Conversions should be the ultimate goal when developing landing pages. Whether it’s encouraging people to purchase your product, download your app or subscribe to a service, landing pages are the funnels that lead your customers to perform the actions you desire from them.
But the difference between a good converting landing page and a great one isn’t always so obvious. That’s where the practice of conversion rate optimisation becomes important.
Maybe you’ve read some articles on crafting a solid landing page and have applied a few best practice techniques. However, creating an effective landing page can be quite challenging, especially if you’re not advanced in HTML or CSS.
So, while custom designed landing pages can yield incredible results, they’re not the only option for your business. There are numerous tools and platforms that can assist you in creating and building a landing page whilst assisting to improve your conversion rates,
In this article, we’ll be discussing some of the best landing page building tools on the market: Unbounce, Instapage and Leadpages.
Unbounce
Best for optimising and tweaking your landing pages
(Image via Unbounce)
Unbounce is one of the biggest and most established competitors in the market with over 14,000 customers.
The CRO software allows you to build, publish and A/B test your landing pages without any knowledge of HTML code. The landing pages are built using a unique drag-and-drop interface that lets you customize and create relatively complex designs.
Using the drag-and-drop features, you can customize any element of their 100+ available templates, as well as applying on-page features such as full-screen video backgrounds, light boxes and parallax effects. Other features include overlay CTA’s such as exit intent pop-ups that can be used to convert people that would otherwise leave your landing page.
One of our favourite features is the dynamic text replacement function. DTR is essentially a time-saving feature allowing you to replace landing page keywords depending on the user’s search query.
You can see in the example below that the user had searched “foreign exchange” and another searched “credit card.” The landing page automatically adjusted those keywords based on the search to better appeal and target those users.
(Image via NeilPatel)
So instead of creating and building multiple landing pages for each keyword, Unbounce can dynamically replace those keywords and display more relevant and targeted content, which can lead to improved conversion rates.
As mentioned above, Unbounce also supports A/B testing to optimise the performance of your landing pages over time. Rather than displaying just one version of your landing page and hoping that it’ll convert traffic, Unbounce allows to you test multiple variations and over time the platform can learn which version gets the best results and display the winning design.
Unbounce all comes with advanced design features for bespoke creations as well as mobile-friendly templates that are perfect as a foundation to build from. Combined with SSL encryption, you’ve got a fantastic landing page tool on the market.
Integrations
The fantastic thing about Unbounce is that it integrates with almost every tool in the market including Salesforce, Marketo and Zapier. Other platforms include:
- Utilities – Digest by Zapier, Excel, Google Sheets, MySQL, Parolu, Picatic, Podio, Qualaroo, Thankster, UberFlip, Webhooks by Zapier, WordPress, Zoho Creator
- CRM – Agile CRM, Automational, Base, Bizible, Capsule CRM, Close.io, Follow Up Boss, Hatchbuck, HubSpot, Hubspot CRM, Infusionsoft, LeadSquared, Microsoft Dynamics CRM, Mirabel’s Marketing Manager, OnePageCRM, Outleads, Pipedrive, Pipeline Deals, Salesforce, Solve CRM, speak2leads, Stream, SugarCRM, Zapier, Zoho CRM
- Analytics – Crazy Egg, Formisimo, FullStory, Geckoboard, Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Kissmetrics, Mouse Flow, SwiftType
- Webinar – GoToWebinar
- Optimisation/Testing – Hotjar, Optimal Workshop, UsabilityHub, UserTesting, VWO
- Chat – 123 Contact Form, LiveChat, Slack
- Social – Facebook
- Email – Active Campaign, AWeber, Benchmark, Betasend, BriteVerify, Campaign Monitor, Constant Contact, Droppler, Email by Zapier, Emma, Freshmail, GetResponse, Gmail, MailChimp, MailerLite, Mailgun, Mandrill, MarketVolt, PepiPost, Rare.io, ReachMail, SendGrid, SharpSpring, Vero, Woodpecker.co
- Marketing Automation – ActiveDEMAND, Autopilot, Comindware Project (Delio), Drip, E-goi, Jumplead, Kick-Tipp, LeadsRX, Marketo, Pardot, RocketResponder, Vision6
- Customer Support – Groove, Intercom, Olark, Zendesk
- Call-Tracking – CallHub, Callingly, CallRail, Myphoner, Twilio
- Education – eFront Pro
Key Features:
- Provides a powerful design editor that doesn’t need HTML knowledge to operate
- Integrates with almost every popular marketing tool
- Allows you to create highly targeted campaigns
- Has Dynamic text replacement
Unbounce can more challenging to get started as it requires up-front skills to use it effectively. However, this software would provide the perfect solution for marketers who have built landing pages in the past.
Leadpages
Best for selling products and advertising on a landing page
(Image via Leadpages)
Do you want a landing page that can sell your product and inform in the one place? Leadpages has the features and tools for both. Leadpages was founded in 2012 and has an easy to use interface that allows you to create sleek digital designs that seamlessly adapt to all your favourite connected devices. Leadpages has nailed user-friendliness and aesthetic landing page templates. All it takes is a drag, drop, click and type to customise landing pages and opt-in forms.
Leadpages point of difference is its host of built-in features that go beyond just creating landing pages. The software allows you to drop a checkout on any landing page or pop-up for quick upsells and seamless conversions. Their integrated Facebook Ad Builder can also pull content from your page to instantly create compelling ads. You just review, tweak and launch!
