What is a landing page, and when does a small business need one?
A landing page is a single web page built for one purpose, usually one campaign, ad or flyer. It repeats the offer the visitor responded to, answers the questions that offer raises, and asks for one next step. A small business needs one when it is sending people to a specific offer. For general visitors, a clear homepage and service pages are usually enough.
What it is
Most website pages serve many kinds of visitors. A landing page serves one. Someone who tapped an ad for spring gutter cleaning, or scanned the code on a flyer for a new-customer offer, lands on a page about exactly that, not on a homepage that makes them hunt for it.
A landing page can live on your main website. It does not need a separate site or a separate address.
When one helps
- A paid ad. The page should repeat what the ad promised, in the same words.
- A printed flyer, mailer or truck wrap with a web address or code.
- A seasonal or limited offer that does not belong on the homepage for long.
- A new service you want to test before adding it to the main menu.
- A partner or referral source that sends you a specific kind of customer.
What it should contain
- A headline that repeats the words of the ad or flyer the visitor came from.
- What the offer includes, who it is for, and any limits or dates.
- A short note on how the job works and what happens after they get in touch.
- Real photos of your work and real reviews, if you have them.
- One call to action, such as a short form or a tap-to-call number, repeated down the page.
- Your business name, service area and contact details, so it is clearly yours.
Why a separate page is useful
Because only one campaign sends people to the page, most inquiries that come from it can be credited to that campaign. That makes it much easier to see whether the ad or the flyer was worth what it cost, and whether to run it again.
When the homepage is enough
If you are not running a campaign, you usually do not need a landing page. Most visitors arrive from a search, a referral or your business profile and want a general picture. A homepage that says what you do, where you work and how to get in touch, with a page for each main service, serves them well. Building landing pages nobody is sent to adds work without adding inquiries.
Related answers
- What is a call to action, and what makes a good one?
- What is lead attribution, and why does a small business need it?
- What should a service business homepage say?
Websites, upgraded or built
Most businesses do not need a new website. They need the one they have to load fast, say clearly what they do and ask the visitor to take one step.