Have you been working like crazy on your eCommerce website but it feels that there is more to be done? Well, maybe it is time to change the tactics. Perhaps, you can simply freshen things up a little with a few new tips and tricks?
Today, we suggest exploring landing pages!
Do landing pages and eCommerce landing pages differ? Well, both yes and no. Although functionally both types serve a similar purpose, there are a few additional things to consider in the case of eCommerce.
This article is going to discuss why eCommerce landing pages are important and what they need to be properly optimized. We are going to see how this relates to product pages and what differences there are between the two. We are going to also consider some successful examples for inspiration.
If you are impatient, however, please see 25 examples of the best landing pages from top brands as a starter.
What is a landing page?
In a nutshell, landing pages are separate single web pages to which customers “land” by clicking on an ad, e-mail, or social media. Unlike websites, landing pages do not have website navigation to distract and they are designed to serve one goal only.
Landing pages are created to encourage users to take an action (call-to-action). This may be signing up for a newsletter, getting access to a promotion code, purchasing a product, etc.
Often, landing pages offer lead magnets (free resources) in return for customer contacts. These may have the form of a discount code, free trial, e-book, video, etc.
Usually, landing pages aim at:
● growing your e-mail list by offering a free incentive;
● driving direct traffic to your online store;
● collecting early bird interest in a new product, event or promotion;
● increasing your conversions and driving sales;
● boosting credibility and brand awareness.
Let us take a look at how Nike introduces new brands with the help of landing pages.
Source: jordanbrandlive.com
If we scroll down the page, we will get into the Air Jordan’s brand story. Further, we may plunge into the product experience of Michael Jordan’s basketball team. The scientific innovation videos and quality product schemes add to the picture. And no regular product page can offer such focused in-depth introduction to the world of Nike.
Are eCommerce landing pages any different from other landing pages?
As seen in the example above, eCommerce landing pages focus on generating leads, making a purchase, or driving website traffic. They typically focus on presenting a specific product and exclude any distracting pathways such as website navigation.
eCommerce landing pages may offer unique product descriptions. Unlike general product pages however, they are optimized for specific marketing personas, not for the general store audience.
Let’s go back to our Nike example. The landing page optimization centres around the professional basketball player with express interest in innovative and high-quality sports products.
At first sight, this niche focus significantly narrows down the range of potential buyers. This, however, proves untrue due to the clear product positioning, role models introduced and overall brand feel that we gain.
Features
Normally, eCommerce landing pages are created to respond to a particular user intent with a simplified and clear message. Landing page optimization serves focused marketing purpose with a pre-defined user persona.
The distinctive features of an eCommerce landing page include:
● they contain only one specific call-to-action;
● they offer high-quality visual content, minimum of text and no distractions;
● landing page optimization centres around a specific marketing purpose;
● they may align with paid ad or campaigns;
● they are usually optimized for marketing rather than SEO.
Generally speaking, any of the category pages in an online store may play the role of a landing page. Nevertheless, the most chosen for this purpose appear to be product pages. We are going to see why in a minute.
What types of eCommerce landing pages are there?
As we mentioned above, landing pages may serve different purposes. That is why, we may have different types of landing pages.
When considering the sales funnel, we may distinguish among top-of-funnel, mid-funnel and bottom-funnel eCommerce landing pages.
Let us see what these are.
Top-of-funnel landing page
This type of landing pages aims at presenting your store to new visitors. They target new customers who have not heard of your brand yet but who may become interested in your products.
This may be related to promoting loyal marketing tactics such as getting a membership. See how this works for H&M:
Mid-funnel landing page
Mid-funnel landing pages are aimed at customers who have already visited your site. Yet, they have not converted. This makes it particularly challenging to hook them into your next sales step. This type of landing page is usually managed by retargeting. Frequently, landing page optimization here involves elements of urgency with phrases like “buy now” or “almost gone”. It may also involve sharing of social proof or product information. Everybody seems to have used an airplane company such as Lufthansa. See how they are using landing pages to retain customers over times of coronavirus.
Bottom-funnel landing page
Finally, you may have customers who were just about to hit the “Buy” button but have somehow stopped beforehand. Therefore, you may try to approach them by a trick. Your landing page optimization here may contain promotions like free samples, “buy one get one free” offers, etc.
To some up, you may have eCommmerce landing pages with relevant landing page optimization throughout your sales funnel. In order to achieve best results, your landing page needs to be streamlined with your overall marketing strategy.
How to build landing pages that convert?
There are many tested solutions to help you build landing pages on the market. The converting rate of the end result however is largely dependent both on the platform, and on the proper landing page optimization work that you complete.
Tips and tricks for effective landing pages
Here are a couple of tips and tricks for optimizing regular landing pages:
- segment your traffic and target long-tail keywords – in other words, focus on one persona only and make sure that your keyword phrases are made up of at least 4 words;
- ensure that your loading speed is lightning-fast;
- build backlinks to your landing page from other sites;
- write clear, concise and engaging content and whenever possible use video;
- make your call-to-action visible;
- provide social proof and contact info.
The gist of your landing page optimization should be that you deliver a straightforward and clear message. You should also never forget your persona, simple navigation and call-to-action.
Technical solutions for building landing pages
Indeed, there are many options for building landing pages. Such options may be provided both by your eCommerce platform, your email marketing platform or an independent software vendor.
All in all, WooCommerce store owners seem to be privileged when choosing their landing page builder. This is due to the large number of plug-ins which may be utilized for the purpose. Choosing the best landing page builder is not an easy task. That’s why you are always welcome to contact us for further support.
Why are product pages the most common eCommerce landing pages?
As we mentioned earlier, the most common landing pages for any eCommerce shop are its product pages. And there are a couple of reasons behind this.
First, your product pages are where your sales happen. Naturally, this is the place where you deliver the greatest value added to customers.
Second, proper product page optimization means that your customer will be able to find his desired product by a simple free organic search.
Third, this is the place where you can best earn social proof for your products to motivate purchase.
Naturally, if you build eCommerce landing pages for your paid product ads, your chances of increasing conversion are accruing.
Product landing pages are usually distributed by paid Google advertisement, social networks or e-mails. These pages should be:
- strictly aligned with your advertisement;
- easy to follow with concise messaging;
- optimized for both desktop and mobile visitors;
- focused on the conversation.
The proper product landing page optimization is what determines your conversion rate. Success is dependent on reaching the right customer with the right message at the right time.
Conclusion
Landing pages are an important online marketing tool. They should be considered by every online store interested in increasing conversion. It is best when they are aligned with the overall marketing and ad strategy.
Landing page optimization is the factor that determines the success of a landing page. There are a handful of practical tips and trips that may be followed to achieve better results. Should you be willing to discuss them, do not hesitate to get in touch.
In order to drive sales, eCommerce landing pages may be created at every step of the sales funnel. There are different technical solutions that we may utilize for building a webpage. WooCommerce store owners have plenty of relevant plug-ins to choose from.