What’s the difference between a landing page and a homepage?
Although these two are similar and are sometimes used interchangeably when developing a website, they’re not entirely the same. A landing page and homepage have their own uses, and when done right, they are both effective in their own ways.
Let’s take a look at these three key differences and compare landing page vs. homepage examples:
Purpose
First and foremost, the biggest difference between a landing page and a homepage is the purpose.
A landing page is created for a specific marketing campaign to get more people to convert. It features a special offer or product, collects leads and prospects, or offers gated content. The purpose is all the same: to provide information to the audience and encourage them to perform an action.
A homepage, on the other hand, is the main hub for a business’s website. This is the first thing the audience will see when they visit a website. It serves as an introduction or an overview of your website and your business and will attract the audience to learn more about your brand.
Structure
The next big difference between a landing page and a homepage is the structure or anatomy. Though they look similar most of the time, the way they are structured is distinct.
Part of what makes a good landing page is a clear offer, a form, and a strong call to action. Here are some of the main components of a landing page:
- Clear message – Good landing pages have clear messages and information regarding the offer or product.
- Short form – This is to collect data and leads. Short forms make it easier for the audience to fill out their information and submit it.
- Single call-to-action – A good call-to-action (CTA) is also a big part of a landing page to help drive them to buy, sign up, download content, subscribe, shop, or more.
- Lack of navigation – Navigation bars can be a distraction for the audience, so landing pages lack navigation to keep the audience engaged and focused.
As for a homepage, its structure is mainly for information and awareness. Here are the main components of a homepage:
- Products and services – A business’s products and services are at the forefront of the homepage. It also usually has multiple CTAs that will lead to more information about the products or services.
- Brand education – Brand education including the mission, vision, brand story and foundation, contact details, social media accounts, and more, is essential.
- Navigation bar – The navigation bar allows the audience to explore and learn more about the brand.
- Product and company photos – Homepages also provide a glimpse into the company and its products with dynamic and high-quality photos or illustrations.
Traffic
Traffic sources also differ for landing pages vs homepages.
A landing page is separate from the website and is attached to paid search ads, social media ads, email campaigns, and more. This means that regular audiences won’t be able to find this landing page while exploring your website. Traffic to your landing page will come from paid advertising spaces and specific campaigns.
Meanwhile, homepages will get their traffic from your website visitors. They will come from unpaid sources, organic searches, as well as organic social media posts, referrals, or more.
Landing Page vs. Homepage Examples
To get some perspective on these key differences between the two, here are landing page vs. homepage examples to help.
Here is a landing page from a paid search ad from Salesforce about CRM (customer relationship management). As you can see, they included a form where people can sign up for a demo and clear information as to what they’re currently offering. There are no navigation bars, and there is a single call-to-action button.
Meanwhile, here is the homepage of Salesforce’s website. There is no single CTA, and it’s not structured for a single conversion like a landing page. Instead, it has a navigation bar, multiple links, contact details, resources, and more. This homepage invites the audience to learn more about the business.
If you need more help building your website, creating landing pages, and more, it’s best to hear from marketing professionals. Talk to the experts at Twin Rams today!
References:
https://twinrams.com/what-makes-a-good-landing-page/
https://www.techopedia.com/definition/5172/home-page
https://www.techtarget.com/searchcustomerexperience/definition/CRM-customer-relationship-management