Today I’m going to show you how to build a landing page from scratch.
I remember when I first got started with sales funnels. I’d go from blog post to YouTube video trying to understand how funnels and landing pages actually worked.
There was a lot of talking going on but no-one actually showed me in detail what to do step-by-step.
It was super confusing at times and it only left me with more questions than answers.
If I wanted that kind of step-by-step help, I had to buy a course or simply figure things out by trial and error. (I went with the trial and error method btw).
Therefore, in this no-nonsense guide I’ll cut out all the noise and BS and show you exactly how to build a landing page from the ground up.
What Is a landing Page, Exactly?
A landing page is a page (or series of pages) to which you send the traffic you wish to convert into leads.
Having a landing page that works well is an important part of your marketing efforts and it’s a key component when you want to grow your email list.
For example: Let’s say you run an Instagram page about fishing. How do you turn your followers into qualified leads without having to use ads?
By adding a link in your bio and by then using the #linkinbio in your posts.
And where does that link go?
To your landing page of course. And when someone lands on your page you give them an offer they can’t refuse in order to get their contact information.
Another example: Let’s say you are running a blog similar to this and you have a constant flow of page visitors.
How do you turn those visitors into leads?
By creating a landing page and offering them something in exchange for their email address. It could be as simple as offering them to join your newsletter so they can stay up to date with your blog.
Best Funnel Types For Landing Pages
When you decide to build a landing page, you need to know that there are a few funnel types that works better than others.
Luckily for you, I have an entire guide covering all the sales funnel types.
Anyway, when you set out to build your first landing page, here’s what funnel types I’d recommend you to start with:
- Lead magnet funnel
- Bridge funnel
- Squeeze funnel
- Reverse squeeze funnel
Since those only consists of two pages, it will help you get up and running fast.
And I have a sneaking suspicion that you want to get out there and start collecting leads sooner rather than later.
Best Funnel Software For Landing Pages
What software you decide to use when you build your first landing page is highly personal.
I mean there are a few to choose from, and I have a guide covering all of them here.
For this example though, I’m going to use the funnel software I personally use which is ClickFunnels.
If you already have an account, then you can follow along this guide step by step.
And if you don’t already have an account, that’s okay, just know that there is a 14-day trial available if you want give them a shot.
I know what you’re thinking: “What if I use something other than ClickFunnels?”
Don’t worry, almost everything you see here is applicable in every funnel software, although the interface might look different. The concept is still the same.
Now that you understand what a landing page is, what funnel types to use, and which software, It’s time to get into the creation part of this guide.
Building a Simple Landing Page Funnel
The best part about a landing page is that they are easy to build, there are only two pages you need to create and dare I say it…
Those pages are among the easiest to create.
This however is also where the biggest difference between software is.
ClickFunnels has a very user friendly setup procedure for creating new funnels, and you also get tons of templates to choose from.
I almost always start with a template so I can save myself some time, compared to if I were to do everything from the ground up. (Not that it take that much longer).
Now, the way you set up a new funnel will vary depending on which platform you use, this also goes for the amount of templates you can choose from.
With that said, let’s get started:
Step #1: Create a new funnel
From your ClickFunnels dashboard, click on ‘Build a Funnel’.
Step #2: Choose what you want it to do
Wait for the popup to appear.
Hover over the ‘Collect Emails’ and click on ‘Choose’.
Step #3: Give it a name
Now it’s time to give your funnel a name.
I like to name my funnels with the purpose they serve.
So if you are going to use it in your Instagram bio, call it something like: Opt-in Instagram Profile.
Once you’ve given your funnel a name, click on ‘Build Funnel’.
Note: You don’t have to assign your new funnel to a category if you don’t want. It will automatically end up in the ‘Uncategorized’ category if you don’t assign it.
If you look to the right of the input fields you can see what will be created once you hit the build button.
For this example you’ll see that two funnel steps will be created:
- Email landing page
- Thank You / Download page
Step #4: The new funnel has been built
After you’ve built the funnel, you’ll be taken to the overview of that funnel.
From there you can see that the two steps has been added and it will now ask you to select a template for the highlighted step.
So that’s what we’re gonna do next, build and design the opt-in page.
Building The Opt-In Page
Step #5: Select a opt-in template
For now, we will only select the template for the opt-in step. We’ll do the “Thank You” step later, so don’t rush ahead.
At the top of the screen you’ll see a bunch of menus for different funnel step templates. Here you go to ‘Email’, then choose ‘Email opt-in’.
With that selected you’ll get a bunch of templates to choose from.
My only recommendation here is that you select something that is “close enough” to what you have planned to create. I’m going with the “Grey Video Opt-in” for this example.
Step #6: Enter the editor
With a template selected, click on ‘Edit Page’ to enter the editor.
From the editor you can then add all of the design elements and copy to make the page look just like what you’ve imagined.
Designing The Landing Page
Since I don’t know exactly what you are thinking (I’m not a mind reader…yet), there is no way I can help you design every aspect of your page.
Therefore I’ll just give you some of my best practices for when it comes to building funnel pages.
Since I did a lot of work with Google ads when I first started my business, I’ve have spent a “few” hours studying how to not get banned form the ad platforms.
So these pointers could be worth taking into consideration when building your page and if you want to stay compliant with the ad tools if you’re using paid ads.
And before I forger, remember to hit save when you’re done editing. You don’t want to lose your hard work.
Header section
Logos:
Add your logo in the middle or to the left of the header section of your page.
Also make sure that it’s clickable and links back to your homepage. You do that by adding your homepage URL to the ‘Link URL’ input field
Menus and Navigation:
Generally speaking, you want as few distractions as possible on a landing page. However, ad platforms likes to see a menu containing at least ‘Contact Us’ and ‘About Us’.
