Landing Page: Marketing Explained

When you buy something through one of the links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

A landing page is a standalone web page designed specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign.

It’s where visitors “land” after clicking on a link in an email, ad, social media post, or other digital marketing efforts. The main purpose of a landing page is to drive visitors toward a specific action, such as filling out a form, signing up for a service, downloading a resource, or making a purchase.

Unlike regular website pages, which may have multiple goals or links, a landing page is typically focused on one clear call to action (CTA) to increase conversion rates. Whether you’re running a pay-per-click (PPC) campaign, promoting a webinar, or offering a free trial, landing pages are tailored to a specific audience and objective to maximize the chance of conversion.

Understanding Landing Pages

Landing pages are central to lead generation and conversion optimization in digital marketing. They are designed to offer a targeted experience for users by removing distractions like navigation menus, multiple CTAs, or unrelated content. This clear focus on a single action increases the likelihood that visitors will complete the desired task, whether that’s signing up for a newsletter, downloading an ebook, or making a purchase.

Landing pages are typically linked to from:

  • Google Ads or Facebook Ads
  • Email marketing campaigns
  • Social media posts
  • Affiliate marketing efforts

Types of Landing Pages

There are various types of landing pages depending on the marketing goals:

1. Lead Generation Landing Pages

These landing pages are designed to capture contact information from visitors, usually in exchange for something valuable, such as an ebook, webinar, or free trial. They often include a form for visitors to fill out, collecting names, emails, and sometimes additional data to qualify leads.

Example CTA: "Download Your Free Guide" or "Sign Up for the Webinar."

2. Click-Through Landing Pages

These are designed to warm up visitors before leading them to a purchase page or a more detailed product/service page. They typically don’t include a form but instead offer a CTA button that directs users to the next step in the buying process.

Example CTA: "Learn More" or "Shop Now."

3. Product or Sales Landing Pages

This type of landing page focuses on promoting a specific product or service, with the goal of convincing the visitor to make a purchase. It often includes detailed product information, testimonials, and a prominent CTA directing the user to buy.

Example CTA: "Add to Cart" or "Buy Now."

4. Thank You Pages

These pages appear after a visitor has completed the desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase. They typically provide confirmation and may include additional offers or next steps to keep the user engaged.

Example CTA: "Download Now" or "Access Your Resource."

Why Landing Pages Matter

Landing pages are crucial for converting visitors into leads or customers. By focusing on a single offer or CTA, they eliminate distractions and drive users toward a specific goal. Here’s why landing pages are essential:

Higher Conversion Rates

Because landing pages are designed with a singular focus, they typically convert better than general web pages. With fewer distractions, visitors are more likely to take the desired action, whether it’s signing up, downloading, or purchasing.

Lead Generation

Landing pages are an essential tool for collecting leads. By offering valuable content in exchange for contact information, landing pages help businesses grow their email lists and sales pipelines. Effective lead generation landing pages provide clear value, compelling CTAs, and simple forms.

Campaign Tracking

Landing pages make it easier to track the success of marketing campaigns. Each landing page is tied to a specific campaign or traffic source, allowing marketers to measure performance and optimize based on the results. This data-driven approach helps refine future marketing efforts for better results.

Personalized User Experience

Landing pages allow marketers to create highly targeted and personalized experiences for different audience segments. For instance, you can create landing pages tailored to different customer personas, demographics, or interests. This level of personalization helps increase engagement and conversion rates.

Key Elements of a High-Converting Landing Page

To create an effective landing page, certain elements need to be in place to guide the visitor toward taking the desired action.

1. Clear and Compelling Headline

The headline is the first thing visitors see, so it needs to grab attention and clearly communicate the value of the offer. A strong headline should be concise, benefit-focused, and aligned with the campaign message that brought the user to the page.

Example: "Get Your Free Guide to Boosting Social Media Engagement" or "Start Your Free 30-Day Trial Today."

2. Persuasive Copy

The body copy should reinforce the headline by explaining the value of the offer in greater detail. It should be clear, concise, and focused on the benefits for the visitor. Bullet points can be helpful for quickly communicating key points.

