What is a landing page?

by Wendi McNeill

Before you begin to build a flourishing list or create a powerful sales page, you will want to start with a thorough introduction to landing pages. In contrast to distracted home pages, landing pages focus specifically on capturing leads for your eZine or making sales for a specific product – and make no attempt to give visitors a different option.

Another word which is used for a landing page for the specific function of capturing leads is a “squeeze page.” A squeeze page is a page designed to get names and email addresses. However, a squeeze page is usually a smaller type of landing page, which usually has an opt-in form in sight when the page loads.

So what is important to learn in an introduction to landing pages? First, it is important to recognize that all successful marketers use these. If you plan to sell a product over the Internet, you will want to use one rather than relying on sidebar opt-in forms and unclear pages that do not express a single point and a single call to action.

Another important thing you will want to take away from this introduction to landing pages is that every landing page contains the same parts and is focused on one goal which is getting the visitor to become a subscriber or a buyer.

These parts are as follows: an opt-in form, a brief or lengthy introduction, a picture of the list/product owner, the signature of the list owner, and a call to action.

Deciding which model will work best for you can simply only be done through testing. While many boast a conversion and attribute it to the shortness of their introduction (many will be one short paragraph), others will boast a high conversion rate because they use long, detailed, and compelling copy.

If there is anything you absolutely must take away from an introduction to landing pages, it is that you cannot create a landing page or squeeze page that isn't focused.