As Vice President of Growth Marketing at VonClaro, Scott masterfully orchestrates sophisticated marketing strategies, with a primary focus on search engine optimization (SEO).
As Vice President of Growth Marketing at VonClaro, Scott masterfully orchestrates sophisticated marketing strategies, with a primary focus on search engine optimization (SEO).
When navigating the world of digital marketing, we often come upon buzzwords that seem to overlap, creating confusion. When it comes to splash pages vs landing pages, the confusion only heightens, throwing many marketers into a conundrum.
At the end of the day, it’s not about winning a debate—it's about understanding these powerful tools and their functional attributes, and knowing how to strategically implement them to propel leads, conversions, and your overall brand presence online.
Here’s what you need to know about splash pages:
A splash page acts as an introductory page and grabs users’ interaction before accessing the main website content. They’re commonly used for quick surveys, age-verification checks, new-product promotions, special discounts, and more. While its primary aim isn't to sell products, it’s a tool that leads users toward the main content of the website.
In contrast, we have the landing page—an action-oriented page targeting leads or conversions. Be it an email link click, a search engine result selection, or a user reacting to a social media ad, the journey ends here with the user "landing" directly on this page. Designed with a sharp and singular focus, it urges the user to perform a specific action, such as fill out a form, purchase a product, or download an eBook, transforming casual visitors into potential leads.
In SEO, as defined in Google Search Console, a "landing page" refers to any page that a user lands on by clicking a link from Google search results. However, when marketers discuss landing pages, they typically mean pages specifically designed to optimize conversions. Such pages are streamlined for maximum user engagement and action, much like those created with tools such as Leadpages, which are tailored to enhance conversion rates.
While both splash pages and landing pages offer a unique method to interact with website visitors, understanding your marketing strategy will determine which one to use. Here are some tips to help you decide which type of page to use.
Splash pages act as gateways rather than destinations. They're often used to make a strong first impression, convey a specific ambiance, or handle preliminary information such as language and age restrictions. These pages can be highly effective for branding purposes, capturing attention with creative design and brief messages. Moreover, splash pages are useful for promotions or events that require immediate awareness or short-term impact without distracting from the main website's conversion goals.
On the other hand, landing pages are powerhouse tools for conversions. These pages are meticulously crafted with elements that guide the user towards a single call-to-action (CTA), such as signing up for a newsletter, making a purchase, or registering for a webinar. Landing pages are less about brand flair and more about clear, persuasive communication and minimal distractions. They often include testimonials, benefit-oriented copy, and compelling headlines that align closely with the specific campaigns driving traffic to them.
The decision to use a splash page or a landing page should align with your specific objectives:
Both types of pages should seamlessly integrate with your overall marketing strategy. Splash pages, while offering a creative and engaging introduction, should not impede user flow to key conversion areas. Landing pages should be directly tied to specific campaigns and tracked for performance analytics to continually optimize for higher conversion rates.
By understanding the roles and strengths of each page type, marketers can better plan their use in harmony with their marketing objectives and customer engagement strategies. Choosing the right page at the right time can significantly influence the effectiveness of online marketing efforts and the achievement of business goals.
Here are some common questions we often hear.
The main difference between a splash page and a landing page revolves around their purpose and content. A splash page is a type of welcome screen that typically serves as the initial page when users land on your website. It's often designed to deliver concise information, gather additional info from your visitors (like their language preference), or promote a new product/offer, all while batting an eye-catching design.
On the other hand, a landing page is a separate page created explicitly for marketing or advertising campaigns. It’s where a visitor lands after clicking on a link in an email, ads from Google, Bing, YouTube, or other similar places on the web. Landing pages are designed to convert visitors into leads or customers by encouraging them to take a specific action like filling out a form, signing up for a trial, subscribing to a newsletter, or making a purchase.
The decision to use a splash page or a landing page depends primarily on the objectives of your digital marketing campaign. You should use a splash page when you want to make a big announcement like a product launch, promotion, or special event. Splash pages also work well when you have a multilingual website and want to ask visitors their preferred language.
Landing pages are the best choice when you want to run a specific marketing or advertising campaign. They aim to encourage visitors to complete one specific action, making them an excellent tool for lead generation, sales conversions, or data collection.
To effectively utilize splash and landing pages, it’s essential to align them with your overall digital marketing strategy.
For splash pages, keep the content concise and direct. Use them to introduce your brand or a new product, direct visitors to interesting content, or as a means to verify visitor's interests or preferences (like age or language).
For landing pages, ensure they are campaign-specific and aim towards engendering a single action from visitors. Tailor the content and design of your landing page to match the advertisements or emails that lead visitors to it. Make the CTA noticeable and convincing, and avoid any navigation links that can distract visitors from completing the desired action.
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Remember, when it comes to splash pages vs landing pages, it really depends on your needs. Both pages can be extremely effective when used correctly.
Scott has been engaged in all aspects of digital marketing since 2007 and currently applies his expertise as Vice President of Growth Marketing at VonClaro. In this capacity, he masterfully orchestrates sophisticated marketing strategies, with a primary focus on search engine optimization (SEO). His extensive understanding of the digital marketing landscape enables him to deliver substantial and measurable results for clients.
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