Did you know that creating a great landing page in WordPress is a doorway to effective conversions? You may already know landing page conversions can be of different types like gathering leads, selling products, clicking a button or creating an account.
Depending on your requirements, you can customize your landing page to get the best results.
In this article, we’ll discuss what a landing page is, talk about when to create a landing page and focus on the difference between a landing page and other pages.
We’ll also shed light on their goals and finally, show a way to create and customize landing pages with the Astra theme, Starter Templates and Spectra.
After the tutorial, we’ll also give you a few bonus and pro tips that will help you become a master in creating and customizing landing pages.
So, let’s begin…
What’s a landing page?
A landing page is a standalone page that’s part of a marketing campaign. It’s usually to collect information in return for something, like a free download or other incentive.
It can be for other reasons too, like selling a single item.
The landing page may include different functionality for different industries.
For example, a software landing page may include a way to give the visitors a hands-on experience with the app along with CTAs for a free trial, a free version and a button to land on the pricing plan page.
Typically, a landing page is used in conjunction with advertising campaigns to increase leads and conversions.
The purpose of the landing page is to get the visitor to take action, so the design and copy should be focused on that goal.
When designing a landing page, it’s important to keep your target audience and conversion goal in mind.
There are many different types of landing pages, but they all have one thing in common: they are designed to get the visitor to take action.
Whether it’s subscribing to a newsletter, filling out a form, or making a purchase, there is always a single goal in mind.
Related: 7 Traits Of A Highly Effective Landing Page
When to create a landing page
When you’re running a business, there are a lot of moving parts. You’ve got to keep track of your inventory, website, social media presence, and sales funnel.
And somewhere in there, you need to find time to create a landing page.
Landing pages showcase the key features and benefits of a specific product or service and provide a way to take the required action.
They are an integral part of marketing.
Before you create a landing page, you should think about your goals. What do you want people to do when they land on it?
Ask yourself the following questions to help you formulate a plan.
Do you want visitors to:
- Sign up for your newsletter?
- Make a purchase?
- Try the free trial?
- Download your solution’s PDF or free version?
- Click on a CTA?
- Do all of the above?
While creating your landing page, keep a list of such questions so that you focus on your goals.
Why is a landing page different from a normal page?
A landing page has only one purpose: to get the visitor to take the desired action. Normal pages can be used for multiple goals such as awareness and information.
A landing page is a web page designed to capture your visitors’ attention and persuade them to take the desired action. This could be signing up for a newsletter, downloading a white paper, or making a purchase.
To achieve this goal, landing pages are usually very focused and free of distractions. They typically have strong calls to action and persuasive copy that encourages visitors to take the next step.
The design of landing pages is also usually very different from other pages on the site – they are often much simpler and more streamlined.
Goal (Why we are creating a landing page)
The primary goal is to make visitors aware of the benefits of what you offer.
The secondary goal of creating a landing page is to create a sales funnel by collecting leads.
The tertiary goal is to convert those leads into paying customers.
Targeted traffic(Customers, paid traffic)
Every website has a specific target audience, and a landing page is no different.
The key to a successful landing page is to know who your target audience is and what they are looking for.
This way, you can design your page in a way that will appeal to them and encourage them to take the desired action.
There are two main types of targeted traffic: paid traffic and organic visitors.
Paid traffic consists of people who have been specifically targeted through advertising. Organic visitors find your site through search engines or other inbound marketing strategies.
When designing your landing page, it is important to consider both types of traffic.
Paid traffic is more likely to convert, but it can be more expensive. Organic visitors may take longer to convert, but they are typically more valuable in the long run.
Ultimately, the best approach is to focus on both types of traffic to maximize your results.
Call to action(More focus on user engagement)
When creating a landing page, you can use sales funnels to nurture leads. To create a good sales funnel, you can add CTAs (calls to action) or an input field to collect leads.
As we already mentioned, the main purpose of adding CTAs is to make the sales funnel optimized.
But adding CTAs is not just enough to capture leads. You should optimize your landing page with proper content that sheds light on the benefits of your products.
This way, you can convert visitors into paying customers.
Content
Your landing page is one of the most important pages on your website. It’s the first thing visitors see when they come to your site as a result of your marketing efforts.
And it’s where they decide whether to stay or leave. That’s why it’s so important to have strong, compelling content on your landing page.
Content will persuade visitors to stay on your site and learn more about your offer. It needs to be well-written and relevant to their needs.
Most importantly, it has to be interesting and engaging. If your content is dull or irrelevant, visitors will quickly leave.
So how do you create strong content for your landing page?
Start by understanding what your target audience is looking for. What information do they need? What would persuade them to convert? Once you know that, you can start writing copy that speaks directly to those needs.
Related: How to Improve Landing Page Performance of Your WordPress Website?
Creating a landing page in WordPress
Now that you know about landing pages, it is time to create one. Just follow along these six easy steps and you will be good to go.
We assume that you are a complete beginner in creating your first landing page. So, before we move any further, let’s have a look at the following requirements.
- Domain name
- MilesWeb hosting
- WordPress (free)
- Astra theme (free)
- Starter Templates or CartFlows Templates (free)
- Spectra (free)
TLDR: If you already have a live WordPress website you can skip the first three steps.
Step 1: Get a domain name and hosting service
Before you create a landing page, you need to get a domain name for your website. This is the www. name you type into your browser.
After getting your domain name, it’s time to buy hosting. Hosting is where your website is stored and made available on the web.
You can get hosting from reputable companies like MilesWeb.
