Does my business need a full webpage or a landing page?
If you’re an entrepreneur looking to create a website, you might be wondering whether a landing page or a full website would be better for your business.
What’s the difference?
A landing page is a single scrolling website with a navigation menu at the top that jumps you to different areas on the same page.
A full website has multiple pages and uses a navigation menu to link to other pages.
The way the homepage is used on a full site vs. a landing page is different. Where the landing page has all of the content and 1 call to action, the full website homepage is more like a launching pad to all the other pages of the site.
Both landing pages and websites should prioritize the clarity of their homepage, but they each have distinct advantages that you should consider before choosing one over the other.
How do I know which one is right for me?
An effective landing page takes advantage of the linear and singular focus of its navigation to take their viewer through a curated set of information.
How do you plan on converting your website’s audience members from visitors to clients? If your answer to this question can be summed up in one action — building a mailing list to develop leads, including a contact form, or having a call-to-action button at the end of your page — then a landing page could be your best bet.
There are many different types of landing pages, but the most effective landing pages will often have a single conversion goal in mind.
We’ve also used this format for very new small businesses that don’t have a lot of content. Though we talk about the company and all of their services, the call to action was still the same throughout the page. Here are some examples. (insert image/links to Augustine Wong, Love Sara Deanne).
You might want a landing page if…
- You are a startup looking to establish your presence and generate leads before your product is fully launched
- You offer a single service/product and you want to keep things as simple as possible
- You want an engaging and short personal website with a short bio and contact information
- You have one call to action
If you expect your viewer to spend a significant amount of time on your website before they commit to converting, you likely want to use a full website instead of a landing page. Full websites allow you to include additional information about your business without cluttering your homepage. If done well, site visitors will be able to easily navigate through your site and find whatever information they need. Here are some examples. (insert image/links to Emily McMichael Yoga, A Better City).
You might want a full website if…
- You are a business looking to sell a variety of different products/services
- You are a solo-preneur hoping to establish trustworthiness and reliability in your digital presence (and thus need to have social proof and informational content)
- You are in a technical field and want to establish expertise
- You have a lot of content or more than one call to action
Have more questions?
Both landing pages and full websites can be great options for optimizing the conversion rate of your business. It’ll come down to what you offer, where you are at with your business and how much information your site visitors need before making a purchase.
Maybe a landing page makes sense right now so that you have an online presence while you focus on other areas of your business.
You could also build a landing page and have that up sooner while you compile all the information you need for a full website.
It may make sense so take the time and organize all your information into a full website.
If you still aren’t sure which is right for you, we’d love to support you. We offer free design consultations where we can brainstorm together. We have worked on a variety of custom landing pages and full websites, which you can see here. Book your free design consultation with us here. If you want to know what a design consultation entails, click here.