Learning to create a landing page in WordPress can be a daunting task for anyone. The overwhelming choices, from selecting the right themes to customizing your brand’s look, can often leave you confused and frustrated instead of focusing on enhancing your marketing efforts.
The goal of this guide is to bypass some of these hurdles. I don’t just want you to create any landing page. I want to provide you with the recipe on how to create a “winning” landing page, with the right tools and an approach tailored for beginners. Helping you to create a landing page that not only fits your brand but also converts visitors into leads effectively.
When you make a purchase through my affiliate links, I may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps me continue to provide helpful, high-quality content and reviews. Your support is greatly appreciated and enables me to bring you the best recommendations. I also never provide a recommendation to a product that I’ve not experienced myself. Thank you for trusting my insights.
Table Of Contents
Why You Want To Create a Landing Page in WordPress
Ever wondered why businesses invest time and energy into developing landing pages? It’s simple: a dedicated landing page can significantly enhance your marketing efforts. Whether you’re aiming to promote a new product, gather leads, or drive sales, a landing page provides a focused platform for conversion. When linked to a PPC campaign, it becomes a powerful tool to target the right audience while providing them with relevant information and calls to action.
Key Elements of a Successful Landing Page
A successful landing page combines several key elements: an engaging headline, clear call-to-action (CTA), concise message, trust signals, and mobile responsiveness. Each component plays a vital role in ensuring visitors stay and convert. Once you’ve got your page done, I highly encourage you to read my 9 tips to increase landing page conversions. It’s a highly detailed guide on important details that will help drive conversions to your newly created pages.
Tools & Steps To Create a Landing Page in WordPress
Building a landing page might sound like an overwhelming task, but with the right tools and steps, you’ll have it up and running in no time. The aim for this guide is to get you up and running fast. This is more than likely a tutorial for users who are somewhat technically savvy.
Here’s what you need to get started:
Selecting a Domain and A Web Hosting Provider
Your domain name should reflect your brand. Make it easy to remember and relevant to your business. I recommend checking out Namecheap.com for affordable domain options. I’ve used them for several years and they are cheap and what more do you need for registering a domain name.
For website hosting, there are a plethora of options. From GoDaddy to SiteGround. There are almost too many to choose from. Lucky for you I’ve experienced some terrible web hosting services so you don’t have too.
Cloudways is my go-to choice, offering superior speed and 24/7 support. Please remember, while cheap hosting might save you money upfront, it can cost you dearly in page speed and performance, and it plays a vital role in your conversion rate. I’ve learned this the hard way.
Make a smart choice. Cloudways offers dedicated managed web hosting, essential for creating fast-loading landing pages. Speed plays a vital role in your conversion rate, so your website needs a server that can keep up.
Setup Your WordPress Installation
Today, It’s easier than ever to set up a WordPress installation. Cloudways has made it much easier with one-click installations. I’ve created a brief video showing you exactly how easy it is to install WordPress using Cloudways and Namecheap.
If you’re reading this blog, then you likely already have some experience with WordPress. If not, no worries I’ll be adding more tutorials here each week.
Landing Page Builder – Divi From Elegant Themes
Honestly, developing a landing page is no small task. It can often take hours upon hours to get your perfect landing page. Lucky for you I’ve had the pleasure of executing several marketing campaigns and I’ve seen my fair share of landing pages. From experience I understand what works well and what doesn’t.
There’s no point in reinventing the wheel. There are literally millions of layouts out there that are more than effective. When it comes to creating a winning landing page, a simple yet powerful layout will always perform best.
Elegant Themes & the Divi page builder come with 2000+ layouts and many tools that you need to get this project complete. With its intuitive page builder and professional layouts you can drag and drop your way to a simple, yet effective winning landing page. I usually choose from one of their pre-made layouts and make my own customizations. They now have “starter sites” which are even better for getting started, but we can explore that in another article.
One thing to keep in mind: free themes might cover the basics, but they often miss the mark when it comes to the finesse and features that make a winning landing page. That’s why I use the Divi page builder, because its ideal for everyone, regardless of technical skill. You don’t need to be a coding expert to put together a great page.
Your goal is likely to create a landing page to promote a product or service that could be worth thousands or generate significant sales. If that’s the case, you need something that looks more professional than your competition. A premium theme (divi), combined with the Divi page builder, helps you achieve exactly that.
A premium theme forms the backbone of your landing page’s design. Divi is a popular choice among developers who appreciate its versatility and powerful features. It aligns perfectly with the goal of creating professional-looking landing pages, and allows you to create them at a fast space.
Designing Your Landing Page Layout In WordPress
Ok, now you’ve got the tools to start: You’ve got your domain, web hosting and your landing page builder.
Now here comes the fun part. It can be fun, but it can also be an absolute nightmare.
Trust me when I say this: choosing the right page builder can make or break this entire process. You’ll realize it when you’ve sunk an entire week into one landing page and it’s still not working.
