Although their names sound very similar and are often used interchangeably, it is not entirely accurate to equate the two. The primary difference between One Page and Landing Page is in their purpose, but it does not end there. And although this difference can often be subtle (One Page can sometimes be a Landing Page and vice versa), it is still worth knowing the exact meaning that lies behind each specific phrase, and when we can apply it.
The text below will help you figure out how to use the above-mentioned names correctly and which of these pages will work best when it comes to your project. At the end we will also analyse what are the differences between landing page and website.
We have extensive expertise in the marketing field through our sister company, 1000ideas creative agency. Since 2007, we have been creating various types of webpages, including landing pages, corporate websites, and more, to meet all your marketing needs. The distinctions between these names are sometimes ambiguous and can lead to confusion. Let's clarify that once and for all.
One Page
One Page is usually a simple website which consists of only a home page. Often without navigation bar. It captures the essence of the topic in question, presenting the most important information related to it. This type of web page is often used to create company websites, especially when the brand does not have a large amount of content and wants to create an online presence for itself or a specific product or service. One Page does not contain subpages – all content is placed on one home page. Usually such pages are created in a categorised way, placing all the information in separate sections which users move between by scrolling (up-down), and decorating them with attractive graphics, but there are also more horizontal-type solutions which can be interesting.
Due to the small amount of content, this type of website does not need to have a CMS, but an appealing visual effect is extremely important – graphics, layout, interesting solutions and animations, i.e. everything that will make the website fun and interesting to the user.
It's worth opting for One Page when you want to get a creative and outstanding website, while at the same time you don't have a large amount of material to present. It's also perfect for when you care more about the effect than the ability to edit the content (we encourage you to talk to our team, who will help you pick out the best solutions without generating unnecessary costs).
Interesting One Page examples
Landing Page
As the name suggests, this is the page where you “land” (usually after clicking on one of the other elements of the promotional campaign). This type of web page may resemble One Page, but is usually created and tailored to a specific online marketing campaign and are part of the digital marketing efforts. Users who click on an online ad (e.g. AdWords) are usually redirected to this type of web page, which has been specially designed for the specific ad.
Lead generation Landing Page life cycle is most often linked to the period of the advertising campaign, so these are usually simple web pages containing a form for generating sales leads (like collecting email address) and focused on conversion rates. They usually do not present the full range of products and services or information about the company, but rather a specifically chosen item related to the given campaign, e.g. a product or promotion.
A landing page should not be created instead of the company website, but rather be an additional element to it. It's design usually is a fairly simple and straight forward, with a focus on converting visitors into leads or customers. Landing pages should be designed to provide value to potential customers and should have a clear call to action (CTA).
Landing pages key advantages are, first and foremost:
Separation of the permanent part of the website from one-off or seasonal promotions. This means we can break free of the close connection with the company's home page, and the user can focus on the content related to one specific offer.
Tailoring the content to a specific advertising campaign and using matching keywords, without affecting the main company website.
How to Make a Landing Page for My Business in 2024
There are several simple ways to build a landing page for your product or business, but the most often used are:
Building it from scratch - using skilled developer and HTML, CSS, JavaScript stack
Landing page builder - check out the Zapier's best landing page builders list
These tools will be essentially the same for building a full website, one pager and a microsite.
WordPress is the most popular content management system and is very versatile (although not without its drawbacks). There are many plugins and themes that make it easy to build a landing page. If you're not confident with coding or don't want to invest in cooperation with a software company, you can use a low-code platform like Webflow or Wix. These platforms will give you drag and drop tools to realise all of your website needs.
There are a few important advantages of using low-code platform when compared to website development. The first advantage is that you don't have to worry about hosting, servers and code maintenance. Low-code automatically creates and maintains your code for you, so there's no need to spend time setting up these things yourself.
Another advantage of using low-code is that it makes creating prototypes much easier. You can quickly create a basic version of your website without having to design from scratch, and you can use this prototype to test your marketing and sales hypotheses in your digital marketing strategy.
One advantage of landing page builders is that they offer a wide variety of ready-to-use templates for different types of landing pages.
When you will decide to build landing page from scratch remember that besides a developer you will also need a designer experienced in building landing page design and provide such person with a few landing page examples that will act as an inspiration.
When do you need a Landing Page?
There are a few different reasons why you might need a landing page.
One reason is if you're trying to drive traffic to your website from an email list or as a part of your marketing funnel. A landing page is a great way to collect data from your visitors so you can see who is interested in your product or service and generate more leads through email marketing.
Another reason for needing a landing page is if you're running a contest or giveaway. Landing pages are a great way to collect entries and track winners.
