is a landing page?

Simplest way to explain it:

A landing page is a web page you send people to.

How do you send those people there?

Great question.

You send them to your landing page through a direct link.

This string of random letters and numbers is the 'address' of your page.

You could painstakingly spell the whole string over the phone "Yes, that's D as in Delta... No, D as in DELTA"

Or put the link behind something.

For example, a Facebook ad. Or a button in an email. Or an Instagram ad.

When visitors click, they are taken to your landing page.

The implications:

?? You can build and track the entire user journey

?? Your visitor cannot see the rest of your website

?? It will be obvious if you're doing it wrong

Did this help?

Part 3

This landing page misconception is so common.

Luckily, the answer is clear cut.

Q: Do I need a separate domain name for my landing page?

NO.

You do not need to buy a new domain name for your landing page.

Actually, your landing page is hosted on a sub-page of your site.

A sub page is one of those pages with a little forward slash at the end like:

https://lnkd.in/e5TMEPm

^^^That’s not a real link.

But you can try to click it anyway!

The implications:

?? You can create a new landing page right away without having to think of + purchase a new domain name

?? Your visitors will not experience brand confusion meaning they won’t be like “Who is this company who has two domains”

?? You build your landing page using the same programming/platform/whatever you use to get your current website live

Did this help?

Part 4

The BIG question every single founder asks me.

Q: WHY is the conversion rate on my landing page 1%-2%?

Simplest way to explain it:

Would you use a phone with 1% battery?

No. Because it’s about to DIE.

Your landing page doesn’t work because it’s broken.

You haven’t fixed it because deep deep down…

You don’t BELIEVE your conversion rate can go up.

If you sell through word of mouth. Then you CAN sell on a landing page.

Answer me this. Do you have huge profit margins?

No? Then a 1%-2% conversion rate is unacceptable.

Even if you're making money, a 1% landing page is a drain on your time and brain juice.

If your conversion rate is 1%, it's 1% because you haven’t translated the way you sell in-person to digital.

Think about it. It's not like your product has changed!!

The only difference is the medium.

The implications:

? If broken landing pages fixed themselves you wouldn’t be reading this

? Selling online can mean less overhead than in person

? Not to be too Disney but if you don’t BELIEVEEE nothing changes *cue tinkly music*

Did this help?

Part 5

If you already know the answer, you know a LOT about marketing.

Q: Will my landing page work?

If most of your sales come from word-of-mouth — YES.

Sometimes businesses get lazy for the best reason ever.

Nearly all their sales come from word-of-mouth.

Do these sound like crazy, fictional unicorn businesses?

Except for one tiny detail.

At some point business plateaus.

Not according to me.

According to the founders I speak to every day.

Here's why word-of-mouth has limited reach.

The average American knows only 600 people.

Only some are in your target market.

Of that slice, only some are ripe for referral.

Of that smidgen, only some ever reach out.

And let’s admit it - we ALL let leads slip through cracks.

If despite the odds…

If despite spending very little on marketing…

Most of your sales STILL are word-of-mouth…

This can mean only one thing.

YOUR PRODUCT. IS DYNAMITE.

The implications:

?? A plateau is normal because word-of-mouth sales are 600-people limited

?? Word-of-mouth sales are this big green flag indicating a healthy, robust offering

?? Your word-of-mouth referrals are originating with people 'speaking’ a landing page

Did this help?

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