What is a landing page? What to know + examples

A high-performing landing page is the consequence of immoderate deliberate choices, not luck. 

In this guide, we'll screen what makes a landing page different from different webpages, the different types, and 7 champion practices for creating landing pages that thrust results. 

We'll besides locomotion done a existent Semrush landing page to show these principles successful action.

What is simply a landing page?

A landing page is simply a webpage designed to thrust 1 action, for illustration a sign-up, download, aliases purchase.

Landing pages are commonly linked to from paid ads, email promotions, and different campaigns. When your landing page reflects what your run promised, visitors consciousness assured they're successful the correct spot — which is why landing pages thin to person beardown conversion rates. 

Plus, ads connected platforms for illustration Google, Facebook, and Microsoft often person amended placements and a little costs per click (CPC) erstwhile the landing page is applicable to the ad.

Landing page vs. webpage vs. website

A landing page is simply a azygous page built for 1 circumstantial audience, a webpage is immoderate individual page connected a site, and a website is the afloat postulation of pages nether 1 domain. 

For example, a homepage isn’t a landing page because it usually serves aggregate audiences. A homepage greets anyone who mightiness onshore location from a search, a marque mention, aliases nonstop traffic. And it tin person aggregate goals (e.g., present a business to users, build trust, and constituent visitors to different pages).

When should you create a landing page?

Create a landing page erstwhile a circumstantial audience, offer, aliases run needs a dedicated page that existing webpages can't present connected without losing focus. 

Examples of scenarios erstwhile you would want a landing page see erstwhile you’re:

• Running a paid run and request the page to lucifer the advertisement and its call to action (CTA)
• Targeting a circumstantial assemblage (such arsenic an industry, institution size, aliases purchaser persona) pinch messaging that wouldn't resonate pinch your broader audience
• Promoting a circumstantial connection — specified arsenic a product, free trial, demo, aliases lead magnet — that needs its ain focused page

For example, Meraki uses a landing page to beforehand their espresso instrumentality done paid ads. The page’s extremity is to get the personification to bargain the machine, truthful the full page is highly-focused connected elements that will nudge the visitant toward buying: merchandise comparisons, testimonials, images, videos, and listed features.

What are the different landing page types?

Different landing page types fto you align pinch circumstantial run objectives and include:

• Lead procreation pages
• Click-through pages
• Squeeze pages
• Sales pages

Lead procreation pages

Lead procreation pages are designed to cod visitors’ emails.

The extremity is typically to connection a work aliases valuable portion of contented successful speech for personification details, which is useful if you want to turn an email list.

For example, Mailchimp offers a free assets connected ecommerce insights successful speech for a business email and a fewer different details.

Click-through pages

Click-through pages are designed to amended and seduce visitors earlier sending them to a conversion page to complete an action.

A click-through page is useful erstwhile visitors request much accusation earlier converting.

While click-through pages don't see forms, they do supply product/service benefits, societal proof, and a clear telephone to action that leads to the adjacent page wherever the personification tin complete a conversion for illustration filling retired a shape aliases buying a product.

Ecommerce businesses often usage click-through pages earlier checkout, while package companies usage them earlier a free proceedings aliases demo registration.

For example, users who click “Get Started” connected Monday.com’s click-through landing page are directed to a sign-up flow.

Squeeze pages

Squeeze pages are minimalist landing pages designed to seizure email addresses pinch very small friction.

These pages usually characteristic a azygous shape section and very small transcript — conscionable capable to pass the worth of the offer. Like this 1 from Morning Brew:

Squeeze pages are commonly utilized for newsletter sign-ups, webinar registrations, and early-access lists.

Sales pages

Sales pages are long-form landing pages designed to person visitors for higher-commitment actions, specified arsenic costly purchases, semipermanent subscriptions, aliases contracts.

Good income pages see elaborate product/service explanations, testimonials, pricing information, and FAQ sections to reside objections and build confidence.

B2B companies trading endeavor package and creators trading online courses often usage income pages erstwhile buyers request much accusation and reassurance earlier committing. For example, Marie Forloe’s B-School course.