Example: "Our guide offers 10 proven strategies to grow your social media following, increase engagement, and drive more sales."

3. Strong Call to Action (CTA)

The CTA is the action you want visitors to take, whether that’s filling out a form, downloading a resource, or making a purchase. The CTA button should be highly visible, use actionable language, and clearly tell visitors what they’ll get by clicking.

Example CTA Buttons: "Get Started," "Download Now," or "Claim Your Offer."

4. Visual Elements

Images, videos, or infographics can enhance a landing page and make it more engaging. Visuals should be relevant to the offer and help explain or showcase the product or service. Videos, in particular, can increase conversion rates by demonstrating value more effectively than text alone.

5. Lead Capture Form

For lead generation landing pages, the form is crucial. Keep it simple by only asking for necessary information, such as a name and email address. The fewer fields in the form, the higher the chances of conversion. If you need more information, ensure the value of the offer justifies it.

6. Trust Signals

Including elements like customer testimonials, reviews, case studies, or badges (such as security or certification badges) can increase trust and credibility. Trust signals help reassure visitors that your offer is legitimate and valuable.

Example: "Trusted by 10,000+ marketers," or "As seen on Forbes."

7. Mobile Optimization

With more users accessing websites via mobile devices, it’s critical that landing pages are optimized for mobile. This means ensuring that the design is responsive, loads quickly, and functions well on smartphones and tablets.

8. Minimal Distractions

Landing pages should be focused, which means removing unnecessary elements like navigation bars, multiple CTAs, or external links. The fewer distractions, the more likely visitors will complete the desired action.

Best Practices for Landing Pages

To maximize conversions, follow these landing page best practices:

1. Align Landing Page with Ad or Campaign

Ensure that the landing page’s messaging matches the campaign or ad that led the visitor to it. If someone clicks on an ad for a free trial, the landing page should prominently feature that offer. Consistency between the ad and landing page improves user experience and trust.

2. Use A/B Testing

A/B testing (or split testing) allows you to compare different versions of your landing page to see which performs better. Test elements like headlines, CTAs, images, and form lengths to optimize for higher conversions. Even small changes can lead to significant improvements in performance.

3. Keep It Simple

Landing pages should be simple and easy to navigate. Stick to one main goal or CTA, and avoid cluttering the page with too much information. Make it as easy as possible for visitors to understand the offer and take action.

4. Offer Clear Value

Visitors need to see a clear benefit in taking the desired action. Use persuasive copy to highlight how the offer solves a problem or provides value. Make it clear what’s in it for them and why they should act now.

Measuring Landing Page Success

To measure the effectiveness of a landing page, track key performance indicators (KPIs) such as:

  • Conversion Rate: The percentage of visitors who complete the desired action, such as filling out a form or making a purchase.
  • Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave the page without taking any action. A high bounce rate may indicate that the page isn’t engaging enough.
  • Time on Page: How long visitors stay on the page, which can indicate whether the content is compelling.
  • Form Submission Rate: For lead generation landing pages, the percentage of visitors who fill out the form.

By tracking these metrics, you can optimize your landing pages for better performance and conversion rates.

Conclusion

A landing page is a powerful tool in digital marketing, designed to drive specific actions from visitors. Whether you're generating leads, promoting a product, or encouraging sign-ups, landing pages are optimized to eliminate distractions and focus users on one clear CTA.

With a compelling headline, persuasive copy, strong visuals, and a clear call to action, landing pages can significantly improve conversion rates and overall marketing performance. By continually testing and optimizing your landing pages, you can create highly effective campaigns that engage your audience and drive business results.

More From Brand Credential:

Executive Communications: Marketing Explained

Executive communications refers to using executive personal brands and executive spokespeople as platforms for delivering key communications.

Influencer Marketing: Marketing Explained

Influencer marketing is a strategy where businesses collaborate with influencers—individuals who have a dedicated and engaged following on social media or other digital platforms—to promote their products or services.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): Marketing Explained

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing a website to rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), such as Google, to increase the quantity and quality of organic (non-paid) traffic.

