How to Make a Landing Page Convert: A Comprehensive Guide

Landing pages play a crucial role in all digital marketing strategies by converting visitors into leads or customers. These pages are designed with a single goal in mind: to encourage visitors to take a specific action, such as signing up for a software trial, requesting a demo with the sales team, or making a purchase. Unlike the general web pages that you might find while browsing any company’s website, landing pages are focused, targeted, and crafted to meet the needs of a specific audience. For any growing business, landing pages are an essential tool aiming to maximize their return on investment (ROI) from digital marketing campaigns.

Table of Contents

• What is a Landing Page?
• 10 Things You Need to Structure a Landing Page
• The Difference Between Landing Pages and Homepages
• How to Increase Conversion Rate on Landing Pages
• Conclusion

What is a Landing Page?

A landing page is any standalone web page that a visitor lands on after clicking through from an email, ad, or social media platform. It’s distinct from other web pages in that it serves a single, focused purpose, often aligned with a specific marketing campaign.

Landing pages have evolved significantly since their inception. Initially, they were simple web pages that would plainly have a lead form front and center (”above the fold”: the first thing a visitor sees without having the scroll the page) to capture visitor information. While having a form above the fold is still considered a common practice, landing pages have become more sophisticated through rigorous conversion rate optimization and A/B testing, showcasing more interactive designs and functionality, personalized copy, and strategic call-to-action (CTA) button placements.

The importance of landing pages in the customer journey cannot be overstated. They’re designed to meet the precise needs of potential customers at the exact moment they are most likely to convert. Whether the goal is to gather leads, encourage sign-ups, or drive sales, landing pages are optimized to remove distractions and streamline the path to conversion.

Landing pages are typically served to users through various channels, including Google Ads, social media platforms, email marketing, and more. For instance, a user searching for a product on Google might click on an ad and be directed to a landing page specifically designed to highlight the features and benefits of that product. Similarly, a social media user might see a promoted post on Facebook, click on it, and land on a page tailored to convert that interest into a tangible action. These targeted pages are crucial in guiding users through the customer journey and ensuring that marketing efforts lead to measurable results.

10 Things You Need to Structure a Landing Page

Creating an effective landing page involves following certain best practices that help guide visitors towards taking the desired action. Here is a list of 10 common practices businesses should follow when building a landing page:

1. Create a clear and compelling headline:
   • The headline should immediately grab attention and clearly convey the value proposition. Headlines can start with a verb to promote action.
   • It should be relevant to the link that directed the visitor to the landing page. Some platforms, like Google Ads, have a scoring system in place that judges the relevancy between the ad and the landing page. In addition, you want to ensure visitors just see consistency as they move between link to page.
2. Include a subheadline:
   • A subheadline can provide additional context or details that support the main headline.
   • It should be concise and build on the headline’s promise.
   • Subheadlines can also be written in the form of bullet points, too.
3. Add a lead capture form (or don’t):
   • A form can be used for collecting visitor information (e.g., for lead capture/generation).
   • Keep the form fields as minimal as possible to reduce friction and encourage completion. A general rule of thumb for form fields is the more fields you have, the more you’re asking a visitor to do, which gives them more opportunities to quit and not complete the form.
   • Placement of a form can be in different places: the hero section (the first block of content a visitor sees, typically fully visible without having to scroll), or somewhere below the fold (anywhere below the first block, requires scrolling to view). And in some cases, a business may not want to use a form at all, as it can be construed as too direct to a visitor.
4. Ensure you have strong call-to-action (CTA) buttons:
   • The CTA button should be prominently displayed and use action-oriented copy.
   • It can stand out on the page by using contrasting colors, bold fonts, and/or hover animations. Avoid using the same color scheme on other elements.
   • CTA buttons can be placed on in the hero section and/or throughout the landing page. Links can point to the lead capture form (using anchor links) or link to your business’s signup page.
5. Provide engaging, relevant visuals:
   • Use high-quality images or videos that illustrate the product, service, or offer. Stock imagery can work if it makes sense for the audience.
   • Visuals should be relevant and help enhance the message quickly. There’s nothing worse than providing a visual that would cause a visitor to pause and wonder what the message is.
6. Write concise and persuasive copy:
   • Throughout the rest of the landing page, the copy should be clear, concise, and focused on the benefits to the visitor.
   • Use bullet points or short paragraphs to make the content easy to scan.
   • Bonus tip: personalized copy based on data (knowing who the customer is by name or business type) is always helpful to showcase.
7. Show why a visitor should trust you by providing trust signals:
   • Add trust signals such as social proof/customer logos, testimonials, certifications, or security badges.
   • These elements help build credibility and reduce visitor anxiety.
8. Optimize for mobile:
   • Ensure the landing page is fully optimized for mobile devices, as many users increasingly browse the web on their phones (not to mention if your marketing campaign is driving social media users to your landing page).
   • The layout, images, and forms should be responsive and easy to interact with on smaller screens. Elements that are out of place and ruin the design of the page can turn away visitors quickly.
9. Limit potential navigation:
   • Minimize navigation links to keep visitors focused on the landing page content.
   • Common practice is to remove the main website navigation bar to reduce distractions.
10. Reduce loading speed as much as possible:
    • Optimize the page to load quickly, as slow loading times can increase bounce rates.
    • Compress images (or use WebP) and use efficient coding practices to enhance performance.
    • Unnecessary scripts, tags, and unused CSS code can increase loading speed. Tools like GTMetrix and Google Lighthouse can help identify what’s causing your page to load slowly.

