Landing pages are a vital component of virtually any marketing strategy because they allow you to break away from your standard techniques and explore new possibilities for your campaigns. As discussed in a previous article on SitePoint about landing pages, there is a science to creating a solid page, that doesn’t mean you need specialized tools to create these pages for your website.
With the rise of webinars, eCommerce sales, crowdfunding (which requires a unique marketing funnel) and much more, incorporating landing pages into your websites is a vital way to stand out in today’s saturated digital ecosystem.
While it’s possible to create your own pages and style them to your needs with virtually any WordPress theme, the tips below can help you create WordPress landing pages without worrying about hacking up a theme to do something it isn’t primarily intended to do.
WordPress Landing Pages
One of the leading free solutions for creating landing pages for your WordPress website is known simply as WordPress Landing Pages. This is a free plugin which includes a variety of features such as allowing website owners to monitor and track conversion rates, run A/B tests and much more.
In addition to allowing users to create new landing pages, WordPress Landing Page also allows developers to create custom layouts using a templating system from the plugin. Although the framework is built with standard PHP code, this process can be a bit tedious if you’re not comfortable with writing code.
Aside from allowing users to create landing pages, this plugin also integrates with other plugins for additional functionality such as contact relationship management (CRM), enhanced forms (through Gravity Forms, Ninja Forms, Contact Form 7 and many other solutions) and much more.
Although this solution might not be as simple or robust as many paid solutions in the WordPress ecosystem, one of the biggest advantages is that you can easily integrate it into client websites without worrying about licensing costs. Another advantage is that the paid version of WordPress Landing Page includes an unlimited website license for only $249.99 which can be a decent value if you often handle marketing for clients.
OptimizePress
Although licenses for this plugin start at $97 for a three site license, OptimizePress is a solid investment as it allows you to create landing pages yourself while still using a tool with a solid support team backing it. With this tool, all your creative work can be done with a visual editor rather than you having to tinker with code. Additionally you can hit the ground running with numerous pre-made templates available out of the box.
In addition to allowing you to create landing pages with ease, OptimizePress also allows users to create blog posts, membership gateways and much more all from the standard interface. If you happen to need additional functionality, the plugin also incorporates a marketplace where you can buy features a-la-carte to enhance your pages.
Keep in mind that OptimizePress licenses are not intended for websites you intend to hand off to a client. Technically when you purchase a license, it is only valid on websites which are owned, operated and registered to you. If you’re looking for a turnkey option, then you’ll need to look at alternative options.
Startup Framework
This plugin is slightly more expensive than the previously mentioned solutions as pricing starts at $149 for a single website license, however if you’re looking for a robust platform to build your website on without worrying about code, Startup Framework is the solution for you. Similar to OptimizePress this package allows you to create custom pages around your individual needs. However, Startup Framework takes things a step further by allowing you to integrate drag and drop editing capabilities into virtually any WordPress website.
The most notable feature of this tool is the innovative component design which greatly simplifies layout creation. With the Startup Framework, everything you need to create a customized design is built into the solution and if you need extra functionality, adding features is straight forward. Additionally the visual editor allows you to fully prototype your website in one step, rather than having to build your site out in multiple phases.
Unlike OptimizePress which has a tight restriction against using it for creating projects not used by yourself, Startup Framework allows license holders to create websites for clients. The two plugins both do not allow you to resell or offer the plugin to clients.
Not a Silver Bullet
Keep in mind that visual landing pages creation tools aren’t going to instantly increase your traffic on the the first try. You’ll need to ensure that you run ongoing tests to maximize conversions and ensure that your copy is effective. Since you only have seconds to get a user to convert on your pages, monitoring metrics carefully is crucial to ensuring your efforts aren’t going to waste.
Charles CostaCharles Costa is a content strategist and product marketer based out of Silicon Valley. Feel free to learn more at CharlesCosta.net.
