How to Create a Landing Page in 6 Steps

Creating a landing page is one fantastic strategy to achieve your online business goals. This 6-step guide explores the essential elements of a successful landing page, including the importance of knowing your goal, crafting your landing page elements, maximizing conversions, and launching your page. We also explain the various types of landing page to create, the costs of building a landing page, and what to do after you’ve launched your page. Let’s go!

1. Determine the Goal of the Landing Page

The first step in creating a landing page is to determine the goal of the landing page. Having a clear goal is important as it shapes the page’s content, design, and marketing strategies. Your goal falls into one of two categories: making sales or collecting leads (aka lead generation).

Sales-oriented landing pages focus on persuading visitors to complete a purchase. This is done through compelling Unique Selling Propositions (USPs) or time-sensitive promotions like discounts and Buy-One-Get-One (BOGO) offers.

Lead generation landing pages aim to gather visitor information, such as email addresses and phone numbers. This is achieved by providing a lead magnet, which is an incentive offered to potential customers in exchange for their contact information. Example lead magnets are a price quote, subscription to a mailing list, coupons, or free items.

2. Get a Hosting Service and Domain Name

The second step is to get a hosting service and domain name.

A hosting service stores the data of your landing page, such as the website’s files and content. They ensure your landing page is accessible to your target audience. There are 3 easy places to obtain hosting services: web hosting providers, website builders, or specific landing page builders. Web hosting providers are companies that provide space on a server to host your website data. Website builders are tools that offer drag-and-drop interfaces for creating and launching websites easily. Landing page builders are specialized platforms designed exclusively for creating and optimizing landing pages.

The domain name is the web address where people find your landing page. It’s possible to register a domain name directly through your hosting service if they offer domain registration services. Another option is to get your domain directly from a domain registrar, which is a specialized company authorized to sell domain names. Skip this step if you plan to host the landing page on an existing website.

3. Craft Your Landing Page Elements

The third step is to craft your landing page elements. There are 5 essential elements to pay attention to when building an effective landing page.

The first is a strong headline. Effective headlines immediately grab the visitor’s attention and set the stage for the landing page’s content. The second is the offer and descriptions. Clearly articulate your offer through concise text. Include descriptions of the product or service that highlight their key benefits.

The third is supporting media. Incorporate high-quality, relevant images and videos to visually support your offer. Supporting media engages visitors and explains your product or service more effectively. The fourth is social proof. Utilize testimonials and reviews to establish credibility and trust. Social proofs show potential customers the positive experiences others have had with your offer.

The fifth is call-to-actions (CTAs). Effective CTAs direct visitors towards the desired action, such as signing up or making a purchase. Make them prominent and compelling. These 5 landing page elements are to be used in the next step.

4. Build Your Landing Page for Maximizing Conversion

The fourth step is to build your landing page for maximizing conversion. There are 7 principles that ensure the conversion effectiveness of a page.

The first is to create focus. Limit the landing page to a single objective to prevent visitor distraction. Ensure all elements, from headlines to CTAs, are aligned with this focus.

The second is to build structure. Organize the landing page to guide visitors smoothly towards the action you want them to take. Structure the page in a logical flow that leads visitors from introduction to action, and use design and layout to direct attention.

The third is to stay consistent. Ensure that the landing page design is consistent with your brand’s look and feel, including colors, fonts, and style.

The fourth is to show benefits. Use visuals effectively to demonstrate the advantages of your offer. Select images, videos, or graphics that clearly illustrate the value and benefits of what you’re promoting.

The fifth is to draw attention. Utilize design elements like color contrasts, typography, and spatial positioning to effectively draw attention to key components of your landing page, particularly the CTA.

The sixth is to design for trust. Incorporate elements like testimonials, customer logos, and trust badges to build credibility and trust with your audience.

The seventh is to reduce friction. Streamline the user experience to reduce friction and make it as easy as possible for visitors to convert. Simplify forms, ensure the page loads quickly, and optimize the layout for mobile devices to remove any barriers that prevent conversion.

5. Test and Review Your Landing Page

The fifth step is to test and review your landing page. There are 4 tasks to accomplish to ensure it functions perfectly.

First, install SSL certificates. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) certificates use a standard security protocol that establishes encrypted links between a web server and a browser. This ensures that all data passed between them remains private and secure.

Second, check meticulously for any user interface errors, broken links, or broken images. These flaws frustrate visitors and detract from the professionalism of your page, which negatively impacts the user experience.

Third, verify that all elements on the landing page, such as contact forms, buttons, and navigation links, function correctly.

Finally, conduct thorough testing across various browsers and devices to ensure the landing page displays and operates consistently.

6. Launch Your Landing Page

The sixth and final step is to launch your landing page. Create ads and/or marketing campaigns designed to drive traffic to it. Use targeted strategies and channels that align with your audience’s preferences and behaviors to effectively attract clicks and direct potential customers to your landing page.