8 landing page champion practices [with examples]

Follow these landing page champion practices to thrust much conversions:

1. Optimize above-the-fold contented by penning an engaging headline, including supporting visuals, and designing beardown CTAs
2. Leverage societal impervious for illustration reviews, lawsuit studies, and logo bars
3. Minimize navigational elements, truthful users don’t get sidetracked
4. Run A/B tests to spot really elements impact conversions
5. Optimize for hunt to amended your landing pages’s visibility successful hunt engines and AI systems
6. Ensure your landing page is mobile-friendly
7. Optimize shape designs to guarantee group tin easy convert
8. Monitor landing page capacity to spot areas that request improvement 

1. Optimize supra the fold

Optimizing above the fold (the portion of the surface users spot earlier scrolling) helps you instantly pass value, truthful visitors either return action aliases support scrolling to study more. 

Most effective landing pages see these above-the-fold elements:

• An engaging header that conveys the offering and piques interest
• A subheading that builds disconnected the header by describing the use of the connection aliases digging into the symptom point 
• A supporting visual
• A CTA fastener encouraging visitors to return the adjacent step

Write an engaging headline

Write an engaging header that resonates pinch users and entices them to study much astir your offer.

Your header perspective will dangle connected your audience. Different angles tin include:

• A problem-based header (e.g., "Tired of waking up exhausted?")
• An aspirational header (e.g., "Imagine waking up afloat of power each azygous day")
• A value-based header (e.g., "The greens powder that boosts your power successful 1 regular scoop")
• An identity-focused header (e.g., "For group who garbage to tally connected empty")

Consider testing different header angles to spot which 1 results successful higher engagement for your page. Then, fortify headlines by utilizing proven psychological triggers, specified arsenic urgency, curiosity, and specificity. 

For champion results, align your header intimately pinch the advertisement transcript aliases email that brought visitors to your landing page. Matching the connection reassures users they're successful the correct spot and reduces bounce rates.

For deeper guidance, spot our landing page copywriting tips.

Use a benefit-driven subheading

A subheading supports the header by clarifying the superior use of the connection and adding discourse without overwhelming the visitor.

Effective subheadings explicate really the connection delivers worth aliases what the visitant will get aft converting, helping users quickly determine whether the page is applicable to them.

Include a supporting visual

Including a supporting ocular supra the fold reinforces the header and subheading, and it helps visitors understand the connection astatine a glance.

Effective leader visuals whitethorn see merchandise screenshots, short videos, aliases societal impervious that show/prove the result aliases worth of the offer. The extremity is to quickly corroborate relevance and support the superior CTA — not to decorate the page.

Avoid forcing a ocular if it doesn’t make consciousness for your landing page. Landing pages tin still beryllium successful without visuals supra the fold. 

Design beardown calls to action

Strong calls to action make it evident what visitors should do next. 

Here are immoderate CTA tips:

• Use action-oriented fastener copy: Replace generic labels for illustration "Submit" aliases "Click here" pinch benefit-focused language. First-person phrasing (for example, "Start my free trial") often performs amended because it’s circumstantial and creates a consciousness of ownership. 
• Make the CTA visually distinct: Use a fastener colour that contrasts intelligibly pinch the page background, springiness it capable size and whitespace for easy interaction, and use subtle ocular cues to tie attention
• Place CTAs strategically: A bully norm of thumb is to spot CTAs wherever intent is high, which typically includes placement supra the fold and astatine earthy stopping points connected longer pages. That way, users tin person arsenic soon arsenic they're ready. 

2. Leverage societal proof

Leveraging social proof intends showing visitors that others spot and usage your merchandise aliases service, which builds assurance and reduces hesitation.

Add societal impervious to a landing page by including:

• Customer aliases customer logos
• Testimonials aliases short quotes
• Use aliases take metrics
• Review aliases ratings widgets from trusted platforms
• Awards

For example, Semrush uses a spot barroom pinch recognizable customer logos:

3. Minimize navigational elements

Minimizing navigational elements keeps visitors focused connected the superior action alternatively of clicking distant from your landing page.

Many brands usage landing pages that don't person full-site navigation and limit links to only what's essential.

For example, The Globe and Mail subscription landing page excludes the main navigation menu, leaving users pinch a clear connection and telephone to action.

Note that minimizing navigation doesn't mean removing it entirely. Landing pages should still supply entree to basal links — for illustration privateness policies, terms, and constricted marque navigation — to debar frustrating users aliases blocking replacement conversions.

Navigation value tin besides impact paid hunt performance. Google has stated that landing pages pinch mediocre navigation tin trim advertisement visibility and summation costs. 

