Landing Pages vs Websites: What’s the Difference?

What is the main difference between a landing page and a website in marketing?

If you’ve only just begun to explore the world of marketing and lead management, these two terms could seem confusing. However, once you understand the nuances of each term, you will find it easier to choose which is best for your business. Both a landing page and a website have their own advantages. Depending on your needs as an organization or brand, one might serve you better than the other. So, let us take a closer look at what they both are and how they can be used to improve your marketing strategy.

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is a page on your website where visitors can be directed to from a marketing or advertising campaign. A landing page is usually designed to drive a specific type of action, such as a sale or lead generation. The goal of a landing page is to convert a visitor into a lead or customer by convincing them to take a specific action. Landing pages were originally used by marketers to create a place where visitors who found their website via an advertising campaign could direct their attention. They allow you to direct the visitor’s focus to one specific goal. As a result, they are a more focused way to direct a visitor’s attention than a general website.

What is a Website?

A website is a place where all of your organization’s information is housed. It is a general hub where people can find all of your information, from product descriptions and features to contact information and service hours. Websites can also include information like company culture and values, company history, and any useful articles about your industry. The main difference between a website and a landing page is that a website covers a broad range of topics. It is also designed to be “evergreen”, meaning that it will be useful for a long time without needing frequent updates. On the other hand, a landing page is usually designed to be short-lived, with a very specific goal in mind.

Differences Between Landing Pages and Websites

Websites and landing pages each have their own unique benefits and use cases.

You don’t NEED a Website, You DO Need a Landing Page

Don’t let the lack of a website stop you from making money! You don’t need a big complicated website to start your business — but you DO need a landing page.

A landing page is the best, fastest, easiest ways to start making money in your business.

All you need is a simple offer and a basic call to action — that’s it.

The best part is, that you don’t need any technical skills to create a basic landing page. There are simple, low-cost landing page builders that you can use to get that offer up and out into the market.

Here are the tools I recommend:

LeadPages

These folks have been the leaders in the industry for more than a decade. One of the things that’s great about LeadPages is that the templates are “pre-optimized” meaning that they’ve already optimized the designs and even the copy that they use on the templates is optimized. All you need to do is customize it for your business.

LeadPages has a WordPress plugin so that you can integrate it with your website if you want to. Personally, I don’t recommend this. I think it’s best to keep your pages separate from your website.

These days you can customize LeadPages quite a bit, and I’m not sure that’s such a great idea. After all, you want to take advantage of their pre-optimized templates.

Unbounce

Unbounce is a site where you can make your own landing pages. You can choose from different templates, or you can make your own. Then, you can put in your own information and pictures. You can also change the colors and fonts.

These folks built their brand on AB testing. So if you want to test what headlines or images convert better, this is a great choice.

ClickFunnels

ClickFunnels is the go-to platform for coaches and consultants. Run by entrepreneur Russel Brunson, you’ll get proven and complete funnels that you can plug and play to sell your offers.

Final Words

When deciding between a landing page and a website, it is important to consider the advantages of each. This way, you can better plan which will work best for your organization.

If you want to generate leads, sales and email opt-ins, go with a landing page. It’s the best way to launch an offer or a business without having to hire a developer or someone to build your website.