And finally, if you're selling a product or service online, you might need an effective landing page content to capture leads before they leave your website to reach your conversion goal.
Landing Page Examples
Landing page for mBank's "eKonto Junior" promotional campaign
Landing page for the AVIVA insurance promotional campaign
One Page vs Landing Page In summary
One Page | Landing Page |
A single (usually made up of sections) page that can be used as a company page or a specific product page. | A landing page that you land on from an advertising campaign. |
Aimed more at a presentational purpose, highlighting key strengths (such as professionalism) and showing them in a visually appealing form. | Oriented more towards presenting a specific offer or service and attracting prospective customers, encouraging them to leave a contact or take an action. |
Often presented in a creative way, using attractive visual effects (e.g. with scrolling). | Because it is often a page with a specific life cycle (related to a specific offer or marketing channel), it is simple and devoid of time-consuming effects.
More emphasis is placed here on usability to better communicate the details of the offer and to make it easier to get in touch with the customer. |
Organic traffic | Paid traffic, social media posts, email campaigns, etc. |
Differences between Landing Page vs Website
Let's start at the beginning. A website is a collection of webpages that are designed to explain your organisation, products and services. Generally, a business website will contain details about the company such as what it does, what products or services are available and where the company is located. Additionally, a website may house specialised pages such as a blog or login page for users to access specific features or functions. The main goal of a website is to provide information and accessibility for potential and current customers.
We can distinguish three main types of pages on a website: homepage, pages linked together with a navigation menu, and landing pages. Landing pages are different from regular website pages in that they're one-time uses that can be used for different purposes. For example, you could have a landing page that is used to capture leads or enrol people in a subscription service.
Landing pages are especially beneficial because they allow you to focus your efforts on one page instead of spreading them out across the entire website. This makes it easier for you to convert visitors into customers. Plus, the design and layout of a landing page can be more engaging than regular website pages. This means that your potential customers will be more likely to take action on it and convert into customers.
While websites and landing pages share many similarities, there are also some key differences worth noting. Websites typically have more pages than landing pages, and they tend to be bigger overall. Websites are also used for more general purposes such as providing information about the company or product rather than selling something specific.
Nevertheless, it is possible to have a landing page that also functions as a website. In fact, this is becoming more popular as people want to avoid the complexities of setting up and maintaining a separate website.
A landing page can be created using any website builder, such as Wix or Weebly. Once the landing page is created, you'll need to add the necessary elements (such as images , videos, and calls-to-action button) to convert visitors into customers.
When do you need a website?
A website is typically needed when a business wants to reach a larger audience or make it easier for customers to find and purchase products. A website is a great marketing tool that allows customers to learn more about your business and what you have to offer. Websites provide a way for target audience to interact with you in a variety of ways, which can include browsing your products or services, reading your blog, and viewing your About page.
Often times, businesses without websites will struggle to attract customers and generate leads. A well-designed website can help you build brand awareness, trust, and authority in your industry space. Additionally, building an effective website can help you sell more products or services as customers can easily find what they are looking for on your site.
While there are many things that go into building an effective website, the three main elements are content (information that is written), design (layout and graphics), and SEO (search engine optimization). Content must be accurate, updated regularly, and relevant to your audience; design should be simple to understand and easy to navigate; and SEO should be targeted towards helping your website rank higher in search engines.
Microsite - yet another beast to tame
A microsite is a unique web construction that has similarities to both a landing page and website. Essentially, a microsite is a page that explains a business, product, or service on one page. The page may be longer than a landing page, but it doesn't have the same depth and breadth as a full-blown website. This makes it more similar to a One Page, but in this case it can easily have a few simple subpages.
Microsites are perfect for apps, upcoming products or services, freelance workers, and any company wishing to promote their product in an efficient and cost-effective manner. Microsites make it easy for visitors to navigate around the site, as they often contain internal linking that takes them to different sections across the page. This makes it easy for customers or target audience to find what they are looking for without having to search through lengthy pages. Additionally, microsites are ideal for companies with large promotional campaigns – as they can focus on one specific area without jeopardizing traffic from other areas of the site (e.g. blog posts).
So if you're unsure whether you should go with a landing page or website, consider going with a microsite – it's likely to be just as successful as either option!
Summary
One Page websites are simple and typically consist of only a home page, making them ideal for companies with minimal content or a specific product or service.
Landing Pages are specifically designed for marketing campaigns and are often used to generate leads or conversions.
Landing Pages should be designed to provide value to potential customers and have a clear call to action, while One Page websites focus more on visual appeal and creativity.
In summary, both landing pages and one page websites are effective ways of promoting your business. It just depends on the specific needs of your business. When you are unsure on what to choose, you can simply contact a software development company or IT consulting firm.
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