How to Create a High-Converting Landing Page with WordPress in 2023
Are you looking to capture more leads, drive signups for a webinar or event, sell a product, or achieve another marketing goal? An optimized landing page could be just what you need to boost your conversions.
In this in-depth guide, we‘ll walk you through exactly how to create a landing page with WordPress step-by-step. You‘ll learn what a landing page is, why they are so effective, and tips for designing landing pages that convert visitors into leads and customers.
Let‘s get started!
What is a Landing Page?
A landing page is a standalone web page designed with a single focused objective in mind, known as a call-to-action (CTA). It‘s where a visitor "lands" after clicking a link in an email, ad, or other digital location.
Unlike web pages that have many goals and encourage exploration, landing pages are designed with a single focus or goal, making it more likely to convert a higher percentage of visitors.
Some common uses of landing pages include:
- Capturing leads by offering a free ebook, whitepaper, or course in exchange for an email address
- Selling a product or service
- Encouraging signups for a webinar, event, or newsletter
- Getting registrations for a free trial of software
The key to an effective landing page is keeping it focused on a single objective and making it easy for the visitor to complete that action, whether it‘s filling out a form, making a purchase, or signing up for something.
Landing Page vs Website Page: What‘s the Difference?
Landing pages and regular website pages can look similar, but they serve very different purposes:
Purpose:
- Landing pages have a single goal, such as generating leads or driving sales for a specific product.
- Website pages inform and encourage exploration of your site.
Content:
- Landing pages have very focused content (usually a headline, imagery, benefits, and a CTA) geared toward achieving the main goal.
- Website pages have more information and navigation to other parts of your site.
Audience:
- Landing pages are targeted to specific audiences coming from ads, emails, etc.
- Website pages are for anyone who visits your site.
Conversion:
- The sole purpose of a landing page is to convert visitors into leads or customers.
- Website pages have lower conversion rates because they serve multiple purposes.
In short, landing pages are designed to direct visitors to take one specific action, while website pages have a more general purpose as part of your overall site.
Why Use WordPress to Build Landing Pages?
WordPress is an excellent tool for creating landing pages because it‘s easy to use, even for beginners, and has a huge library of plugins and themes designed specifically for landing pages.
Benefits of using WordPress for landing pages:
No coding required – Most WordPress landing page plugins have drag-and-drop interfaces that let you build pages without any coding knowledge.
Customization – WordPress gives you full control over the look and feel of your landing pages. You can easily add your own branding, content, forms, and more.
Integrations – Many WordPress landing page plugins integrate with popular email marketing services, CRMs, and webinar platforms, making it easy to capture leads and manage your marketing campaigns.
Affordable – WordPress is free, and many landing page plugins offer generous free plans, making it an affordable solution for businesses of all sizes.
SEO-friendly – WordPress is known for its SEO capabilities, and most landing page plugins are optimized for search engines, helping you rank higher in search results.
With these benefits in mind, let‘s look at how to actually create a landing page in WordPress.
How to Create a Landing Page with WordPress
Follow these steps to create your first landing page with WordPress:
Step 1: Choose a WordPress Landing Page Plugin
There are many WordPress plugins designed specifically for creating landing pages. Some of the most popular options include:
- SeedProd – A drag-and-drop landing page builder with 100+ templates.
- Beaver Builder – A flexible page builder plugin with a user-friendly interface.
- Divi – A popular theme and page builder for WordPress with 100+ layout packs.
- Thrive Architect – A conversion-focused page builder with 300+ landing page templates.
- Elementor – A free page builder plugin with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
When choosing a plugin, consider factors like ease of use, number of templates, customization options, integrations, and pricing. For this tutorial, we‘ll be using SeedProd.
Step 2: Install and Activate the Plugin
Once you‘ve chosen a plugin, you need to install and activate it on your WordPress site. Here‘s how:
- Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to "Plugins" and click "Add New."
- Search for your chosen plugin (e.g., "SeedProd").
- Click "Install Now" and then "Activate."
- Follow the plugin‘s setup instructions, which may include entering a license key, choosing settings, etc.
Step 3: Create a New Landing Page
With the plugin installed and activated, you‘re ready to create your first landing page. The exact steps will vary depending on your chosen plugin, but here‘s how it works in SeedProd:
- From the WordPress dashboard, go to SeedProd > Landing Pages.
