For years, the gold standard of lead generation has been landing pages. These dedicated, campaign-specific landing pages were hosted on a brand’s own website and provided a means for full tracking and data capture on a company’s owned website. And while the creation of new lead generation landing pages could be labor intensive at times, there was no other way to reliably build an email database. Enter opt-in advertising, an off-site method of generating leads without landing pages through trusted third-party sites. Still using landing pages for lead generation? You’re not alone. Read on for the pros and cons of dedicated lead generation landing pages, and see if opt-in advertising could be right for you.
Pro: Traffic To Your Website
Yes, a landing page will drive additional traffic to your website. And that can be a very good thing. Whether it’s through SEO tactics or paid media, you’ll need a way to draw new visitors in. By hosting your lead generation form on dedicated lead generation landing pages on your website, the bulk of your efforts will be spent on getting the right people to visit your site.
Con: Costly Ad Spend To Get Traffic
In order for lead generation landing pages to work, you’ve got to get people visiting your website. (See above.) If they haven’t heard of you before, which is likely true for most potential new leads, it can be a hard sell to convince them to click off to your website. This can result in an expensive or time-consuming paid media plan with little to no return.
Pro: Full Control Over Site Experience
Since you’re generating leads on a landing page on your own website, you have full control over the copy, imagery, URL, and more. Everything these potential leads engage with is determined by you, so there is no risk of your content showing up next to a competitor or something objectionable.
Con: Costly Labor To Update
Creative updates, new page creation and sophisticated tagging and tracking take time, and money. Not to mention, you’re spending a lot of time and money trying to get people to these dedicated lead generation landing pages. If the media campaign isn’t working, you’ll be wasting time and money on both media and creative.
Pros: Ability To Build Brand Awareness
One of the biggest benefits of driving traffic to your website is full control of a user’s first interaction with your brand. You create the experience, from creative look and feel to form submission. Nothing is left to chance.
Cons: Loss of Alignment With Known Brands
New leads don’t know your brand yet, and it can be hard to convince them to click off to your site. But they know and trust the third-party websites where opt-in advertising appears. Aligning your company with these trusted names can boost your brand image.
Pro: Custom Form Field For Data Capture
Need to know the birthday or favorite color of your potential lead? When you generate leads via landing page, you can customize the form and ask anything you want.
Con: Complex Forms or Site Issues Force Abandonment
Email address is a necessity for lead generation, no matter how you build your database. But short, simple forms are often best. Overly long or complex forms can lead to lower completion rate or even slow down form submissions.
Convinced that opt-in advertising can work for you? Get started today.