The role of landing pages in paid advertising
What is a landing page?
Landing pages play a central role in paid advertising, where they are often the destination for users clicking on ads. Unlike sending traffic to a homepage, directing users to a landing page ensures they are exposed to relevant content that aligns with the ad they clicked on. This increases the likelihood of a conversion, as the page is tailored to the visitor’s expectations. Whether through Google Ads, Facebook Ads, or Instagram campaigns, companies that use specific landing pages for each campaign achieve much higher results than those that don’t.
Key features of landing pages
Focused on a Single Goal : A landing page has a clear and concise purpose – to meet the expectations set by your ad copy, creative and CTA. Unlike a homepage, which may serve multiple functions (e.g., introducing your company, showcasing a blog, or listing products), a landing page is built to achieve one thing, such as showcasing a product range, connecting them to a store, offering a coupon, or collecting emails/phone numbers using a meaningful value exchange.
Minimal Distractions : The best landing pages eliminate unnecessary elements. You won’t find navigation bars, footers, or multiple links—just a headline, brief information, visuals, and a strong CTA. The idea is to reduce any distractions that might divert a visitor’s attention from the desired action.
Clear Call-to-Action (CTA) : The CTA is the heart of any landing page. It’s the button or link that directs users toward completing the page’s primary goal. For example, it could prompt users to “Add to Cart”, “Buy Now”, or “Sign Up. Successful landing pages position these CTAs prominently and make them interesting by using action-oriented language.
Responsive Design : With so many users accessing the web through mobile devices, landing pages must be responsive. This means they automatically adjust and display correctly across various screen sizes, from desktops to smartphones.
Fast Loading : With the limited attention spans of ad activated users, landing pages should load fast ideally in <2s. Digital media platforms like Meta and Google Ads also score your ad campaign based on landing page performance. This will require provisioning the hosting infrastructure for faster content delivery.