Brand Standards: Marketing Explained

Brand standards are a set of rules and best practices that outline how a brand’s identity should be represented across all marketing and communication channels.

Personal Branding: Marketing Explained

Personal branding is the process of developing and promoting an individual’s unique identity, expertise, and values to build a public image that resonates with a specific audience.

Return on Investment (ROI): Marketing Explained

In the context of business and marketing, return on Investment (ROI) is a key performance metric used to evaluate the effectiveness of marketing initiatives relative to their cost.

Demand Generation: Marketing Explained

Demand generation is a marketing strategy focused on creating awareness, interest, and buying intent for your products or services.

Communications: Marketing Explained

In the context of marketing and business, communications is a practice that involves the strategic dissemination of information to build relationships, inform stakeholders, and create meaningful engagement with a target audience.

User-Generated Content (UGC): Marketing Explained

User-Generated Content (UGC) refers to any form of content—such as photos, videos, reviews, blog posts, or social media updates—created and shared by your customers or audience, rather than by your brand.

Brand Positioning: Marketing Explained

Brand positioning is the process of defining how your brand is perceived and the value it delivers to customers.

Landing Page: Marketing Explained

A landing page is a standalone web page designed specifically for a marketing or advertising campaign.

Social Media Branding: Marketing Explained

Social media branding is the use of social media platforms to establish and promote a brand’s identity, values, and voice.

Brand Identity: Marketing Explained

Brand identity is the collection of all the visual, emotional, and strategic elements that define how a brand presents itself to the world.

Product-Market Fit: Marketing Explained

Product-market fit occurs when your product or service satisfies the needs of a specific market, generating demand for the product among people in that target market.

Brand Building: Marketing Explained

Brand building is the process of creating and strengthening a brand’s identity, reputation, and perception.

Engagement Rate: Marketing Explained

Engagement rate is a metric used in digital marketing and social media to measure the level of interaction that an audience has with a brand’s content.

Content Creator: Marketing Explained

A content creator is someone who produces and publishes content—such as blogs, videos, social media posts, podcasts, or graphics—aimed at engaging, informing, entertaining, or educating a specific audience.

Inbound Marketing: Marketing Explained

Inbound marketing is a strategy focused on attracting, engaging, and delighting potential customers by creating valuable content and experiences tailored to their needs.

Bounce Rate: Marketing Explained

Bounce rate refers to the percentage of visitors who land on a webpage and leave without taking any further action.d

Virtual Influencer: Marketing Explained

A virtual influencer is a digital character or avatar created using computer-generated imagery (CGI) or artificial intelligence (AI) technology that appears on social media platforms to engage audiences, just like human influencers.

Media Relations: Marketing Explained

Media relations is a component of public relations (PR) focused on building and managing relationships with journalists, editors, influencers, industry analysts, bloggers, and media outlets.

Brand Equity: Marketing Explained

Brand equity refers to the perceived value, strength, and credibility of a brand in the eyes of consumers.

Event Marketing: Marketing Explained

Event marketing is the process of planning, promoting, and executing an event to promote a brand, its products, and services.

Organic Traffic: Marketing Explained

Organic traffic refers to the visitors who come to your website through unpaid, natural search engine results and other unpaid channels.

Communications Strategy: Marketing Explained

A communications strategy is a comprehensive plan outlining how a brand or individual will deliver key messages to its target audience.

AI Avatar: Marketing Explained

AI avatars are digital characters generated through artificial intelligence (AI) that are increasingly being used in social media, marketing, and content creation.

Conversion Rate: Marketing Explained

A conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who complete a desired action—whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or filling out a form—on your website, social media ad, or other marketing channel.

Creator Economy: Marketing Explained

The creator economy refers to the ecosystem of independent content creators who build audiences, generate revenue, and establish personal brands through digital platforms like YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and others.

Strategic Communications: Marketing Explained

Strategic communications is a focused approach to delivering messages that align with an organization’s goals, ensuring consistent and targeted communication across all channels.