So before you do exactly that, keep this in mind: simple is always better. I mentioned it earlier, don’t try to reinvent the wheel. There are so many landing pages out there. It’s easy to get lost in all these design ideas.
From a strategic standpoint, here’s what I’d do: check out your biggest competitor, the company you want to be or who inspires you the most.
Look for a decent-sized company and take some time to see what they are doing. If you can view their landing pages, amazing; if not, visit their homepage. Nine times out of ten, they’ve crafted this page from trial and error.
I can tell you this: it will be basic, probably very simple and to the point. And you know why? Because it works! Don’t think on it too much – get the ball rolling. The goal is to start split testing once you have your layout created.
Now all you need to do is find a layout on Elegant Themes that somewhat resembles this layout. Don’t blatantly copy it, but use it as inspiration and start building a similar layout with your own flair and customizations. Get it finished and don’t get too attached.
What Do I Put On My Landing Page.
This is a loaded question and I go into this in much more detail in here. To make life easier, here is a simple bullet point list of what I would focus on for your winning landing page that I know will boost your conversion rates.
- Clear Call To Action (CTA) – Your CTA should stand out. Think bold, colorful buttons with action-driven text like “Book A Free Estimate.”
- Impactful Visual or Videos – High quality images or short video will help build trust and elicit emotional responses.
- Optimize Page Load Speed – Nobody likes waiting. Keep your landing page loading fast by minimizing image sizes and using efficient code. This is more important than you may think.
- Use Compelling Headlines – Grab attention with headlines that speak directly to your audience’s needs and desires.
- Focus on Benefits – Instead of listing features, highlight the benefits. Show how your product improves the user’s life.
- Keep Designs Simple – A clean, uncluttered design helps visitors focus on your message and CTA, making them more likely to convert.
- Build Trust with Social Proof – Include testimonials and reviews to build credibility. People trust what others have to say about you.
- Ensure Mobile Friendliness – Make sure your page looks good and works well on any mobile device. Most users browse on phones.
- Use A/B Testing – Test different versions of your landing page to see what works best. Small tweaks can make a big difference.
- Limit Form Fields – Keep forms quick and easy to fill out. Ask only for the info you truly need to boost sign-ups.
Where Can I Find Winning Landing Page Examples.
There are literally thousands of landing pages out there – I work for a marketing agency running PPC ads and our best performing pages are usually the simplest in design.
I’m often scouring the internet for winning landing pages and use them as inspiration for new designs. It’s easy to pick out the winning pages because they are usually active and running!
I’ve put together a couple of examples of pages that I’d use as inspiration for my own page designs:
Elegant Themes Landing Page – Example #1
I know I’m a huge advocate of Divi, but there landing page is actually top tier. Here is a brief summary of the page and the key highlights I’ve noted:
- Purpose and Audience: Promotes Divi, targeting web professionals, business owners, freelancers, and agencies.
- Design and Layout: Very clean and visually appealing with intuitive navigation.
- Headline and Messaging: Bold headline; clear messaging highlights Divi’s benefits and features.
- Call to Action (CTA): Strategically placed and engaging CTAs.
- Content Quality: Informative and concise, addressing various user needs.
- Visuals and Media: High-quality visuals enhancing the message.
- User Experience: Excellent experience with easy navigation and mobile responsiveness.
Overall Impression and Recommendations: Considering that Elegant Themes utilizes a page builder specifically for creating landing pages, you would assume they know a thing or two about winning landing pages. They focus not only on who Divi is for but also on its features, with a heavy emphasis on their 20k+ reviews on Trustpilot, which serve as social proof. Use them as inspiration for how you could create a great landing page for your own business. My only suggestion for their page is to simplify it a bit more, but it clearly works for them.
Quickbooks Accounting Software – Example #2
- Purpose and Audience: Targets small business owners and accountants with comprehensive financial management solutions.
- Design and Layout: Professional and straightforward with a clear, user-friendly layout.
- Headline and Messaging: Direct headline highlighting “All-in-one accounting software” clear messaging on features and benefits.
- Call to Action (CTA): Prominent CTAs encourage starting free trials and exploring features.
- Content Quality: Concise and informative, outlining software benefits for various users.
- Visuals and Media: Effective use of UI images to showcase functionalities.
- User Experience: Positive experience with quick load times and mobile-friendly design.
Overall Impression and Recommendations: Look at how simple their design is – lots of white space and straight to the point, there isn’t much convincing needed. To me they don’t highlight enough benefits and focus too heavily on features. For example in the hero section where they mention the average time saved. I’d potentially play on that more. Video testimonial on how it improved workflow process would work well on this page.
Bigin – CRM Software Example #3
- Purpose and Audience: Aimed at small businesses and startups for a simple CRM solution.
- Design and Layout: Clean, easy-to-navigate design reflecting product simplicity.
- Headline and Messaging: Straightforward headline focusing on ease of use.
- Call to Action (CTA): Clear CTAs, though adding urgency could improve effectiveness.