Step 2: Install WordPress
At this stage, you need to install WordPress. WordPress is free and open source and most hosting providers install it automatically or use software installers.
Step 3: Install and activate the Astra theme
Astra is a free responsive theme that supports drag and drop based editing via landing page builders including Gutenberg, Elementor and Beaver Builder.
The best part is that it comes with readymade Starter Templates that have every element you need to build a complete website.
- To install the Astra theme, navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard.
- Then head to the Appearance > Themes option.
- Now, click on the Add New button.
- Search with the keyword “Astra”.
- Hit Install.
- Activate the theme.
That’s it. You are done with installing the theme!
Step 4: Installing a landing page template
After installing the Astra theme, you need to choose a template. The theme is a framework that provides a basic website. The template is what gives it a unique look.
There are a number of landing page templates you can use, so let’s do that now.
Before that let’s take a closer look at the benefits of Starter Templates:
- Ships with a wide range of free and premium landing page templates.
- Works best with the Astra theme with 1M+ installations.
- Separate templates for separate page builders.
- Drag and drop based editing experience.
To install the Starter Templates plugin,
- Navigate to the Plugins > Add New section.
- Search for the keyword “starter templates”.
- Hit the Install Now button.
- Finally, tap on the Activate button.
- Next, head to the WordPress admin dashboard and then go to Appearance > Starter Templates.
- Now, hit the Build Your Website Now button on the next screen.
Now, you’ll find three kinds of page builders to choose from. Choose the one you feel comfortable with. We’re using the Block Editor for this tutorial.
Step 5: Import a landing page template
Now, you can start importing a landing page template from the Starter Template library. To do so, search for the keyword “landing”.
Next, select a template you like. We’re selecting the Event Landing Page template for this tutorial:
After that, you will get the option to upload your website logo. You can also play around with the width or size or upload your logo later if you prefer.
We are using the default logo for this tutorial so click on the Skip & Continue button.
You will find the option to customize typography at this stage, such as changing the font family and color.
For now, we’re proceeding with the default settings. So, hit the Continue button.
Now, enter your first name, and a working email. Also, keep all the boxes checked. Then, click on the Submit & Build My Website button.
Now, you will be able to see the following screen that says, “We are building your website…”. Just wait for a minute or two to complete the setup.
Click on the View Your Website button to get a front end view.
That’s how you can create a landing page with just two steps.
Bonus tips: Customizing the landing page with Spectra
To customize the landing page with Gutenberg, you can install Spectra. It’s a free addon for Gutenberg that will allow you to customize your landing page like a pro.
To install Spectra,
- Head to the WordPress admin dashboard. Then, navigate to the Plugins > Add New.
- Now, search with the keyword, “spectra”.
- Hit the Install Now button.
- Finally, click on the Activate button.
Now, you are up and running to customize the landing page with Spectra blocks.
- To customize the landing page, navigate to the WordPress admin dashboard. Then go to the Pages > All Pages.
- Click on the Edit option.
- Now, you will get the Gutenberg editor. Click on the cross (╳) icon to skip the tour.
- Then, click on the plus (+) icon to add new blocks.
Now, you’ll be able to find all the blocks on the left side. As of now, it provides 29 blocks.
They are:
- FAQ
- Price List
- Container
- Spectra – WordPress Gutenberg Blocks
- Icon List
- Review
- Table of Contents
- Social Share
- Content Timeline
- Lottie Animation
- Post Grid
- Google Maps
- Post Carousel
- Team
- How-to
- Form
- Call To Action
- Post Timeline
- Marketing Button
- Buttons
- Star Ratings
- Image
- Blockquote
- Taxonomy List
- Testimonials
- Inline Notice
- Tabs
- Heading
- Info Box
You can see the blocks in the left panel:
Let’s take a container block.
- Select any block or configuration you like.
- Click on the plus (+) icon to add a block.
- Let’s add a testimonial block. Search with the keyword “testimonials”.
- Selecting the Testimonials block will render the following content. Feel free to update the texts according to your needs.
- Now, select the Block option.
- Open the Image accordion (collapse menu) to upload images.
- Click on the (+) icon and upload images for the testimonials.
- Upon uploading images, you’ll be able to see them on the carousel.
- Now, let’s add a subscribe button. To do so, click on the (+) icon again.
- Search for the keyword “marketing button”.
- Now, you can see a Subscribe Now button.
If you’ve customized the page, hit the Update button.
After that, select the Preview option.
Select Preview in new tab:
Hitting the preview button will show you the following frontend view for the Carousel and Marketing block.
Pro Tip
If you want to create a sales funnel-optimized landing page, we recommend using CartFlows templates and CartFlows plugin. Why?
Well, there are so many benefits:
- The CartFlows templates and CartFlows plugin work in tandem and you don’t have to think about building the sales funnel from scratch as they ship out of the box.
- Tested and vetted by experts, so you don’t have to worry about conversions.
- You can include upsells with just a single click.
- Fully responsive with cross-browser support.
- Supports popular page builders with drag-and-drop editing capabilities.
- You can recover the abandoned carts and lost revenue.
- Works great with the Astra theme and Spectra.
- And the list goes on.
Wrapping up
That’s how easy it is to create and customize a landing page with MilesWeb hosting, WordPress, Astra theme, Starter Templates or CartFlows Templates and Spectra.
If you are already familiar with and using them, don’t forget to share your hands-on experience with us in the comments section.
Again, remember that fewer links and distinctive calls to action are a great idea to create an optimized landing page that converts.
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