Brand Values: Marketing Explained

Brand values are the core principles that a brand believes in and stands for.

Email Marketing: Marketing Explained

Email marketing is a direct form of communication that allows businesses and creators to send targeted messages to their audience via email.

Social Media Marketing: Marketing Explained

Social media marketing is the process of using platforms like Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn, and Twitter to promote your business, build brand awareness, connect with your audience, and ultimately, drive sales or other desired actions.

Public Relations (PR): Marketing Explained

Public relations (PR) is the strategic practice of managing the communication and relationship between an organization and its public audience.

Sales Enablement: Marketing Explained

Sales enablement refers to the process of providing sales teams with the tools, resources, content, and training they need to engage buyers and close more deals.

Content Marketing: Marketing Explained

Discover the essentials of content marketing in this comprehensive guide.

Brand Management: Marketing Explained

Brand management is the process of creating, maintaining, and improving a brand’s image, reputation, and value.

Product Branding: Marketing Explained

Product branding is the process of creating and promoting a unique identity for a specific product or product line.

Lead Generation: Marketing Explained

Lead generation is the process of attracting and converting strangers into prospects who have shown interest in a company’s product or service.

Product Positioning: Marketing Explained

Product positioning is the process of defining a product's key messaging, including target audience, the problems it solves, and the value it delivers to customers.

Branding: Marketing Explained

Branding is the process of creating and shaping the identity of a company, product, or service in the minds of consumers.

Call to Action (CTA): Marketing Explained

A Call to Action (CTA) is a prompt in marketing content that encourages the audience to take a specific action.

Click-Through Rate (CTR): Marketing Explained

Click-through rate (CTR) is a key metric in digital marketing that measures the percentage of people who click on a link or advertisement after seeing it.

Brand Messaging: Marketing Explained

Brand messaging refers to the communication strategy and assets that convey a brand’s core values, mission, and unique value proposition.

Press Release: Marketing Explained

A press release is a formal, written communication published by organizations to announce news or offer updates to the media and their public audience.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM): Marketing Explained

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) refers to the strategies, practices, and technologies that businesses use to manage and analyze customer interactions throughout the customer lifecycle.

Brand Awareness: Marketing Explained

Brand awareness is the extent to which consumers are familiar with a particular brand and can recognize it when they encounter it.

Marketing Funnel: Marketing Explained

A marketing funnel is a strategic concept outlining the stages a potential customer goes through from first becoming aware of a brand or product to eventually making a purchase or taking a desired action.

Sales Funnel: Marketing Explained

A sales funnel is a visual representation of the sales process stages a potential customer goes through from first becoming aware of a product or service to ultimately making a purchase.

Media Outreach: Marketing Explained

Media outreach is the proactive process of contacting journalists, bloggers, editors, and influencers to pitch stories, news, or content ideas with the goal of gaining earned media coverage.

Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Marketing Explained

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of promoting businesses and content in search engine results page (SERPs) via paid advertising and organic content marketing efforts.

Brand: Marketing Explained

A brand is the personality and identity of a business or individual.

Employer Branding: Marketing Explained

Employer branding is the process of promoting a company as a desirable place to work by communicating its values, culture, and the benefits of working there.

Affiliate Marketing: Marketing Explained

Affiliate marketing is a performance-based marketing strategy where businesses reward individuals (affiliates) for promoting their products or services and driving traffic, leads, or sales through the affiliate’s marketing efforts.

Marketing Automation: Marketing Explained

Marketing automation refers to the use of software and technology to streamline, automate, and measure marketing tasks and workflows, allowing businesses to increase efficiency and drive more personalized, effective campaigns at scale.

Brand Marketing: Marketing Explained

Brand marketing is the process of promoting a company’s brand as a whole, rather than focusing on individual products or services.

Digital Marketing: Marketing Explained

Discover the essentials of digital marketing in this comprehensive guide.

Pay-Per-Click: Marketing Explained

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) is a digital advertising model where advertisers pay a fee each time one of their ads is clicked.