- Click the "Add New Landing Page" button.
- Choose a template for your landing page. SeedProd offers a variety of templates for different purposes (lead squeeze page, webinar signup, sales page, etc.).
- Give your landing page a name and URL, then click "Save and Start Editing the Page."
Step 4: Customize Your Landing Page Content
Now the fun part begins! Using the plugin‘s drag-and-drop builder, you can customize every aspect of your landing page, including:
- Headline
- Body copy
- Images
- Videos
- Buttons
- Forms
- Colors and fonts
- Background
Most landing page builders provide inline editing, so you can edit text and elements directly on the page. They also provide settings and options in a sidebar or panel for more advanced customizations.
As you design your page, keep these landing page best practices in mind:
- Keep it simple and focused on one goal. Don‘t try to cram too much onto the page.
- Make the headline clear and benefit-driven. It should grab attention and make people want to keep reading.
- Use persuasive copy that focuses on the benefits to the user. Avoid jargon and fluff.
- Include social proof, such as testimonials, client logos, or trust badges, to build trust and credibility.
- Make the CTA button stand out and use action-oriented copy (e.g., "Get My Free Ebook").
- Remove distractions like pop-ups, sidebars, and navigation links. You want visitors to stay focused on the page.
- Optimize for mobile devices. Make sure the page looks good and functions well on smaller screens.
Step 5: Integrate with Your Email Marketing Service
To capture leads from your landing page, you‘ll need to integrate it with your email marketing service (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact, ConvertKit). Most WordPress landing page plugins offer integrations with popular email marketing platforms.
Look for settings to connect your email service and choose which list or segment to add new leads to. You may need to enter an API key or connect via oAuth.
Step 6: Add Analytics Tracking
To track the performance of your landing page, you‘ll want to add analytics tracking. Google Analytics is a popular free option that works well with WordPress.
Most landing page plugins have a spot to enter your Google Analytics ID or add the tracking code to the page. This will allow you to see how many people are visiting your page, where they‘re coming from, and what actions they‘re taking.
Step 7: Publish Your Landing Page
Once you‘re happy with your landing page, it‘s time to publish it and start driving traffic! Click the "Publish" button to make your page live.
To drive traffic to your landing page, you can:
- Share it on social media
- Include it in your email newsletters
- Run paid ads (e.g., Google Ads, Facebook Ads)
- Add links to it from other pages on your site
- Promote it to your existing audience and customers
Remember, the key to a successful landing page is driving targeted traffic that is likely to be interested in your offer. Avoid promoting it to a broad, untargeted audience.
Step 8: Test and Optimize Your Landing Page
Finally, don‘t forget to test and optimize your landing page over time. Use your analytics data to see how the page is performing and identify areas for improvement.
A/B testing is a great way to optimize your landing page. This involves creating two versions of the page with one element changed (e.g., headline, CTA button color, form length) and seeing which performs better. Most landing page plugins have built-in A/B testing features.
You can also gather qualitative feedback by asking visitors for their thoughts on the page. Tools like Hotjar allow you to add surveys and polls to your landing page to gather user insights.
Examples of Landing Pages Built with WordPress
Need some inspiration for your own landing pages? Here are a few examples of effective landing pages built with WordPress:
Example 1: Webinar Landing Page
This webinar signup page from Digital Marketer uses a clean design with a clear headline, benefits, and CTA button. It also includes social proof in the form of client logos and a testimonial.
Example 2: Ebook Landing Page
This ebook landing page from HubSpot features a bold headline, a mockup of the ebook cover, and a short form to download the book. The page is focused and free of distractions.
Example 3: Free Trial Landing Page
This free trial landing page from Ahrefs has a clear value proposition, bulleted benefits, and a prominently placed CTA button. It also uses social proof with logos of well-known brands that use the tool.
Conclusion
Creating a high-converting landing page with WordPress is easier than you might think. With the right plugin and a little know-how, you can design beautiful pages that are optimized for conversions.
Remember these key takeaways when creating your own landing pages:
- Keep it focused on one goal and make the CTA clear
- Use persuasive copy and visuals to communicate benefits
- Remove distractions and optimize for mobile devices
- Integrate with your email service to capture leads
- Add analytics tracking to measure performance
- Test and optimize your pages over time
By following these tips and best practices, you‘ll be well on your way to creating landing pages that convert visitors into leads and customers. Happy optimizing!
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