- Content Quality: Concise and effective, but could include more targeted use cases.
- Visuals and Media: Good visuals; adding demo videos could boost engagement.
- User Experience: Smooth navigation and fast load times across devices.
Overall Impression and Recommendations: Honestly, there isn’t much to add to this page. It’s really well done. The biggest thing I’d suggest is split testing different use cases. I’d also consider adding a small demonstration video somewhere, though it’s not necessary. The explanation of the pricing and the comparison table are excellent features and clearly show how they compare with the competition.
Now that you have 3 examples, use them as inspiration for your winning landing page layout. Remember I’m not saying blatantly copy these pages but use them as examples to understand what you need to do. The reason why I’ve chosen these larger company pages are because more they more than likely have hired a “marketing expert” or a team who know what they are doing.
Adding Analytics + Conversion Tracking
Once you’ve chosen your layout and got your landing page created it’s essential to set up conversion tracking and Google Analytics. While it’s easy to do, it can often be confusing for beginners.
To measure and track the performance of your landing pages, you should set up Google Analytics. It’s critical for identifying what’s working and what needs improvement.
You’ll also want to explore setting up conversion tracking, either in Analytics or directly in Google Ads if you’re running PPC campaigns. Although the conversion setup is beyond the scope of this article, I’ll cover it in much more detail on my YouTube channel or you can sign up for my newsletter.
If you need any guidance on setting it up, start by watching the video below. It shows exactly how to set up tag tracking. I plan to cover this topic further, but for now, the video from Google on conversion tracking is provided below, and you can also use Google’s Tag Manager.
Optimizing For SEO Or For PPC
It really comes down to what you want your landing page to do. If you’re thinking about using it with a PPC campaign, don’t bother with SEO.
You should keep your focus on tracking the results from your paid ads, without mixing them up with organic ones. Combining both can be confusing. It’s better to make sure your landing page doesn’t show up in search results or to create two versions—one for organic traffic and another for PPC.
A/B Split Testing Your Winning Landing Page
Now you’ve laid the groundwork and your landing page is ready to go. But before you hit that launch button, let’s talk about A/B split testing. Here’s why it’s important: A/B testing is your secret weapon for understanding what resonates with your audience. It looks closely at how visitors behave and what they like on your page. We’re not just guessing here. This is about getting the facts straight and knowing where we can make improvements. That’s how you create a winning landing page – review the data..
By running regular split tests, you can play around with different designs, headlines, and CTAs without risking your entire campaign. It’s about finding what your visitors actually respond to rather than guessing.
How often should you test? I’d say as often as needed to get meaningful insights. If the results are pouring in then I would only make slight modifications. This isn’t a one-off task. It’s an ongoing process to keep tweaking and improving.
An effective strategy is to test several variations of your page. That’s why a page builder with pre-made layouts is so powerful. Here’s a quick list to help you tackle split testing:
- Pick One Element: Start with the most important piece that you think might be an influence, like your headline or CTA.
- Create Variations: Make just two versions (A and B) to keep things simple at first.
- Run the Test: Let the tests roll for a decent period to gather significant data.
- Analyze the Results: Look at the numbers and see which version resonates better with your audience.
- Implement the Winner: Use the best-performing version, and then move on to the next element for testing.
Remember, testing isn’t just a “set it and forget it” kind of thing. Keep at it, and you’ll see the results in your conversion rates.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Overloading with Too Much Information
Keep your message concise. A cluttered page can overwhelm visitors and reduce conversions. When it comes to landing pages, cramming them with loads of info is a no-go. Keep things to the point. A page overflowing with details can scare people away rather than reel them in. Visitors probably won’t stick around if they feel like they’re muddling through a giant pile of text just to find what they need. Instead, think about what’s truly essential and make sure that’s front and center. Niche it down as much as possible.
Page Speed Is An Important Metric
When I first started, I was guilty of this. I went to the cheapest web host to save money, and it backfired dramatically. I’ve never regretted paying more for my hosting server because the results from my server outweigh the savings from a slow-loading page that can kill any business. Don’t penny pinch. Make the investment in hosting your own web server for the best performance. You won’t regret it.
Failing to Test and Update Regularly
Lastly, don’t skip out on testing and updating. Just because something worked well initially doesn’t mean it’ll stay that way forever. The internet moves quickly, and people’s preferences shift too. Regularly checking in on how your page is doing and making tweaks when needed means you’re always in tune with what works best.
Conclusion
Building a landing page in WordPress is an investment in your business’s growth. By following these steps and avoiding common pitfalls, you’re well on your way to creating a powerful tool that converts visitors into loyal customers.
I really tried my best to explain this in a way that anyone would understand it. We often forget that when we are working on something so often not everyone understands it in that same way. I appreciate any feedback on these tutorials.
Drop a comment below if you have any questions.
I’m a full time PPC manager who manages over 3m+ in ad spend every year. I spend my time researching and working on landing pages and practices to help fuel business growth.