As marketers, we love to use fancy words to describe the things we do (and we also like to change ‘em up a lot). Content isn’t long-lasting, it’s evergreen. You don’t need a marketing funnel, you need a flywheel. And don’t even get us started on growth hacking.
But as buzzwords come and go, you’re likely to come across an outdated or unusual phrase like “squeeze pages” for the first time and wonder—hey, what the heck does that even mean?
It doesn’t help that everyone seems to have their own definition of what a squeeze page actually is. Some people say it’s a type of landing page. Others say it’s an overlay, like a popup or splash page.
Well, we’re here to set the record straight.
Here’s the Definitive Definition of a Squeeze Page
A squeeze page is a type of landing page marketers use to collect just email addresses from visitors. You persuade or “squeeze” visitors to provide this info by presenting a special offer, gating valuable content, or restricting access in some way.
Squeeze pages are usually quite short, but they almost always include:
- A headline that clearly communicates the benefit you are going to provide
- Supporting text that gives enough information for the visitor to make a decision
- An embedded form that includes just one or two fields (typically, name and email address) so visitors can take action without leaving the page
And the thing is, squeeze pages sound like they’re a lot more annoying than they actually are. (Nobody wants to be squeezed … that just sounds uncomfortable.) You shouldn’t coerce visitors into doing anything they don’t want to do—the best squeeze pages offer up something really valuable in exchange for that email address. It’s a worthwhile, non-spammy trade.
More like a gentle hug than a squeeze, actually. (But I guess a “gentle hug page” just doesn’t have the same ring to it, does it?)
Editor’s Note: While they can also capture first names and emails, popups and sticky bars aren’t technically squeeze pages. The difference is that you direct traffic specifically to squeeze pages for lead generation, whereas popups and sticky bars typically convert traffic that’s already going to a website page for another reason.
Wait, What’s the Difference Between a Squeeze Page and a Landing Page?
A squeeze page is a type of landing page—one that is specifically designed to capture visitor email addresses (versus other types of information). So this comparison isn’t so much like apples and oranges … it’s more like comparing apples to a very specific type of apple.
Both landing pages and squeeze pages pack everything you need onto a single page. They’re both great for targeted campaigns when you’re trying to get visitors to take a certain action. And they both usually only have one main CTA, so you can easily track conversions.
That being said, there are a few key differences between landing pages and squeeze pages:
Editor’s Note: Despite their differences, you can easily build both landing pages and squeeze pages using the drag-and-drop Unbounce Builder. Check out some high-converting templates to get started on yours today.
How Do You Make a Good Squeeze Page?
For this, the first thing you need to do is create a great lead magnet. After all, you’re asking somebody to give up their email address—one of the most important and private pieces of contact information they have. You better be able to offer up somethin’ real good to them in exchange.
Here are some of the most common lead magnets marketers use to attract leads on squeeze pages:
- A video or video series
- A newsletter
- A contest
- A coupon
- A printable PDF
- A free report
- A free webinar
- An interview series
- A free video course
- A podcast
- A whitepaper
- An interactive checklist or worksheet
- A free text-based email course
- A free starter kit or toolbox
- A template of some kind
Four Squeeze Page Examples Built Using Unbounce
1. The regular squeeze
Here’s an example of a classic squeeze page, courtesy of the fine SaaS marketers over at Officevibe. In this case, they’re using an Unbounce-built squeeze page to capture email addresses in exchange for a free ebook on leadership.
A page like this has just enough content to get visitors interested in the ebook, and no distractions for them to click away. They smartly call out the main benefit of the ebook right in the headline (“learn how to be a good leader”), and highlight the three big topics covered in the guide for people who are still on the fence. They can experiment with this amount of copy to see how it converts and try variants to see if more copy really does equal more downloads.
But just because the goal of the page is simple doesn’t mean you can’t personalize it for your customers. Officevibe carries over its signature illustrative style to bring forward some of their playful brand personality.
The result? This squeeze page has a conversion rate of over 35%.