(Image via Leadpages)
Integrations:
A landing page isn’t complete without the ability to integrate and support your favourite platforms. Thankfully, Leadpages has considered this as well as supporting integration with Zapier.
- Analytics – Google Analytics, Google Tag Manager, Javascript Analytics Platform
- Payments – Stripe, PayPal
- Scheduling – Acuity, Calendly, Timetrade
- Social Media – Google Plus, LinkedIn, Twitter
- Webinar – GoToWebinar, WebinarJam
- Website – Drupal, Joomla, Squarespace, Weebly, Wix, WordPress
- CRM – Infusionsoft – Salesforce
- Digital Advertising – Facebook Ads, Google Adwords, Other Advertising Platforms
- Ecommerce – Shopify
- Email – ActiveCampaign, AWeber, Constant Contact, Convert Kit, Drip, Emma, Get Response, iContact, MailChimp
- Live Chat – chat.io, LiveChat
- Marketing Automation – Zapier, HubSpot, Marketo, Ontraport
Key Features:
- Easily build Facebook ads, place pixels, and reach the right people with our unique Facebook ad builder.
- Provides smart end-to-end analytics and insights to understand campaign results
- Allows you to create opt-in boxes to deliver key messages and collect payments
Instapage
Best for collaboration between marketing teams and agencies.
(Image via Instapage)
Are you building a landing page with your team? Instapage is one of the only landing page platforms that offers an integrated collaboration solution while still being able to help you build an aesthetic landing page in minutes.
The Instapage collaboration solution helps eliminate the time-consuming design review process. It’s quite similar to Google Docs where team members can comment on sections, highlight areas that they think need to be changed and respond to comments all within the one software. Teams and or agencies can create landing pages at scale, collaborate in real-time and put an end to repetitive, time-consuming delays that slow down the campaign design process.
(Image via Instapage)
Instapage is also an excellent solution for companies or agencies running Google AdWord campaigns for multiple clients by allowing you to create multiple sub-accounts for clients within a single account. Also, all plans include advanced testing features that are not included within Leadpages lowest tier plan. This includes the ability to A/B test, view user behaviour using their heat-mapping feature and create dynamic text personalising each user experienced by delivering the right message to the right person.
(Image via Instapage)
Instapage provides the most extensive library of fully customizable templates with 200+ stunning examples of lead generation, webinar, event, ebook, click-through pages and more.
Integrations
It’s important to ensure that when you’re choosing a platform for your marketing toolkit, that it integrates and works seamlessly with your existing platforms. Instapage integrations with a number of popular platforms including:
- Advertising – Google Adwords, Facebook Ads
- Marketing Automation – Marketo, HubSpot, Autopilot, ConvertKit, Infusionsoft, ActiveCampaign
- Other – Zapier, Webhooks, WordPress, Drupal, TypeKit, Google Fonts, Bigstock
- Webinar – GoToWebinar
- Analytics – Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Mixpanel, Heap, KISSmetrics
- Call Tracking – DialogTech, Retreaver
- CRM – Salesforce, Zoho, Infusionsoft, ActiveCampaign
- Email Marketing – Campaign Monitor, MailChimp, AWeber, Constant Contact, GetResponse, Mad Mimi, E-goi, ConvertKit
- Exit Intent & Pop-Ups – OptiMonk, OptinMonster, Sumo
- Live Chat – Intercom, Olark, Zendesk
Key Features
- Allows you to create multiple sub-accounts inside the one account
- Allows you to collect heat map data
- Allows for collaboration and instant feedback during the design process.
- Over 200 plus pre-built templates.
Conclusion
To quickly recap the three landing page builders, this is our summary:
Unbounce:
This is ideal for established businesses and agencies who have previously had experience making landing pages and are looking for a high-end all-rounder solution to incorporate within their marketing toolkit. If you’re looking to create more complex landing pages than Instapage and you have the budget, this software might be the best for your needs.
Leadpages:
Ideal for businesses and beginners looking to roll out a landing page within a few minutes with smaller marketing budgets. If you’re looking for a simple landing page that can be handled with minimal to no HTML and CSS experience and you want to sell items or products within the page, this software might be right for you. Keep in mind, Leadpages have restrictions in terms of design and customisation compared to Instapage and Unbounce.
Instapage:
If you have a larger business or company with a bigger budget, Instapage or Unbounce is worth the extra few dollars for additional functionality and more polished looking landing pages. Instapage offers more customising options than Leadpages and has the option to build a landing page from scratch with its powerful editor. Its user-friendliness is great for either a beginner or advanced designer. It’s also a great tool if for team collaboration and Facebook advertising.
When it comes to an effective digital marketing campaign and improving your conversion rates, it’s important not to overlook your landing pages as they are one of the best ways to drive targeted and specific conversions.
It can be time-consuming to create and optimise a landing page. When you add multiple campaigns, A/B testing, pop-ups and all that goes with it, it can be an overwhelming task.
Luckily, by using a landing page building tool, it can assist with the process from start to finish to better optimise your campaigns and successfully improve your conversion rates.
Contact the team at The Orchard on (03) 8547 0003 or info@theorchardagency.com.au to find out more about creating and optimising landing pages to improve conversion rates.
