One of the most confusing concepts in the history of web design (for non-web designers) is the difference between a homepage and a landing page. Because, as we are often asked, “Don’t customers ‘land’ on our homepage?”

Yes. Yes, they do. So let’s dive into why they are different.

What is a homepage?

The homepage is what appears when someone types in your url (your website’s address). Think of it a bit like your shop’s front window (if it were a brick & mortar store) When you peek through a store’s window–do you get every detail about every product, a sense of how friendly the staff is, and immediate knowledge of the entire history of the company? No! But you do get a general sense of whether or not you might want to go in.

The purpose of your homepage is similar. It exists to give new visitors a snapshot of why they might like to work with your business or organization. It should include things like a shortlist of product/service highlights, a mini bio, a testimonial, and the steps it takes to get the ball rolling on your working relationship. Navigation to interior pages should also be clear to both new and returning visitors. 

What is a landing page?

A landing page is almost exactly the same as a homepage. But instead of it existing as the front window for the entire business–it’s more like a front window for one particular product, service, or initiative.

For example, say you own a boutique skincare company, and you’ve just created a makeup line. If all you do is add those products to your current shop, you are dividing the attention of your prospective customers. And customers who feel divided and overwhelmed are less likely to make a purchase. You don’t want that under normal circumstances, but you definitely don’t want that with a new product launch.

If you create a landing page for that new makeup line, you can talk about the benefits specific to those products. Because it is its own page, you can send people directly there from your ads about the make up. If they’ve clicked through from your ad to the page and all they find is what they saw in the ad–they are more likely to make a focused purchase. 

Then, when they check out, they’ll provide you with an email address. And through your ongoing email campaigns, you can let them know about your other products, creating life-long customers.

Conclusion

While you “land” on both homepages and landing pages, and they can have similar types of information–their overall purposes are a little different. Keep your homepage high level and engaging for your entire business. Keep your landing pages more specific to certain products, initiatives, and campaigns.

(Hey. Psst! Want to get a little deeper into how landing pages can help your business? We wrote a post about that, too.)

Need help developing a more effective homepage or landing page? Contact us today.

Photo by Fabian Irsara on Unsplash