Landing Pages are a critical step in website development, and they are a must for a content marketing strategy. Attracting new website visitors requires an SEO optimized site with regularly updated, high-quality content and advertising in print magazines and possibly a pay-per-click campaign. As a result, by the time a visitor reaches your website, you've already made significant investment in your online marketing.

Regardless of how visitors arrived, one point holds true: If you don't capture visitor contact information, all that investment is wasted. You may gain some visibility, but you'll never be able to follow up on your Web leads. Without a landing page for lead capture and ongoing email outreach, website visitors are far less likely to become clients.

Creating a landing page with Squarespace will help you transition visitors to leads and, over time, to clients. To create the landing page on your site, known as a "Form Block" in Squarespace terminology, you'll need to follow these eight simple sets.

1. CREATE THE FORM BLOCK

Start by viewing your page, event, blog post, additional product info—whichever element you'll use for the Form Block—in the Content Manager and choose the Insert Point for the Form Block.

Next, scroll through the Block Menu until you get to “More,” then click the “Form” block. This will add it to the Insert Point. (You can click and drag the Form Block after it has been added to move it to another area of the page.)

Adding a Form Block to a sidebar or footer is also possible in some Squarespace templates.

2. CHOOSE A FORM NAME AND FIELDS

A configuration box opens automatically after you add a Form Block. Click “Edit,” located on the right side of every field, to alter the name, email address, subject, and message fields. (The “X” next to the edit button will delete any field.)

You have the opportunity to edit the name of each field, add a description, and designate whether the field is required to submit the form. Click “Done” to save any changes made to the field. Existing fields can be reordered by dragging them above or below another field.

3. ADD NEW FIELDS

To add a new field, choose “+ Add Field,” which can be found below the existing fields. You will be prompted to choose which type of field you would like to add; every type has associated configuration options. The “Hidden Form Field” can track referral sources.

4. SELECT STORAGE OPTIONS FOR CAPTURED DATA

Every Form Block must include a storage option—where captured data will be housed. You can choose a single or multiple storage options. Select the “Storage” button within the Form Block's “Edit Form” menu. You can gather the data into a Google Docs or MailChimp account, or enter an email address where submissions will be corralled.

Google Docs sends information to a spreadsheet on Google Drive while MailChimp sends the information to a particular list within the MailChimp account. You can name your spreadsheet in Google Docs after you have connected the Form Block to your Google Docs account.

MailChimp limits forms to thirty-one items. (More than you will ever need) It also does not allow for the use of required fields, which can be set up in the Form Block but not on MailChimp. You'll also need to create a new list in MailChimp for your form. Not a bad thing as list segmentation is the key to email marketing that works.

You cannot connect two email addresses to your Form Block, although Google Docs allows you to alter storage settings so that you can receive notifications of submissions in multiple email accounts.

Users are not able to upload files when submitting a form. However, third-party services such as Wufoo allow you to add that functionality. Remember that creating a form does not automatically sign-up users for your e-newsletter or blog; you'll want to use Squarespace's Newsletter Block for that task.

5. FILL-OUT THE SUBMIT BUTTON TEXT, POST-SUBMIT MESSAGE, AND POST-SUBMIT HTML

Under the advanced tab, you can define the Submit Button Text and write a Post-Submit Message. You may also add an optional HTML code to display along with the Post-Submit Message.

6. ENABLE LIGHTBOX MODE, IF DESIRED

Also under the advanced tab (below the Post-Submit HTML option), you may choose to have your Form Block appear as a pop-up Lightbox. Simply check the box next to “Enable Lightbox Mode.” The “Open Button Text” is the linked text visitors will see that, when clicked, triggers the Lightbox.

7. SAVE YOUR FORM

After you've made your edits, click “Save” in the bottom right-hand part of the “Edit Form” menu. Double-click the form to reopen the “Edit Form” menu, or click “Remove” to delete the form.

Landing-Page-on-Squarespace

8. CHOOSE YOUR SUBMIT BUTTON STYLE

After you've returned to your page, choose the Paintbrush icon in the Preview Editor to change the appearance of your Form Block.

There are five button style elements you can change: style, corner style, color, text color, and font. Button styles are the default, solid, outline, or raised; corner styles are square, rounded, or pill; and text styles follow those defined in your templates, like text, body text, or page text. (Headings are considered body text and the font color can be changed with the Style Editor.)

Colored backgrounds within your form fields are possible through custom CSS, but there are no default options.

Provide a Premium Content Offer

A landing page is only as good as the content you're offering the visitor. If you don't have an e-book, whitepaper or guide, use your company brochure, but keep in mind visitors want sound information. Without it, people will be less likely to give up an email and contact information. Make sure you add text with the name of the premium content and a hyperlink on the Advanced Options area of your Form Builder.

Always Use Best-Practice Design Techniques

Remember that throughout your Form Block development, you'll want to deploy best-practice techniques. Keep form length manageable for your visitors—no one is likely to spend more than a minute handing over contact information or other feedback.

If you're offering something in exchange for their information, make sure the give-and-take is proportional. Few people get excited about filling out a form; keep the focus on what filling out the form offers them. To help convince visitors to fill out your form, choose a strong call-to-action and use colors that will provide contrast with the rest of your page.

Your landing page is the critical transition point from visitor to lead. Get started today, so you don't miss out on new leads tomorrow.

About Michael Conway and Means-of-Production

My firm builds Squarespace websites, Houzz profiles, and content marketing and advertising solutions for architects, interior designers, design-build contractors and landscape firms. Our all-in-one tactics attract the right clients with exceptional architectural photography and brand messaging that sets you apart from the competition. Contact me for a free-of-charge consultation and marketing review. It takes about 40 minutes and you'll be provided a list of actionable improvements designed to solve your specific marketing problems.