The success of your landing page is significantly influenced by the quality and relevance of the traffic it receives, so carefully plan and execute your promotional efforts to maximize conversions.

What Is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a single web page created with a highly specific objective in mind. It is designed to receive traffic from marketing and advertising campaigns and directs visitors to a singular call to action (CTA). These include signing up for a service, downloading a resource, or making a purchase.

A landing page is therefore a type of business website created to bridge marketing efforts and customer engagement. Unlike regular websites, landing pages eliminate distractions with streamlined content and a clear funnel. This design simplicity and focus help drive conversions and capture leads effectively.

What Makes a Highly-Converting Landing Page?

A highly-converting landing page needs to meet 6 criteria.

The first is that its main call to action (CTA) is above the fold. This means visitors see it without needing to scroll down the page. This allows visitors to immediately grasp the main action intended for them.

The second is that the headline matches with the advertisement or link that directed the visitor to the page. This reinforces their decision to engage and minimizes confusion.

The third is a focused message or offering. The fourth is that it showcases social proofs like testimonials, reviews, or case studies.

The fifth is a conversion-centered layout. It utilizes whitespace, directional cues, color, and contrast to emphasize the CTA and attract the visitor’s focus.

The sixth is minimal exit points. The number of links or exit points on the landing page must be minimized to reduce the risk of distracting visitors and lowering the conversion rate.

What Types of Landing Page Can I Create?

There are 2 main types of landing pages you can create.

The first is a lead generation landing page. This type of landing page is designed to collect lead data, such as names and email addresses, from potential customers. The goal is to build a database of leads to nurture and convert into customers over time. Lead generation pages offer something of value, like a free ebook, webinar registration, or a product discount, in exchange for the visitor’s contact information.

The second is a click-through landing page. Click-through landing pages are used primarily in eCommerce and direct sales. They aim to warm up potential customers to a product or offer before sending them further down the sales funnel, such as a shopping cart or checkout. These pages provide detailed information about the product or service and highlight the benefits to encourage visitors to click through and make a purchase.

What Are the Options for Making a Landing Page?

There are two primary options for creating a landing page.

The first option is using HTML and CSS. This is a common option for websites already hosted on a web host. HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) is the standard language used to create and structure web pages. CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) is used alongside HTML to control the presentation, formatting, and design. HTML and CSS combined enable the creation of tailored, custom-designed landing pages, but requires web development skills.

The second option is using a landing page builder. A landing page builder is a tool or platform designed specifically for creating and optimizing landing pages without the need for extensive coding knowledge. These builders provide templates, drag-and-drop interfaces, and integrated marketing features like A/B testing and analytics. Popular landing page builders include Unbounce, Carrd, and Leadpages. Some all-in-one website builders also include functionalities to easily create landing pages.

How Much Does It Cost to Make a Landing Page?

The cost to make a landing page typically ranges from RM13500 to RM45000 There are 4 main components that affect the final cost. 

The first is the hosting service. Annual hosting costs for landing pages range from RM90 for basic shared hosting to over RM27000 for advanced dedicated hosting. The second is the domain name. A new domain name costs between RM3.15 to RM63 depending on the Top-Level Domain (TLD) such as .com, .blog, or .org, and the chosen domain registrar.

The third is the landing page builder. The cost of using a landing page builder ranges from RM0 to RM720 per month depending on the chosen features and service level. The fourth is the ad campaign cost. Ad campaign expenses vary widely. They commonly start at RM450 and reach up to RM45000 per month depending on the campaign’s scale.

Can I Create a Landing Page for Free?

Yes, you can create a landing page for free with landing page builders. Platforms like Carrd, ConvertKit, and Elementor (when used with WordPress) offer free plans specifically for creating landing pages. But there are 3 limitations when it comes to free plans.

The first is limited landing page customizability. Free plans come with restricted design options and fewer templates. The second is that there’s no custom domain name. This means your landing page URL contains the platform’s name (e.g., yourpage.carrd.co). The third is no full control over branding. Free landing pages include the platform’s branding, such as a “made with BRAND” message in the footer. This negatively affects your landing page’s professionalism.

What Do I Do After Creating My Landing Page?

After creating your landing page, there are two key actions to take to ensure its success.

The first is to launch the ad and marketing campaign. Start your advertising and marketing efforts to drive targeted traffic to your landing page. Do this using channels like social media, pay-per-click advertising, email marketing, and content marketing.

The second is to A/B test your landing page. Implement A/B testing to optimize your landing page for better conversion rates. This process involves creating two versions of your landing page with one varying element (e.g., headline, offer, images, CTA message) to see which version performs better. Collect and analyze user analytics to continually refine and improve your landing page.

Where Can I Learn More on Building Landing Pages?

You can learn more on building landing pages by checking out Bitcatcha‘s comprehensive guides and brand reviews.