A well-designed landing page can transform your online presence and significantly boost your conversion rates.
Unlike your main website with its multiple pages and navigation options, a landing page has one clear purpose: to convert visitors into leads or customers through a specific action.
What Is a Landing Page and Why Do You Need One?
A landing page is a standalone web page created specifically for a marketing campaign. Visitors typically “land” on these pages after clicking on an advertisement, email link, or search result related to a particular offer or product.
The magic of a landing page lies in its focus.
While your website aims to inform visitors about your company, products, and services in general, a landing page zeroes in on a single objective – whether that’s collecting email addresses, promoting a special offer, or generating sales.
For businesses looking to grow their online presence, landing pages are non-negotiable tools in your digital marketing arsenal.
They provide:
- Higher conversion rates than regular web pages
- Specific data on marketing campaign performance
- Improved lead quality through targeted messaging
- Better return on your advertising spend
Planning Your Landing Page: Start with Strategy
Before jumping into design, take time to plan your landing page strategy.
This foundational work will determine your success rate.
Begin by identifying your landing page’s purpose. Are you looking to:
- Collect leads through a form?
- Sell a product directly?
- Promote a limited-time offer?
- Drive webinar or event registrations?
Next, define your target audience. Who are they? What problems do they face? How does your offer solve these problems?
Understanding your audience allows you to craft messaging that resonates with their needs.
Consider the traffic source too.
A visitor from a Google ad has different expectations from someone clicking through from your email newsletter. Your landing page should maintain message continuity with its traffic source.
Essential Elements of an Effective Landing Page
The most successful landing pages include specific elements that work together to encourage conversion:
Compelling Headline
Your headline makes the first impression. It should clearly communicate your value proposition in a way that grabs attention. Keep it concise, specific, and focused on the benefit to the visitor.
For example, rather than “Best Marketing Services,” try “Increase Your Website Conversions by 30% in 60 Days.”
Engaging Subheadings
Subheadings expand on your headline and maintain interest as visitors scan your page.
They should provide additional information that supports your main value proposition.
Persuasive Copy
Your copy should speak directly to the visitor’s needs and desires.
Focus on benefits rather than features, and use language that creates an emotional connection. Keep paragraphs short and easy to scan.
Strong Call-to-Action (CTA)
Your CTA is perhaps the most critical element. It tells visitors exactly what action to take next.
Make it stand out visually and use action-oriented language that creates a sense of urgency or value.
Examples include “Get Your Free Guide Now,” “Start Your 14-Day Trial,” or “Book Your Consultation Today.”
Trust Indicators
Include elements that build credibility:
- Customer testimonials
- Reviews and ratings
- Security badges
- Partner logos
- Industry certifications
High-Quality Images or Videos
Visual elements can dramatically increase engagement.
Use professional images that support your message or videos that demonstrate your product or service in action.
Minimal Navigation
Unlike your main website, landing pages should limit navigation options to keep visitors focused on the conversion goal.
Many high-converting landing pages remove the main navigation entirely.
Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Your Landing Page
Let’s break down the process of creating an effective landing page:
Step 1: Outline Your Content
Create a content outline based on your strategy. This should include:
- Main headline and subheadings
- Benefit-focused copy points
- Social proof elements (testimonials, reviews)
- Form fields (if collecting information)
- CTA text and placement
Step 2: Create a Wireframe
A wireframe is a basic visual guide that represents the skeleton of your landing page. It shows where different elements will appear without the distraction of colours, fonts, or images.
You can create a simple wireframe using tools like:
- Pen and paper (yes, really!)
- Wireframing software like Balsamiq or Miro
- Design tools like Canva or Figma
Step 3: Design Your Landing Page
Now bring your wireframe to life with proper design elements:
Choose a colour scheme that aligns with your brand but makes your CTA stand out. Limit your palette to 2-3 primary colours plus accent colours for important elements.
Select fonts that are easy to read. Generally, sans-serif fonts work well for digital screens. Stick to 2 fonts maximum—perhaps one for headings and another for body text.
Source or create high-quality images that support your message without distracting from it.
