The Difference Between An Opt-in Page, Sales Page, & Landing Page

Running an online business and using the corresponding marketing tactics means understanding a long list of industry-related words that might be unfamiliar or just downright confusing. We could talk all day about the different words used online and what they actually mean, but in this post, I want to focus specifically on copy-related jargon. In particular, the difference between an opt-in page, sales page, & landing page. 

I’ll first give a brief explanation of each, provide examples of what each page can be used for, and then I’ll go through the similarities and differences. The goal is, by the end of this post, you’ll know the key differences between the three pages and how to use each in your business.

What is an opt-in page?

An opt-in page is a website page dedicated to promoting a FREE offer that you will give your audience in exchange for their information, usually an email address. This page includes an “opt-in box” where people can enter their information including name, email address, etc., and click the button to not only receive your free offer but be automatically subscribed to your email list. 

Opt-in pages are a fantastic way to grow your email list with hot leads that not only are interested in your free resource (they did opt-in to it after all) but who see the value in your offers and likely will come back for more.

Ebooks, webinars, guides, challenges, and quizzes are all great freebies to offer your audience on your opt-in page.

What is a sales page?

A sales page is a website dedicated to promoting a specific program or product that your audience can buy. Your CTAs will likely lead to a check-out page that takes your soon-to-be customer’s payment. In exchange for their money, you provide them with access to your offer. 

The key here is that a sales page is where people buy a specific offer. 

Courses, masterminds, coaching programs, and digital products are perfect offers for a dedicated sales page. A few of my client’s sales page examples can be found below and include a high-level coaching program, a course for wedding photographers, and an influencer boot camp (just to name a few).

See more sales page examples from clients here.

What is a landing page?

Now that you know what’s included in an opt-in and sales page, landing pages should be pretty straightforward. A landing page is a standalone web page dedicated to a particular purpose: to get your web page visitor to take action.

Usually, this one action is to capture your visitor’s information in exchange for something of value. For example, you’re offering a free or paid offer in exchange for an email address or credit card number. Sounds familiar, right? Hint: we just covered both of these topics above.

The main goal of a landing page is to convert readers into subscribers or customers by focusing on one single call to action. I could write a whole blog post on landing pages (maybe I will), but there are two popular ways to use a landing page: as a lead-generator and as a click-through page.

A lead-generation landing page is similar, if not identical, to an opt-in page. The primary purpose behind this page is to collect information and improve your marketing strategy (usually via an email list) –while also delivering value in return. You can do this by having your audience opt-in to your email list by signing up for webinars, giveaways, a Live event, and more.

A click-through landing page is similar, if not identical, to a sales page. You want to move your visitor from the landing (sales) page through to the next page, which is usually where they enter their credit card information. You do this by using strategic CTA buttons that highlight the desired action you want your visitors to take.

According to MailChimp, “if you have a specific, short-term goal, a landing page is a valuable online marketing channel that can help you reach that goal in the buyer’s journey.”

The similarities

The similarities of the opt-in page, sales page, and landing page are pretty simple. All three of these pages guide visitors towards ONE specific action, which can vary from page to page. 

For example, an opt-in page might guide visitors towards a free resource; a sales page might guide visitors to purchase access to a program, course, etc. A landing page can do both of these and be applied to other specific actions depending on your business goals.

Another similarity between the three pages is the lack of navigation to other pages on your site. Your main goal on each page is to get your visitor to click through to your offer, whether that’s in the form of a purchase or providing an email address. That means any link or CTA button should link to ONE place.

The differences

The difference between these three pages might be obvious by now. An opt-in page delivers a free resource in exchange for marketing information, and a sales page gives access to an offer in exchange for money. 

A landing page can be identified as both an opt-in page or a sales page, depending on the overall goal of the page. Its overall purpose is to be the page that visitors “land” on after clicking through from a Facebook ad, email, social media post, or other digital platforms.

Hopefully, this post helped clarify a few copywriting jargon words for you as you navigate the online business world. If you need help writing your opt-in page, sales page, or landing page, reach out! Or click here to check out our new and improved copywriting services.