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Digital marketing strategies often have multiple moving parts that work together to nurture your online presence and drive conversions. Two of the most critical components of this are landing pages and websites.
Yet, many struggle to understand when to use a landing page as opposed to a full website. While they may seem similar at first glance, there are key differences between the two that can significantly impact your marketing success.
This article will dive into the essential differences between these two and provide guidance on when it’s appropriate to use each to reach your target audience. Let’s get started.
Landing Page vs. Website: Which One Should You Use?
What is a Landing Page Best for?
The main focus of a landing page is to generate conversions through specific offers or calls to action. They are standalone web pages with a specific goal and target audience in mind, often used in conjunction with pay-per-click (PPC) advertising campaigns or wider lead generation strategies.
As mentioned above, landing pages have a singular focus and do not include website navigation options. The goal is to keep your visitor’s attention focused on the specific offer or call to action (CTA). This means they typically have a single page with limited information and options for the visitor.
The content on a landing page is highly targeted, action-oriented, and aimed at the specific offer or call to action. This means there is typically less overall content, but it is carefully crafted to achieve a higher conversion rate.
What is a Website Best for?
Websites have multiple pages and navigation options for visitors to explore. The homepage usually serves as the main hub, with links to internal pages that provide more information about your brand and offerings found in the navigation bar.
The purpose of a website is to provide comprehensive information about your brand and offerings. Therefore, they are often more expansive, with multiple pages and navigation menus. Business websites have a wider breadth of content that provides overall information about the brand and offerings. This can include text, images, videos, and more.
What Are the Key Differences Between Websites and Landing Pages?
The main difference between a landing page and a website is its purpose and overall structure. Landing pages are focused on generating conversions through specific offers or calls to action. Conversely, websites serve as a comprehensive resource for brand information and offerings.
Both landing pages and websites are useful for achieving marketing goals; however, it’s important to understand their different purposes in order to utilize them effectively.
When to Create a Landing Page
You’re Offering Special Promotions
You can create different types of landing pages to promote specific offers or sales, such as a limited-time discount code or promotion. These pages allow you to focus on the offer and create conversions without distracting visitors with your entire website.
Example:
A digital marketing agency may create a sales page for a limited-time offer and promote it via social media marketing. The landing page would have a clear call to action, such as “Claim Your Discount Now” – and include more information about the offer and how to take advantage of it.
By creating a landing page specifically for the promotion, you can also track its success and gather data on the offer’s performance. For instance, you can use unique landing page URLs in your promotional materials and track how many visitors landed on the page through that specific link.
You’re Marketing a Free Trial
Similar to promotions, landing pages can also be used to offer free trials or demos of your product or service. This type of lead capture page allows you to focus on the benefits and features of the trial and provide a clear call to action for signing up.
You can also use landing pages to gather contact information, such as names and email addresses in exchange for access to the free trial. This is valuable data that can be used for future marketing efforts and lead nurturing.
You Want to Provide Additional Information for a Product/Service
Many businesses have multiple products or services, and it can be challenging to fit all the information on one webpage. Creating landing pages for each offering allows you to provide in-depth details without overwhelming visitors to your main website.
These pages can also improve your SEO efforts by allowing you to include targeted keywords for each product page. This can increase your search visibility for those specific offerings and drive qualified traffic to your website.
Your Website is Under Construction
If you’re making updates or changes to your website, you can use a landing page as a temporary solution. This allows you to maintain an online presence and continue driving traffic and gathering leads while the updates are being made.
A landing page can also be helpful if you’re launching a new website. You can use it to gather email addresses and notify interested visitors when the new site is live – or provide information on the updates and changes being made.
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When to Create a Full Website
You Want to Tell Your Brand’s Story or Build Brand Awareness
Your website is the perfect place to share information about your brand and company. This includes your mission, values, history, and any unique aspects that set you apart from competitors.
Example:
The same clothing brand may have a website with multiple pages for its different product categories, company information, press mentions, and a blog. Visitors can explore these various pages to learn more about the brand and make purchasing decisions.
Including this information on a landing page would likely be overwhelming and detract from its main purpose. Your website allows for more flexibility in storytelling and showcasing your brand.
You Want to Promote Your Full Range of Products/Services
Similar to telling your brand’s story, a website allows you to showcase all of your products and services in one place. This makes it easy for visitors to browse and learn about the full range of offerings without having to navigate to multiple landing pages.
Example:
A restaurant may have a website with separate pages for its menu, locations, catering services, and contact information. They may also have a blog with recipes and updates about the restaurant.
Your website also allows you to highlight customer testimonials, reviews, and case studies that display the success of your products or services. This can help build trust and credibility with potential customers.
You Want to Improve Your SEO Value
Did you know roughly 68% of online experiences begin with a search engine? Your website is crucial for improving your search engine visibility and overall SEO efforts. Of course, landing pages can also help, but they should complement and support your larger website strategy.
Example:
A beauty company may have a website with multiple product pages, each optimized for specific keywords. They can also create landing pages for targeted campaigns or offers, but the main website should be the foundation for their SEO strategy.
Having a well-designed website with compelling content, optimized meta descriptions, and backlinks from reputable sources will give you a strong foundation for SEO success.
You Want to Establish Authority and Build Credibility
Your website serves as the hub for your online presence and allows you to establish authority in your industry. This includes providing informative content, showcasing industry awards and accolades, and displaying partnerships or affiliations.
Example:
A human resources agency may have a website with multiple pages that showcase each of its services, client reviews, team members, and contact information. They might also have blog posts and resources for visitors to learn more about human resource management and other hr strategies.
Overall, a website allows you to highlight your expertise, build trust with potential customers, and ultimately convert leads.
Tips to Create Killer Websites and Landing Pages
It’s best to hire a professional to create websites and landing pages for your business. With the help of an experienced web designer, you can make sure your website and landing pages have a strong brand identity, clear messaging, and easy navigation.
However, if you want to try your own hand at website/landing page development, here are a few tips to follow:
Landing Pages
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Keep it Simple: Focus on one product or offer and include only the necessary information.
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Add a Strong Call-to-Action: Make it clear what moves you want visitors to take and provide easy ways for them to do so (such as including multiple contact options or prominent “Buy Now” buttons).
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Include Social Proof: Add customer testimonials or reviews to build trust and credibility with visitors.
Websites
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Make it User-Friendly: Ensure easy navigation and include search functionality for visitors to easily find what they’re looking for. You want your website to make the best possible first impression.
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Optimize for Mobile: Make sure your website looks and functions well on mobile devices to accommodate the growing number of users accessing sites through their phones.
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Include Quality Content: Provide informative and valuable content to establish authority in your industry and improve your SEO efforts.
Wrapping Up
Ultimately, both landing pages and websites serve a purpose in helping to market and grow your business. In essence, websites are ideal if you have long-term business goals and need to build a presence. Landing pages are better for shorter, more targeted marketing campaigns.
By understanding the key differences and how they can complement each other, you’ll be able to create a strong online presence and drive more conversions. Keep these tips in mind as you create or improve your online presence, and you’ll be well on your way to success.