Landing page vs website: which your business needs first
A landing page asks for one action from people sent by an ad. A website earns the trust of people who look you up. Here is how to choose.
A landing page is a single page that asks for a single action, usually from people sent by an ad. A website has several pages and earns the trust of people who look you up and compare. You choose by two questions: where visitors come from and what they need to do on the page.
What a landing page is and what a website is
A landing page is a single page with a single job. Visitors arrive from an ad, an email or a post, read one message and take one action, such as requesting a quote.
A website has several pages: about the business, services, work, contact. It is where people look you up after hearing about you, or while comparing you with others. They read at their own pace and decide later.
A landing page asks for a decision now. A website builds trust over time.
Landing page vs website: the two questions that decide
You decide by where visitors come from and what they need to do once they arrive, not by budget or by what competitors have. Do they come from paid ads, from Google, from referrals or from social media? Do they need to request a quote, call, book or just learn more?
| Where visitors come from | What they need to do | What you need |
|---|---|---|
| Paid ads for one service | Request a quote or call | A landing page for that service |
| Google searches | Compare and learn | A website |
| Referrals from customers | Check you are credible | A website |
| A short campaign or event | Sign up | A landing page |
| Several sources at once | A bit of everything | A website plus separate pages for campaigns |
Why an ad sent to your home page wastes money
An ad sent to your home page wastes money because the visitor has to hunt for the service they clicked on. Most do not hunt. They close the page and go back to the results, and you paid for the click without getting the enquiry.
A landing page closes that gap: the same message as the ad, one service, one button. When you already have a website, you do not replace it. You add a page beside it for each campaign that matters.
If you pay for every click, every click should land on a page built for it.
When one page is not enough
One page is not enough when people want to know you before they get in touch. That is common for higher-value services and for decisions made by more than one person.
You need a website if you sell several services, each to its own customers, if people search for you by name, or if you want to be found on Google without ads. You can start with one campaign page and build the site alongside it. If you are choosing someone to build it, see questions to ask a web designer.
How to build a landing page that brings enquiries
A landing page brings enquiries when it says the same thing as the ad, does not let people wander off and asks for little. Check your page, or the proposal on your desk, with the steps below.
- Put the page headline next to the ad text and check they say the same thing.
- Remove the menu and links to other pages, so visitors do not leave by accident.
- Keep only the form fields you need to reply.
- Put the main button on the first screen on a phone.
- Count the enquiries from the page, separately for each ad.
Most people skip the last step. Without tracking, you cannot tell whether the page works or only looks good. For a real example of what broken tracking costs, read the measurement audit case study.
Frequently asked questions
Does a landing page rank on Google?
Rarely for broad searches, because it has little text and a single topic. For visitors from Google you need a website with a page for each service.
Can I have a landing page without a website?
Yes, but you still need a domain and hosting. In practice, the landing page becomes your website: it is the page everyone who looks you up will find.
How many landing pages do I need?
One for each service or offer. Not only for paid ads: a separate page for each service also helps on Google, where each page can show up for its own searches, and it helps visitors find exactly what they are looking for.
In short
A landing page asks for a decision now, from people sent by an ad. A website earns the trust of people who look you up and compare. To see what each Vistek service includes, with the price on the page, visit our services.