These should naturally link to the corresponding page of your website. Or if you have a separate funnel for these pages, link to that.
Custom Code:
This is not necessary to do in the header section but you should always check to see if there is any custom code within the template. (Sometimes ClickFunnels templates use custom code to do things).
From inside the editor go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Custom CSS’.
If there is code present – remove it, so it doesn’t interfere with your design.
Content section
Depending on how you intend to use your landing page, you can build it in different ways.
But a general rule of thumb is that, for free traffic sources (like Instagram) you can slim down the content on the page a lot.
A good curiosity based headline, an image of your lead magnet (or video of you explaining it), input fields and a submit button will get you a long way.
However if you want to use it for a paid campaign, make sure to add a bit more content to your page.
Explain what you’re offering to the world.
It doesn’t have to be several thousand words, up to a thousand will do just fine.
This will make ad platforms like Google much happier, and will in return give you a lower CPC since they now know what your page is about.
Video vs text:
In my experience, video content on landing pages tend to yield higher conversion rates. So if you’re comfortable recording videos, definitely add one to your landing page.
Submit Button:
A common error I see many beginners do is to not have the CTA button stand out. Don’t be afraid to use a bold color that stands out from the rest of your theme.
Footer section
The footer is probably the most important part if you want to look like a serious business as well as staying compliant with the ad platforms.
The layout you choose is totally up to you as long as you have all the elements added.
I have a full guide on how to create a footer if you want to learn how to create a proper one.
Building The “Thank You” Page
The “Thank You” page is considerably easier to create, since it doesn’t contain as much information as the opt-in page.
Here you’ll stick to your word and deliver on what you promised on the opt-in page.
Whether that is to deliver your lead magnet or just thanking someone for subscribing and giving them a brief cover of what’s to come.
The most important thing is that you deliver on what you promised and here “overdelivering” is never a bad idea.
Step #7: Select a page template
Much like the opt-in page you created earlier, the “Thank You” page will use a similar way of approach.
But this time instead of ‘Email opt-in’ you’ll choose ‘Thank You’ in the template navigation bar.
Again, here I can only recommend that you go with the template that is closest to what you want your finished product to look like.
I’m going to go with the “Download Page” template in this example.
Step #8: Head over to the editor
With a template selected, do as you did with the opt-in page to enter the editor.
Make sure that the “Thank You” page is highlighted and then click on ‘Edit Page’ and your off to the races.
Designing The “Thank You” Page
Even though the “Download Page” template look just fine as it is, I’d still add a few of my own touches to make it even better.
And still, I’m not a mind reader…yet, therefore I’m only going to give you some guidelies to follow when it comes to designing “Thank You” page.
Note: For the whole “Thank You” automation to work, you’ll also need to set up an email follow up automation.
Header section
The header section is really easy this time.
All you’ve got to do here is to add your logo to it. I like to place it in the center just because it looks good with the rest of the content that way.
This time the logo doesn’t have to link back to your homepage if you don’t want to.
Other menus and navigation possibilities are not necessary at this stage.
Content section
What you put here is really up to you…
But to start, I always like to add a “Thank you for subscribing” or similar text.
I mean, the least you can do is to thank someone for signing up.
The next important part is to explain to the new subscriber what action they need to take next and what you have in store for them.
Here you can have a few different approaches:
Plain Text:
Here you introduce yourself, your brand, and tell the subscriber that you are exited to have them as a subscriber.
You can also go ahead and tell them what you have in store for them from this day forward.
I rarely use this method since there is a chance that the page can become content heavy and leading to no-one reading it.
Therefor I always recommend going with one of the other two upcoming strategies.
Steps of Action:
This is a really simple method you can use when you wan to tell a new subscriber what to do.
A 3 step instruction is all it takes and it could look like this:
- Head over to your inbox and look for my name [business name]
- Follow the instructions in that email
- Join the my private Facebook group.
Video:
This is my favorite and the one that packs the biggest punch.
You welcome every new subscriber by “personally” thanking them for joining.
This way you can also tell them what they need to do next without dragging out with tons of content.
The benefit of using video is that the new lead gets to put a face on you and your brand, plus they get to know you better.
If you want to take it up a level or two, combine the “steps of action” with a video. Now no-one can miss what they need to do next.
CTA buttons
The last thing you need to add to your “Thank You” page is the CTA button.
This button will be linked to your lead magnet so a new subscriber can download it.
Depending on the lead magnets size, you’ll have to choose an appropriate medium to share it with.
ClickFunnels only provides space for small file sizes (3MB), so anything larger needs to be shared some other way.
I like to use either Dropbox or Google Drive to share bigger files.
Pro-Tip: If you want to build a list with only real email addresses, remove the CTA button entirely and send the download link over email.
Now they can’t just put in a fake email just to get access to your lead magnet.
If someone were to put in a fake email, you’ll easily see that since there will be no activity coming from the address (yes CRM tools can see those things).
Footer section
Now we’re almost finished.
The footer section is also pretty minimalistic and only needs to contain three things:
- Copyrights and year
- Your brand name
- Disclaimer
But if you want to be really lazy, use the same as you did on the opt-in page. This is why it could be smart to save that one as a template.
Conclusion
Thanks to this beginner’s guide, you don’t have to spend hours searching for information on how to build a landing page from scratch.
Now you have everything you need to get started all in one convenient place.
And as you saw in this guide, creating a landing page from scratch isn’t that hard, especially since you get a lot of help from the templates provided by ClickFunnels.
With every step laid out like this, even the most inexperienced funnel hacker should be able to build a beautiful landing page within a reasonable timeframe.
But before you get get those creative juices flowing, make sure to leave a quick comment to let me know what you think of this beginner’s guide’.
