A business has two choices for web pages: a landing page or a website. Both might look similar and share similar components, but they both have different uses and are designed differently.
If you, however, are a startup with a small budget, what would be the most suitable option for you? Just before you set up a business, read through this comparison guide to learn more about these two main options. You will eventually be able to understand which option will be easier to create and which is better for startup companies
An Overview of the Landing Page
A landing page can be either a part of a business website or designed separately with the aim to drive paid traffic to your business. It’s a short and simple page with a brief description of your latest offers. It has a call-to-action (CTA) or an email box where you can sign up for the program by dropping your email address. The page doesn’t have any navigation options.
The only purpose of a landing page is to advertise your product to your target audience and increase sales. People don’t randomly come across these pages: they rather click on the landing page link on social media, websites, emails, and other platforms and are redirected to these pages.
An Overview of the Business Website
Blogs, news pages, eCommerce platforms, and social media sites are all websites that have several web pages, each leading you to blogs, company page, products, and so on. The biggest difference between a landing page and a website is that the latter is optimized for search engines.
A website has a homepage that gives a quick description of what the business is about and what they offer to the user. Then, there are other pages that can be accessed from the homepage through navigation. It is a combination of images, videos, texts, and other media elements.
Which is Easier to Create?
Creating a landing page is a fairly simple process. You can use a website builder to get ready-made templates for your landing page and this is how it works: Select a name for your page, choose your keywords, and add your content to the page. Once you have included everything, click the publish button, and it’s done.
And what about building a website? When you’re using a DIY web builder product, setting up a website can be easy too. With a platform like Wix for example, you don’t need any background knowledge or experience. There are also loads of benefits that go hand-in-hand with using products like this, such as: Saving time and money, creating exactly what you have in mind, as well as feeling a large sense of satisfaction from your efforts. Since however, a website has more pages, compared to landing pages it’s a bit complicated to build.
Which is Better for a Startup?
A landing page can be created within hours and published on the same day. It’s neither costly nor time-consuming, making it the best option for startups. But, that only makes sense when you have established sources to drive traffic to a landing page and increase conversions. For instance, a social media influencer that has thousands of followers on Instagram can use a landing page to announce a special offer, instead of creating a website. That’s simple and cost-effective.
Startup companies that plan long-term growth in the digital market may not find a landing page effective. You need to use it on a business website to drive maximum organic traffic to your page. A website is optimized for search engines and is a great source of information for your visitors. People find your website when looking for answers to their questions and exploring solutions to their pain points. If they like your content, there’s a good chance they will navigate to the purchase page and become your loyal customer.
Can a Landing Page be a Website?
Knowing the differences between the two, you might wonder if one page can function as both. Can your landing page double up as your business’ website? While that’s possible, it’s not going to generate your desired results. The target audience for both is different, and the features of each are also unique.
If you are a startup planning to grow, you need a dedicated website with different pages. It gives information about the brand, services, and the purchase process. You can add a landing page to your website for better results, but a landing page can’t serve as your business website.