WordPress CMS question: Landing pages as part of main site or separate?

[Jillian Slack]

I've got a quick question about using WordPress as your CMS.

Let's say you set up your main site in WP using a certain theme.

Now you want to also have a landing page for this site.

Are there any advantages / disadvantages of having the landing page live there on the same WP site?

I'm not concerned about how much room the landing page would add to the hosting plan.

I'm more concerned about how confusing it might be for a non-techie like me to keep from screwing up the main WP site or the landing age itself.

I know it's possible to have the landing page be a part of the main site and use a different URL which is redirected to that page of the main site (the landing page).

Or it could be off by itself, with its own URL.

Also, if you've got your main WP site set up with its header and footer, does that mean every page within that WP site must have that same header? Can you change the header on one or two pages of the site? Or does that kick me back out into making more sense to have those pages sitting off to the side as their own sites rather than being part of that main WP site?

Hope that makes sense.

Thanks!

Jill

[Jillian Slack]

Another thought --

Since Google is always looking for fresh content on your site, what does this mean for landing pages / mini-sites? They are usually static. So does this mean they will not be recognized as well as your main site, which regularly gets fresh content because of your articles and blog posts?

If your landing pages / mini-sites actually live on your main WP CMS site, would the fact that the main site is constantly updated be an advantage for those landing pages?

[James Schramko]

you can also put a landing page in a side folder and use a standard HTML page- this might increase conversions.

[Jillian Slack]

Yeah, but that leads to other problems because I just don't understand HTML.

I've got a much better grasp of WordPress and I'd like to have control over the sites by being able to go into WP at any time and tweak, rather than relying on a web designer to go in there for me.

I'd rather have all sites set up in WordPress.

The big question here is whether the WP landing pages should live on their own as separate WP sites, or if the WP landing pages should live as separate pages within the main WP CMS site.

[Shannon Herod]

Hey Jillian,

I understand your frustration. When I first started out marketing on the Internet I had no clue how to build my own sales pages or landing pages. It was very frustrating.

But, as time went on I was able to learn how to do all that stuff myself. Now, I have many different tools help me along the way.

But, my suggestion would be to install a new Word press installation in a subdirectory. Then, make your landing pages inside of that subdirectory.

That way, your landing pages are separate from your regular blog. But, you still get to use your skills inside WordPress to make the landing pages.

That makes it much easier on me.

Hope this helps,

Shannon Herod

[The Redfox]

Originally Posted by Shannon Herod

Hey Jillian,

I understand your frustration. When I first started out marketing on the Internet I had no clue how to build my own sales pages or landing pages. It was very frustrating.

But, as time went on I was able to learn how to do all that stuff myself. Now, I have many different tools help me along the way.

But, my suggestion would be to install a new Word press installation in a subdirectory. Then, make your landing pages inside of that subdirectory.

That way, your landing pages are separate from your regular blog. But, you still get to use your skills inside WordPress to make the landing pages.

That makes it much easier on me.

Hope this helps,

Shannon Herod

This is what I do. Just install another WordPress on your same domain. One Wordpress is your regular site, your other WordPress installation (in a sub-directory) is for landing pages. This way you can customize (change header, sidebar, etc) on one installation, and it won't effect the other.