Landing pages are web pages visitors “land” on when clicking on an email link or ads on Google or social media. While it’s true that visitors can land on your homepage, it doesn’t qualify as a landing page because they are designed for different purposes.

Understanding the differences between landing pages vs. homepages is crucial for implementing the right marketing strategies. The most significant difference between the two is intention. A landing page is a separate page created to promote a single campaign. It should have a solid call to action (CTA) and be free from distractions. A homepage is part of a more extensive website. It includes much information about your brand and is designed to help visitors explore your company.

The Difference Between a Landing Page and a Website Homepage

Although landing pages and website homepages may look similar, they serve distinct marketing purposes. Here are those differences and what makes them an essential part of your marketing strategy.

Target Audience

A landing page is a page someone lands on after clicking on your ad. Paid ads let you target demographics to appeal to those most likely to convert. When you pay for a Google ad, you know what keywords people are searching for and what kind of people are looking for your services or products. This information helps you reach the audience who are more likely to make a purchase.

People who click your paid ads during a Google search are more likely than organic traffic to be interested in your products or services and less likely to explore your website. Because of this, your landing page should only provide the content and information they need to convert.

Most advertising traffic should be directed to a single goal-oriented landing page to maximize ROAS (return on ad spend). Homepage traffic should rarely come from paid ads. There are unpaid sources from which your homepage traffic can come, such as social media and organic web searches.

Homepages are meant to appeal to audiences who want to explore your brand. The information on your homepage should help this audience understand who you are as a company to build brand awareness.

Page Goal

Landing pages and home pages should have different goals. The main objectives of a homepage should be to introduce and explain the brand and encourage engagement. Landing pages, however, should have one specific purpose. A landing page promotes a particular offer, product, or service rather than the brand as a whole. Landing pages focusing on a single goal result in higher conversion rates and, consequently, a higher return on investment.

The purpose of a landing page is to convert traffic. Homepages, however, have other uses. A homepage often has a navigation bar near the top and can link to several other site pages or your social media or blog. The links on your homepage are essential for helping visitors navigate or interact with your website.

Landing pages should not have any other links. The goal is to keep viewers on your landing page until they convert, which means avoiding links that could cause a distraction. Try to give visitors all the information they need without visiting another page.

Page Content

Some info on your homepage can be included on your landing page, but the landing page should only contain content related to the offer or offerings you’re trying to sell.

Because you know what search terms and ads brought visitors to your landing page, it should contain content specifically related to those ads or terms. Don’t distract visitors with irrelevant content. It’s best to design your landing pages to help visitors find exactly what they want when they click your ad.

Instead of including content to convince a visitor to take immediate action, a homepage should contain all of the information a visitor needs to learn about your brand. It should also include links to other pages for visitors interested in exploring your brand and all you have to offer.

Call to Action

Landing pages are action-oriented and should have some CTA to encourage your audience to convert. Examples of CTAs include filling out a form, calling, or purchasing. No matter your CTA, it should be straightforward, such as “Shop Now” or “Call Us Today.”

On the other hand, homepages are meant to be visitors’ resources. While you can use specific CTAs on your homepage, they are not as crucial as on a landing page.

When to Use a Landing Page vs. Homepage

Landing pages are more likely to convert than homepages, so you might wonder why a homepage is necessary. Your homepage is an essential resource, as it lets your audience explore your brand in a way that landing pages don’t. People can get to know your brand through your homepage. It can navigate visitors to your blog or “About” page, help them learn about products and services, etc.

Every website should have a homepage as a storefront for your brand. A landing page should be used to accomplish a specific goal, especially when running ads.

Features of a Good Homepage

How you design your homepage will play a significant role in the engagement it receives. Here are some features to include on your homepage to make it more appealing to your audience.

Specific Business Overview

Your homepage should clarify your business and what it does. It should answer essential questions such as who you are, what you do, and how you can help potential customers. Visitors should understand your brand from your homepage and feel encouraged to visit your website further to learn more about your offerings.

Design

We’ve all been taught the importance of a good first impression, which remains true for your homepage. Your homepage is an introduction to your brand and is often the first page people will see when they want to learn more about you. People aren’t likely to stick around if your homepage isn’t clean and easy to read.

Spend some extra time on your homepage. Design it so people will feel like it’s worth their time visiting. People won’t take your brand seriously if your homepage gives the impression that your company is underdeveloped.

Navigation

A well-designed homepage will make it quick and easy for users to navigate your entire website. Visitors who land on your homepage should be able to access all essential pages, such as your blog, content page, and product pages. Providing easy navigation tools encourages quick and efficient engagement.

Homepage owners don’t need a specific call to action but should allow some action. For example, you can include a contact form at the bottom of the page or provide links to contact pages. You don’t need to convince visitors to do something, but you should make it easy for them to know how to take action if they want to.

Features of a Good Landing Page

Because landing pages are meant to drive conversions, they need specific features to help customers complete the conversion process. Here are some factors to consider when designing your landing page.

Focus

Landing pages need a single focus without navigation options or links to other pages. Before creating your landing page, determine the singular goal and how to achieve it. What kind of CTA do you need to add? What information is essential for customers to convert? Keeping landing pages simple is important; anything over and beyond a single subject detracts from the main objective.

Interesting Copy

Sales copy is the most critical part of a good landing page. Design is essential, too, but words sell. Your landing page’s goal will help you determine what type of sales copy you should use. Are you trying to sell a specific product? Grow your email list? Bring in more calls? Knowing your goal helps write clean copy and encourages people to complete an action.

Enticing CTA

Ensure your CTAs are accessible for visitors to spot on the page. CTAs that stand out on landing pages are more likely to drive conversions than more subtle CTAs. There’s not enough contrast between text and CTAs, so they can be easy to miss, and lost CTAs lead to fewer conversions.

Conclusion

Landing pages and homepages are both valuable tools. Landing pages drive conversions, while homepages are a resource for visitors to get to know your brand. If you’re struggling to determine what to do with your homepage or how to design a landing page, we can help.

Get direct access to the owner anytime by e-mailing us at Matt.Bradley@75DWest.com or call (570) 406-3305.