The market share of WordPress rose to 63.6% in 2020. It is not difficult to see why. The lockdowns forced the entrepreneurs to take their businesses online. They had to create a website to establish themselves in the digital market. WordPress makes it easy to create and manage business websites; hence, it continues to be the top choice among entrepreneurs.
Setting up a site is only the first step towards getting started in the online market. It needs to be regularly optimized, monitored, and maintained to drive traffic. That’s where a landing page comes in.
A landing page is a standalone web page designed to increase conversion rates. Research shows that landing pages have an average conversion rate of 9.7% across all industries. It nudges the users to share their contact details in exchange for a newsletter, ebook, or any other value-adding content. This results in a highly streamlined promotion of products and services, thereby leading to successful conversions.
In this article, we discuss two methods you can use to create a high-powered landing page on WordPress. Let’s get started.
1. Set up a one-page website
The first method is by creating a one-page site on WordPress. It is simple and keeps the one-page site and landing page separate from other content. Here are five easy steps to get you started.
- Create a site and select its theme
Go to ‘My Sites’ and click ‘Add New Site’ from the bottom of the side panel. Next, configure it by giving it a theme, title, and domain name. Use the ‘one-page’ filter mode to find a theme that works well for one-page websites.
Image Source: WordPress
- Remove irrelevant content
Most themes on WordPress come with placeholder content like posts and pages. Since you are making a site with a static homepage, remove the placeholder content you don’t need. Go to ‘Pages’ in ‘My Sites’ and select the ‘Trash’ option from the three dots next to each page name.
Image Source: WordPress
- Make the new site static
Visit your site customizer and click the ‘Homepage Settings’ tab. Choose the option button next to ‘A static page.’ Ensure that you select your homepage under the ‘Homepage’ dropdown list.
Image Source: WordPress
Image Source: WordPress
- Edit the display of the homepage
The page editor allows the users to add content like texts and images. Under the ‘Pages’ option, click the dots next to your homepage and select ‘Edit.’ To further customize its look, choose a page template under ‘Page Attributes.’
In WordPress, themes have different templates. The page templates available to you will depend on the theme of your site.
These are some of the themes available for free download on WordPress.
Image Source: WordPress
- Drive traffic
Feature a call-to-action button that links back to it. Additionally, make the CTA specific. Don’t use the bland ‘Download Now’ button. Tell the users exactly what they are signing up for.
For example, if you are offering a sales guide, ‘download your free sales guide’ CTA will work better than the plain ‘Download Now’ option.
Image Source: unbounce
Take a look at Listings Lab’s landing page. It tells the site visitors everything they can expect to find in their “Revolutionary” guide. This information will push the users to go ahead and download the free PDF. Do something similar!
Promote your landing page across marketing campaigns to ensure people find it. The main goal of the landing page is to drive user action. If it is not well-linked or promoted, it will fail to make a mark online.
2. Use plugins
Creating a one-page site with a static homepage is taxing. If you are short on time, you may want to try plugins. There are plenty of them on WordPress for every business type. Check out these four.
- Elementor
Image Source: Elementor
It is one of the fastest plugins to launch a landing page. With over 1 million downloads, it tops almost every WordPress plugins list. Elementor needs no coding knowledge and is especially suited for one-page sites.
It offers over 75 pro templates and 90 widgets and is available for free.
- Beaver Builder
Image Source: Beaver Builder
Beaver Builder is a popular plugin for not just landing pages but whole websites. It makes fast-loading landing pages that don’t need many configurations. You can install it for free. However, a premium version provides a few extra templates and themes.
Beaver Builder’s free version has many content modules. It also allows you to create custom modules if the existing ones do not fit your business needs. Beaver Builder’s professional landing pages templates for ebook selling sites and law firms are a great hit.
- Thrive Architect
Image Source: Thrive Architect
You cannot go wrong with this plugin. It is a page builder and visual editor for WordPress. Thrive Architect includes over 325 landing page templates optimized to boost conversion rates.
Its instant drag and drop feature makes creating landing pages easy. A salient feature of Thrive Architect is that it removes the need for other plugins. As a result, your site loads super fast.
- The Divi Builder
Image Source: Divi
It is a well-known WordPress landing page plugin. The Divi Builder has over 46 content modules, including calls to action, social media buttons, and email marketing forms. Additionally, it also has a powerful drag and drop builder.
It does not have a free version but makes up for that by providing a low annual rate. Given all the right features it offers for a landing page, consider buying it for your one-page site.
You can embed the right plugins to create an impressive landing page. However, it will not drive user action if it isn’t optimized for search rankings. We suggest involving your in-house SEO team to tackle the task. Alternatively, you may hire a dedicated WordPress Developer who can optimize it for a better user experience.
Review your business needs thoroughly to find the best solution.
Examples
Now that we’ve discussed how to create an effective landing page let’s look at a few brands that are winning at it. The landing pages of these four leading firms will inspire you to put your best foot forward in the online marketplace.
Check them out!
- Microsoft
Image Source: Microsoft
Microsoft’s landing page can teach you a lot about optimal user experience. The tech giant uses a fairly clean design that directly takes visitors to official channels that sell the product. What better way to push prospects to make a purchase decision!
- Etsy
Image Source: Etsy
Notice how Etsy’s landing page features an impressive call to action button. It is hard to miss amid the product description. Depending on your business, do not forget to include a CTA that engages users and persuades them to take action.
- Udemy
Image Source: Udemy
Udemy’s landing page gets a lot of things right. For one, it neatly packs all the details to make a solid first impression. Udemy features its clientele on the landing page to win customer trust. A contact form ensures that visitors take action.
- Zillow
Image Source: Zillow
Zillow’s landing page is a web of interconnected links. It has something for every member of its target audience. Each link box on the above landing page takes the user to a different web page on the main site. It shows precisely how well-linked your landing pages need to be to drive traffic.
Conclusion
One-page site and plugins are two methods to make a landing page on WordPress. However, optimizing it for search engine rankings is what will ensure its success. Follow the steps shared above to create that perfect landing stop for your audience, thus boosting your conversions.
Author Bio:
Lucy is a creative content writer and strategist at Marketing Digest. She specializes in writing about digital marketing, technology, entrepreneurship, and education. When she is not writing or editing, she spends time reading books, cooking and traveling.