Not every landing page structure is the same - different elements work better or worse depending on the business and audience. This is why it’s important to test and to never let a landing page design go stale. But by building off of these best practices, businesses can create landing pages that effectively capture visitor interest, build trust, and drive conversions.

The Difference Between Landing Pages and Homepages

While it might be tempting to use your homepage as a landing destination, especially when running ads or email campaigns that you want to quickly launch, it’s generally not the best strategy. Homepages serve multiple functions: they introduce your brand, provide navigation to various parts of your site, and offer a broad overview of your products or services. While homepages serve as an entry point for visitors similar to a landing page experience, this multifaceted approach can dilute the focus needed to convert a visitor into a lead or customer.

In contrast, landing pages are designed with a singular purpose and target a specific audience segment. By eliminating the distractions and excess information found on a homepage, landing pages offer a more tailored experience that directly addresses the visitor's needs and motivations. This focused approach is why businesses see higher conversion rates when they create dedicated landing pages for their marketing campaigns, rather than relying on their homepages.

How to Increase Conversion Rate on Landing Pages

Building an effective landing page involves several key elements. First, the headline should be compelling and directly related to the ad or link that brought the visitor there. Next, the page should feature a clear and concise value proposition, explaining what the visitor will gain from taking the desired action. High-quality images or videos can help illustrate the benefits, while bullet points can make the information easy to digest. Finally, a strong call-to-action (CTA) should stand out on the page, guiding visitors towards conversion.

One of the most efficient ways to build landing pages quickly is by using AI-powered website builders like Noya. Noya’s AI Website Builder simplifies the landing page creation process by allowing users to input a command into its prompt, such as "build me a landing page about my product using best practices to maximize conversion." The AI would then generate a complete landing page with front-end design and the necessary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code, which users can export and deploy. This approach not only saves time, but also ensures that the landing page adheres to industry best practices to maximize conversion rates.

Once your landing page is live, testing new ideas is crucial for optimizing conversion rates. A/B testing different headlines, images, copy, and CTA placements can provide insights into what resonates best with your audience. Tools like Optimizely, VWO, and A/B Tasty are leaders in this space. Additionally, analyzing user behavior through heatmaps and analytics tools can help identify areas for improvement. By continuously refining your landing page based on data-driven insights, you can enhance its effectiveness and achieve higher conversion rates over time.

Conclusion

Creating a high-converting landing page involves a strategic blend of clear messaging, engaging visuals, and a focus on user experience. By understanding the distinct purpose of landing pages and how they differ from homepages, businesses can tailor their approach to maximize conversions. Key elements like compelling headlines, persuasive copy, strong CTAs, and social proof play crucial roles in guiding visitors towards taking the desired action. Additionally, continuous testing and optimization ensure that the landing page remains effective and aligned with audience needs.

By following these best practices and maintaining a user-centric focus, businesses can create landing pages that not only attract visitors but also convert them into loyal customers. Whether used in Google Ads, social media campaigns, or email marketing, well-crafted landing pages are essential tools for driving measurable results and enhancing overall digital marketing success.