4. Run A/B tests

Running A/B tests connected your landing page lets you comparison 2 versions of an constituent — for illustration a header aliases CTA — connected a landing page to spot which 1 performs better. 

In a emblematic test, users are divided arsenic betwixt a power (original version) and a version (modified version). Like this A/B trial that compares having a fixed image versus a video. 

The winning type tin past go the main page.

You tin A/B trial elements specified arsenic headlines, assemblage copy, visuals, layouts, CTAs, and shape design. Just instrumentality pinch testing 1 constituent astatine a time, truthful you cognize which alteration impacted performance.

5. Optimize for search

Applying hunt champion practices connected landing pages makes it imaginable for them to look successful hunt motor results and AI-generated answers.

Plus, strategies that are bully for hunt besides thin to beryllium bully for conversions.

Key search-focused considerations for landing pages include:

• Crawling and indexing: Make judge landing pages aren't accidentally blocked by robots.txt, "noindex" tags, aliases crawl rules — for hunt motor bots and AI crawlers alike. An objection whitethorn beryllium time-sensitive run pages that won't beryllium reused aliases redirected aft the promotion ends. 
• Duplicate content: Landing pages that intimately lucifer different pages tin dilute a page’s authority, which tin effect hunt rankings. Use canonical tags to bespeak the preferred type and debar competing URLs.
• Page speed: Faster load times amended hunt rankings, usability, and engagement
• Internal links: Use soul links to support discovery, but debar adding unnecessary links that distract visitors from the superior conversion goal
• Accessibility and security: Pages should beryllium accessible to each users and served securely, which includes utilizing due contrast, readable text, and HTTPS
• Thin content: Even conversion-focused pages request capable meaningful contented to fulfill users and hunt systems. Each conception should intelligibly explicate the worth of the offer, supply discourse aliases proof, and support the superior conversion extremity — without padding aliases irrelevant detail.
• Content clarity for extraction: Structure contented truthful each conception tin guidelines connected its own, pinch clear headings, short paragraphs, and a azygous focus. Lead pinch the superior benefit, furniture successful supporting specifications arsenic users scroll, and usage progressive disclosure to present complexity without overwhelming readers. 

Use Site Audit to reappraisal landing page method health

Use Semrush's Site Audit to reappraisal your landing pages for issues related to hunt motor and AI visibility that you should address.

Start by configuring the Site Audit tool. Include your landing pages successful the crawl by specifying the folders, URLs, aliases subdomains wherever landing pages live.

After you’ve tally your crawl, click into the “Issues” tab to place problems specified arsenic blocked pages, copy content, slow load times, aliases mobile usability issues that whitethorn effect some rankings and conversions. 

Click into each rumor you spot successful Site Audit for a database of affected pages. And click “How to fix” for tips to correct each one.

Fix issues by bid of value (start pinch errors, past warnings, past notices).

6. Ensure mobile-friendly design

Ensuring mobile-friendly creation gives each visitant a bully acquisition connected your landing page, nary matter which instrumentality they’re using.

To optimize landing pages for mobile users:

• Use responsive design: Ensure the page automatically adjusts to different surface sizes, truthful the content, images, and CTAs stay readable and usable
• Make elements touch-friendly: Buttons and links should beryllium ample capable to pat comfortably, pinch capable spacing to forestall misclicks
• Prioritize readable text: Use font sizes and spacing that support contented legible connected mini screens without requiring pinch-zooming
• Simplify layout and navigation: Mobile landing pages should stack contented vertically to support focus
• Optimize forms for mobile input: Use due section types, specified arsenic email keyboards for email fields and numeric keypads for telephone numbers
• Optimize page speed: Mobile users often person slower connections, truthful minimize ample assets and unnecessary scripts to support load times fast

Test landing pages connected existent mobile devices to corroborate that layouts, forms, and CTAs behave arsenic expected. And usage devices for illustration Lighthouse wrong Chrome’s DevTools to place mobile usability issues.

7. Optimize shape design

Optimize shape designs (if your landing pages see forms) by making them arsenic unintrusive arsenic possible.