Oh, and one other thing: notice the disclaimer underneath the download button? “By clicking, you consent to receive culture and engagement communications from Officevibe.” This isn’t just there as a legal requirement—it’s also a smart way to set expectations for visitors. Now, they won’t be surprised when your follow-up emails start showing up in their inbox.
2. The extra squeeze
Looking to take a different approach? You could always try something more like what Healthy Spot has done here. Rather than gate their free coupon behind an email form, they’ve made the coupon readily available at the top of the page for visitors—no strings attached.
The optional squeeze comes after the fact, with a simple one-field email form to sign up for their newsletter.
What’s clever about this approach is that Healthy Spot has already demonstrated the value they provide with the coupon. When visitors see the form right underneath, it makes them wonder what other dog haircut deals they might unlock by signing up.
3. The full-page squeeze
There’s nothing wrong with a quick squeeze, but sometimes adding a little length to your page can make it even more persuasive. Check out this example from Bariatric Eating, promoting their “Ultimate WLS Thanksgiving ebook.” It’s converting at a rate of over 41%!
This beautiful example is full of recipes, coupons, and tips for bariatric eaters around the turkey holiday. But whereas most other squeeze pages would end here, you can actually scroll down to discover a whole second half to this page.
What’s great about this approach is how everything you need is packed in above the fold, but then expanded on underneath. The recipe section is sure to tempt hungry visitors into giving up their email address (that cranberry sauce sounds mighty tasty), while the “About the Author” section builds more credibility.
And of course, the page keeps squeezing you towards the free ebook, right up until the end.
4. The interactive squeeze
Now, here’s a squeeze page that looks completely different from all the other examples we’ve featured so far.
To help promote their “Wellness Collection” of herbal teas, the team over at Herbaly created this powerful lead generation quiz. The goal is to help visitors self-identify whether they might be at risk of diabetes through a series of dietary, fitness, and health-related questions.
Not only does this interactive squeeze page line up perfectly with the Herbaly target audience, but it also converts at a fantastic rate of over 40%. By the time visitors get to the end of the 13 questions, they’re primed and ready to give up their email address in exchange for the results.
And What Should You Do After a Squeeze Page Finishes, Uh … Squeezing?
If your squeeze page is successful, you’ll soon have a ton of new email addresses. These are leads that have expressed some interest in a topic related to your business, so it’s in your best interest to follow up with them ASAP.
Here are some steps you’ll want to take after your page is finished squeezing:
- Deliver the Goods – Whatever it is you were promising in exchange for their contact information, now is the time to deliver. Whether it’s a free ebook, template, webinar, or something else entirely—make sure you get the content to your new leads as quickly and easily as possible.
- Show a “Thank You” Page – Someone trusted you with their email address, the least you can do is say thank you. Use this as an opportunity to tell your visitors what will happen next and preemptively answer any questions they might have.
- Push Lead Info Into Your CRM – If you’re using a tool like Salesforce, you’ll want to set up your squeeze page so the leads get automatically routed to your customer database. This will be important so you can attribute where these leads originally came from and trigger eventual nurture.
- Send an Immediate Email – Set up an automated email that triggers whenever someone fills out the form on your squeeze page. This email should remind visitors why they gave you their email address in the first place, and explain what happens next.
- Follow Up with Drip Marketing – Add any leads that come through your squeeze page to a drip email campaign. This will keep them moving further down the funnel, and closer towards a purchase. You can recommend similar content, offer them promotions, or add them to your newsletter.
So, Do Squeeze Pages Work?
Squeeze pages typically see some of the highest conversion rates out of all the different types of landing pages. Visitors have already expressed their interest by clicking on the page—so really, you just want to make it as easy and seamless as possible for them to enter their email address and get what they came for.
And while “squeeze page” might be an uncommon phrase these days, marketers still love to use them for lead generation campaigns. They’re powerful because they’re so easy to create and duplicate, which means you can spend more time testing different elements on them, figuring out what works for your audience, and optimizing them for conversions.
In this case, the juice really is worth the squeeze.