Step 4: Build Your Page
You have several options for building your landing page:
Website Builders with Landing Page Templates:
- Wix offers intuitive drag-and-drop functionality with responsive designs
- Squarespace provides visually stunning templates with built-in mobile responsiveness
- WordPress with page builder plugins like Elementor or Divi
Dedicated Landing Page Platforms:
- Unbounce offers advanced A/B testing capabilities
- Leadpages has highly optimised templates based on conversion data
- Instapage allows for team collaboration and personalisation features
Email Marketing Platforms with Landing Page Features:
- Mailchimp offers easy-to-use landing page tools integrated with email marketing
- ConvertKit provides creator-focused landing page options
- HubSpot combines landing pages with CRM functionality
Step 5: Optimise for Mobile
More than half of web traffic now comes from mobile devices.
Ensure your landing page looks and functions perfectly on all screen sizes:
- Test your page on various devices
- Ensure buttons are large enough to tap on mobile
- Check loading speed on mobile connections
- Simplify forms for mobile users
Step 6: Test Before Launch
Before driving traffic to your landing page, test everything:
- Form submissions
- Button functionality
- Loading speed
- Spelling and grammar
- Layout on different browsers and devices
Step 7: Publish and Drive Traffic
Once your landing page is live, promote it through appropriate channels:
- Email marketing campaigns
- Social media posts and ads
- Google or Bing PPC advertising
- Content marketing with links to your landing page
Best Practices for High-Converting Landing Pages
To maximise your conversion rates, follow these proven best practices:
Keep it focused: Each landing page should have a single objective. Multiple CTAs or offers will only confuse visitors and reduce conversions.
Make it scannable: Most visitors will scan rather than read every word. Use clear headings, short paragraphs, and visual hierarchies to guide them through your content.
Create urgency: Limited-time offers or limited availability can motivate visitors to act now rather than later.
Address objections: Identify potential objections visitors might have and address them directly in your copy or through an FAQ section.
Optimise for speed: Slow loading times kill conversions. Compress images, minimise scripts, and consider using a content delivery network (CDN) to speed up your page.
Use directional cues: Subtle visual cues like arrows or a person looking toward your CTA can guide visitors’ attention to important elements.
Test and iterate: The most successful landing pages are those that evolve based on data. Set up A/B tests to compare different headlines, images, or CTA placements.
Real-Life Example: A Landing Page That Works
Let’s look at a hypothetical example for a professional service business:
Imagine a financial advisory firm targeting business owners who need retirement planning. Their landing page might feature:
Headline: “Business Owners: Secure Your Retirement While Running Your Company”
Subheading: “Download our free guide to the 5 retirement strategies most business owners miss”
Image: A relaxed business owner enjoying retirement while their business continues to thrive
Body copy: Brief paragraphs explaining the unique retirement challenges business owners face and how the guide addresses these challenges
Bullet points: Key benefits of the guide, such as “Tax-efficient withdrawal strategies” and “Business succession planning”
Testimonial: A quote from a business owner who implemented the strategies with impressive results
Form: Simple form requesting name, email, and business type
CTA button: “Send Me The Free Guide”
Trust indicators: Financial certifications, security badges, and media mentions
This landing page works because it:
- Targets a specific audience (business owners)
- Addresses a real pain point (retirement planning while running a business)
- Offers immediate value (free, focused guide)
- Builds trust through testimonials and credentials
- Makes the next step obvious and simple
Common Landing Page Mistakes to Avoid
Even with the best intentions, there are several pitfalls that can undermine your landing page performance:
Asking for too much information: Long forms create friction. Only ask for information you absolutely need at this stage.
Cluttered design: Too many elements competing for attention will confuse visitors. Embrace white space and clean design.
Vague value propositions: If visitors can’t quickly understand what you’re offering and why it matters to them, they’ll leave.
Mismatched messaging: Ensure your landing page copy matches the messaging from your ads or emails that brought visitors there.
Slow load times: Every second of load time decreases your conversion rate. Optimise images and minimise code bloat.
Neglecting mobile users: Test your page thoroughly on mobile devices where many of your visitors will see it.
No clear next steps: Don’t leave visitors wondering what to do after they convert. Set expectations for what happens next.
Final Thoughts: Start Creating Landing Pages That Work
Creating effective landing pages isn’t just about looking good—it’s about strategically designing pages that connect with your audience and inspire action. By focusing on clear messaging, compelling design, and continuous optimisation, you can build landing pages that consistently convert visitors into customers.
Remember that the most successful landing pages evolve over time.
Start with best practices, but let data guide your ongoing refinements. Test different headlines, images, copy lengths, and CTAs to discover what resonates best with your specific audience.