Users are improbable to capable retired forms that inquire for irrelevant information. Minimize overwhelming users by:

• Asking for basal accusation only: If a telephone number aliases institution size isn't required immediately, don't petition those details
• Using progressive profiling: Collect basal specifications first, past stitchery much accusation during onboarding aliases follow-up
• Consider multi-step forms: Breaking agelong forms into 2 aliases 3 steps tin amended completion by reducing perceived effort

You tin besides make forms consciousness easier to complete by using:

• Clear correction messages: "Please participate a valid email address" is much adjuvant than "Error successful section 2"
• Privacy reassurances: Add microcopy adjacent delicate fields, for illustration "We'll ne'er stock your email pinch 3rd parties"

8. Monitor landing page performance

Monitoring your landing page’s capacity continuously lets you find areas that request improvement.

Periodically reappraisal the following:

• Landing page metrics for illustration engagement rate, clip connected page, and conversion rate
• Heatmaps (a ocular that shows celebrated and unpopular areas of your page) and recordings to spot really group interact pinch your landing page

Investigate landing pages pinch mediocre metrics and personification behaviour that differs from what you’d expect. For example, heatmaps for a low-converting page mightiness show that galore users aren’t seeing your CTA. You mightiness past A/B trial a caller CTA placement. 

Case study: Semrush landing page

This lawsuit study examines a Semrush landing page designed to beforehand the Site Audit instrumentality and promote free proceedings sign-ups.

Rather than focusing connected a circumstantial campaign, this illustration highlights really Semrush applies landing page champion practices — specified arsenic clear worth messaging, focused layout, and spot signals — to guideline visitors toward a azygous action.

The hero

The leader is the above-the-fold conception of the landing page, and is designed to instantly pass worth and guideline visitors toward a azygous action.

On the existent Semrush Site Audit landing page, the leader includes:

1. Minimalist header: A simplified header pinch the Semrush logo, keeping distractions to a minimum
2. Benefit-driven headline: A clear header that communicates the superior worth of the tool
3. Supporting subheadline: Additional discourse that clarifies what the personification gets without adding friction
4. Interactive merchandise preview: A ocular constituent that lets visitors research the tool's functionality
5. Primary CTA button: A clear telephone to action that directs users to commencement a free 7-day trial

Mariana Clavel, the Content Strategist astatine Semrush who worked connected this landing page, says:

"The linked logo is location for marque nickname and to springiness users a acquainted measurement to research much of the tract if they want to.

The header is bold and benefit-driven, truthful visitors instantly cognize what they'll get.

Finally, the merchandise demo adds credibility and makes the page much engaging."

The societal proof

Below the leader section, the landing page features a conception displaying logos of well-known Semrush customers.

These recognizable brands thief found credibility early, particularly for visitors unfamiliar pinch the product.

"When personification lands connected the page from an ad, they mightiness beryllium unfamiliar pinch the Semrush brand," Mariana says. "Displaying recognizable institution logos helps america build spot and show that different reputable businesses are utilizing the product."

The page leverages societal impervious again adjacent the bottommost by displaying Semrush awards and accolades.

"This other dose of societal impervious is useful for hesitant users who request 1 past spot of validation earlier clicking the CTA. Think of it arsenic a assurance boost correct earlier the decorativeness line."

The solution

The mediate conception of the landing page expands connected the halfway worth proposition by highlighting the features and benefits of Site Audit. 

Here, the landing page uses short, scannable transcript paired pinch supporting visuals to make the accusation easy to absorb. 

Here are immoderate side-by-side mobile screenshots:

"This portion of the page explores the benefits successful much detail, truthful practically minded users tin make an informed determination earlier taking action," Mariana says.

A/B testing insights

The squad uses A/B testing to measure really mini changes to elements connected cardinal landing pages impact results that tin beryllium scaled crossed different pages.

Here are a fewer things Mariana's squad learned from moving A/B tests connected the Site Audit-focused landing page:

• CTA: "Try free for 7 days" drove much proceedings sign-ups than different variants
• Visual supra the fold: The interactive merchandise demo drove much proceedings sign-ups and payments compared to fixed visuals and GIFs
• Social proof: Incorporating trust-focused messaging drove much sign-ups

Create landing pages that convert

Anyone tin create landing pages that person by pursuing the champion practices listed above.

And since landing pages are often high-traffic, high-intent introduction points, mini method issues tin person an outsized effect connected conversions.

That's wherever Site Audit comes in. 

Running regular audits connected your landing pages helps you drawback these issues earlier they effect hunt visibility aliases wounded personification experience.