Why should you start from a template?
Trust me, we get it. You do what you do because you’re creative, not because you want to follow someone else's formula for success—and that's kind of what a template is. But many (if not all) of history’s great artists and makers have used formulas whether they knew they were doing it or not. For example, the golden ratio, the seven basic story plots, and the four-chord-song. Following a plan or a formula doesn't make you less creative—it shows that you’re smart and efficient. Ultimately using templates allows you to save your creative energy for the things that really matter for your business (achieving your clients' goals) while your competitors are busy fussing over getting the placement of that text box just right.
You may think that a template someone else created can't possibly represent your unique business and that, to do so, you will need to start from scratch. While it’s true that there's no other business out there exactly like yours, the job of a landing page is going to be the same in practically every instance: to get people to your front door, so that your product or service can shine. Plus, templates are customizable. So you can fine tune them for your brand and purpose, while still using tried-and-true patterns that get results without the guesswork.
With Leadpages templates, the hard work of testing page layout has already been done for you. You'll see which templates have historically converted most effectively, so you have a strong starting point. And ultimately, that's what a template is—a starting point. The one you choose doesn’t determine what type of service or product you offer, or what sort of layout you should have. A template is simply a jumping off point toward a completed landing page.
Plus, people who start from templates convert significantly more visitors into clients or customers on average than those who build their own landing pages or websites from scratch.
Whether you’re an author, an artist, a fashion designer, or some other type of creative professional, you got into this to build amazing things, and we want to help you get back to it. Here are five templates that you can use for your creative services company, and how to use them to grow your audience, boost your brand, and promote your services.
1 - A short & sweet landing page template for offering a freebie to build your list
Looking for a way to generate leads while boosting your credibility with a free resource? The Free Checklist template uses a simple, straightforward layout to offer visitors your lead magnet when they opt-in for it.
Our favorite thing about this template is that it is so simple to customize for your needs, and it can be used for virtually any business that’s looking to entice leads with a piece of content—whether it’s a guide, an ebook, or any other resource.
Don’t have any free content to give away? Attract.io can help you create lead magnets quickly and easily—so you can demonstrate some of the expertise that makes your business so valuable to your visitors and help them solve a problem (not to mention, an opportunity to promote your business as one of the solutions).
Want to change a section or add a testimonial? We have pre-built section templates for that very purpose. Grab a testimonial block from the "Sections'' menu in the builder and place it just below the existing "Main Content" section on the page.
2 - Tell your clients about your services with a long-form landing page template
The Virtual Assistant Sales Page is a great template for explaining all the reasons a prospect or lead should hire you, while helping you overcome any objections before they’re raised. Its flow naturally lends itself to outlining your services, features, and benefits in an easy to consume way.
One great thing about this template is its layout—it’s about as close to a "long form" page as modern landing pages get, but everything is succinct and carefully spaced. Each section has a purpose, but ultimately sends visitors back to that call to action.
It also makes great use of background images. They complement the message without distracting from the text. This is done through the use of a background image color overlay.
3 - A versatile landing page template for promoting your blog or newsletter
The Beauty/Makeup Newsletter Sign-up template is a great template for enticing visitors to sign up for your list. You’ll be able to build rapport over time by offering them exclusive content right to their inbox, and even leverage that relationship for offers in the future.
The first section allows you to outline exactly what they can expect by signing up with three short bullet points and a CTA that they can’t miss. Then you can elaborate on your features and benefits in more detail as the visitor scrolls down the page.
One of the interesting details that sets this template apart is the way some of the sections have a transparent background, allowing the background image to show through. This results in a parallax effect, showing a consistent image behind the page as you scroll through it.
Don't have a beauty or makeup newsletter to collect signups for? That’s fine! Remember—this template can easily be applied to any creative services business.
4 - Show off your past work and services with this portfolio site template
The Design Portfolio website template is built for showing off work you’re proud of so clients can’t wait to work with you.
Websites can serve a number of different roles, but ultimately your goal should still be to get as many visitors into your funnel as possible. That’s why this template is designed with a clear flow and prominent calls to action on each page. Its main pages are a home page, a page about the business owner, a page about the services offered by the business, and a page featuring past work.
While it’s targeted towards designers, it’s really easy to customize for an interior designer, a social media consultant, an architect, or any other creative business with samples of their work.
One defining page in this site is the "Project" page, which lets you go into more detail about each of the past projects you’re excited to show off without overloading your overview page with too much detail.
Putting these pages together results in a website that works for you in a straightforward way—you get visitors learning about your business and reaching out to work with you.
The Author website template lets small businesses that provide more than one product or line or services to seamlessly include them all in a cohesive website.
While this template isn't found in the "creative services" category in Leadpages, it lends itself nicely to creative businesses, both in content and layout. By default, it was created for authors, but it can be customized for anyone who creates for a living, or coaches those who do.
The Author site template features unique page layouts for multiple offerings, which makes it easy for you to educate visitors about all the different things you offer—from books to services and workshops. The variety of pages with unique layouts make it perfect for showcasing What you do in a clean and organized way.
A few more noteworthy templates to consider including in your creative services marketing strategy
Bonus Templates
Here are a few extra templates that can also work well for creative services.
This is one of our best converting landing page templates overall, largely due to its simplicity.
The details help it stand out, but ultimately the key is that it’s short, sweet, and to the point. It does what it says it will, and doesn't use much space to do it.
This page serves a similar function to the “Free Guide” page above, with one big difference: the background image is a great way to draw your visitor's attention. Either keep the default image that comes with the template, or replace it with an attention-grabbing graphic of your own.
Build credibility and let visitors know who's offering the resource with an additional bio section.
This new site template has a warm feel and a unique layout. It has room for tons of customization as a creative services site. Plus, it's easy to navigate, making it great for showcasing your talents while collecting new leads.
Next steps
Choosing to go with a template instead of starting from scratch can save you a ton of time. Using the right template can help you build your brand, bring in more business, and boost your conversion rate. So be sure to choose one that aligns with your brand and your promotion or campaign.
Ready to create your own website or a landing page? Sign up for a free 14-day trial of Leadpages to get instant access to all of these templates.
Now that you’ve seen our top five templates for creative services, what do you think? Did we miss any? Which template is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!
