How To Create A Low Budget Landing Page For Your Startup Business
Starting a business is hard and deciding the most cost-effective way to create your website is even harder.
You feel like you’re cutting corners because you’ve been told you need a full website and your budget says otherwise. Here’s the thing, you can create a low budget landing page for your business if you keep a few things in mind:
1. Make email collection the focal point of your landing page.
Depending on the business, you might not need the home, about and other pages on your website. What you need is a way to re-market to those coming. If you already purchased hosting for your website, whether it’s on Site Ground or Squarespace or any of the other multitude of platforms out there, create a basic page.
Then, add the email capture form to the page and make it the focal point. Make sure that you’re providing something of value in exchange for an email address. Instead of “Get my newsletter and first dibs when my product launches…” use a message like “Get my top 5 yoga poses for relieving back pain.”
Finally, make sure the auto-send welcome email is set up with the freebie provided. Want to turn the email welcome email into a series? Send a reminder email about the free item(s) and introduce yourself, your brand, give a social callout, etc. An email welcome series can be 2 emails or more. It depends on your marketing plan.
Mailchimp, as of now, is one of the platforms that offers a free email marketing account. It also offers the option to have a landing page. This means you can create your page on Mailchimp and sync your domain. That way, you have it all integrated until it’s time to create an actual website.
2. Images can come from legitimate free stock sites.
Pexels and Unsplash are great places for free stock photos. No matter where you get the images, make sure you are on a license that can be used on your business website. Usually, free stock images will say something like “Creative Commons”. It’s also helpful to attribute the image to the creator in a small caption.
3. Choosing a domain name.
Buy a domain name even if you’re not 100% sure yet. They’re relatively inexpensive and you’ll want to make sure you’re no one takes it from you.
After purchasing, sync it to your landing page. You want to get your target market used to your domain name. For example, I used to have YasmineRoblesDesigns.com because RoblesDesigns.com was taken. After a few years, I snagged the one I wanted when the old user lapsed on their payment. It was easier for my audience to transition since it was so similar - versus going from YasmineRoblesDesigns.com to something like HootOwlDesigns.com.
3. Since you’re collecting emails, you might as well provide value.
Having a landing page limits you in the content you can provide but, since you’re growing your email list, use that platform as your blog and content hub. Your email might be a bit longer but the value should always be top tier.
4. Start creating content on another platform.
Depending on your target market, you can consider other platforms, such as LinkedIn blogs, as a nice hub for your information. Regularly contribute and share value. Not a LinkedIn fan? Perhaps your target market prefers information through a Facebook or Instagram post? Have you tried video on Youtube?
5. Keep your goal in mind when creating and using your landing page.
Make sure that you’re using your limited retail space wisely. Everything should lead to either making a sale or getting me onto your email list. No amount of Instagram integration will make that happen. Stay focused and keep your copy synched to your brand.
Have more in-depth questions about what questions to ask a potential designer? Comment below!
