You’ve created an irresistible product or service.
You’ve done market research and know your audience will love it and readily buy it.
You also have a solid marketing strategy in place to promote it.
You could have built it with your in-house team or could have used web app development services, it does not matter. What’s important is that now you have a stable fully-functioning solution.
The next step?
Crafting a high-converting landing page.
One that instantly persuades your audience to become your customer.
How do you create one? What are the important elements of a high-converting landing page? What are the experts doing right that you can emulate?
Let’s find out.
First things first, what exactly is a landing page?
A landing page is a standalone web page created for a specific marketing campaign. Simply put, it’s where your visitors land after they click on a ‘link’ promoting your product or service.
Like this web page of Shopify.
As Nick Swekosky, CEO of Market Metrics, aptly says, “Landing pages are a stage in the process of addressing a visitor’s intent and facilitating some type of business outcome.”
A landing page has only one purpose – to persuade visitors to take a specific action and convert them into leads.
What is the average conversion rate of a landing page?
According to Larry Kim at Wordstream, the average landing page conversion rate is 2.35%, while the top 25% convert at 5.31% or higher.
The top 10% are pages with conversion rates of 11.45% or higher.
And that’s what you need to aim for.
A high-converting landing page is one that instantly compels visitors into clicking the CTA button and becoming leads.
And multiple landing pages targeted to different audiences and ad campaigns can substantially increase your conversions.
According to HubSpot, companies that increase their number of landing pages from 10 to 15 see a 55% increase in leads.
10 most effective elements for a high-converting landing page
“A landing page does not exist in isolation,” explains Jack Gillett, Managing Services Director at Fast Thinking. “It exists within a context; this should be reflected in the end result.
That context is the customer journey, specifically what happens before and after a person has landed on the page.
Did they come from an ad? An email? A title on the homepage?
It’s essential to make sure where they end up isn’t a surprise.
If the ad was promoting ‘Latest offers,’ landing on a page that features ‘Christmas gifts’ will reduce the likelihood of a purchase.
After is just as important. A landing page should have a goal or a measure of success, and that goal should be something that caters to the person landing on it in a way that drives value to the business.”
A high-converting landing page is deceivingly simple, like Lyft’s landing page.
It has limited elements, and each part is designed to convert visitors into leads. No extra frills and distractions to take the attention away from essential elements.
So what are some key elements that are an essential part of a high-converting landing page? What best practices should you keep in mind while crafting your landing page? What are the experts doing right and the amateurs doing wrong?
Let’s find out. We have 40+ marketing professionals on board who reveal 10 most effective elements of a high-converting landing page.
Table of Contents
Headline
Alistair Dodds, Marketing Director at Ever Increasing Circles, shares, “The headline is crucial for the initial engagement.
The user needs to immediately know that there is value in reading and viewing the content on the page. That is why a killer headline and a sub-headline copy is so important.
It needs to engage and hook users’ attention. Asking a question that elicits an unconscious agreement is an excellent means of doing so.”
What turns a mediocre headline into a killer headline?
It should be compelling
“The title and subject of your page should be appealing and captivating to the people. It’s natural for people to select books by looking at their cover.
Thus, the title should be a killer headline that sparks our readers’ interest and catches their attention.
The first impression is formed in a fraction of a second, be sure to make yours count.” Says Abhiraj Tulsyan, Head of Marketing at Stockarea.
Like FreshBook’s homepage headline.
Shmuel Fogel, Web Designer at Talmudico, agrees and adds, “Web visitors are strongly conditioned toward quickly scanning web pages and – if they are not immediately hooked – they move to another website.
When you are making an effort to send people to your landing page, you must do everything possible to prevent them from exiting. An engaging headline will hook them in and encourage them to continue browsing your webpage.”
And without a great, visible headline that speaks to the customers’ search intent, Fogel says, “session duration and conversion rates will suffer.”
Its message should resonate with the audience
“Without a powerful headline, you’re unlikely to attract the attention of website visitors,” says Dan Bochichio, Founding Partner of Bocain Designs.
“The message has to resonate well with website visitors, so it’s important to think about who is going to be landing on this page when writing this.
Your message should quickly summarize the solution or product you’re offering to the visitor and why it’s going to help them overcome a problem they are having.”
A great example is Neil Patel’s landing page headline.
It needs to be clear and concise
“Informative yet simple headlines are important because users will likely click off as soon as things begin to look unclear and complicated. Thus, it is key to bring your pitch to the table immediately.
As much as you want to be unique and stand out from other landing pages, customers usually don’t like to be sent down a rabbit hole of clicks that eventually navigates to the final stage.
Keep it simple and straight-to-the-point and let what you offer do the talking that way you retain your site visitors and convert.” Advises Nik Sharma, CEO of Sharma Brands.
Shopify’s headline does a great job putting its message across in a very clear and concise way.
It should solve the audience’s problem
Ron Evan, of Thrive Agency, says, “Most people will read the headline first within that crucial 3–5-second initial visit. Your headline should describe how you are resolving their problem and how it will make their life better.”
Luka Maras, CMO at Flipkod, is of the same mind and explains, “Your message should match the search intent of your pages’ visitors.
Be clear and never try to be smart.
This especially applies to the main heading, which is the first thing your visitors see. It should be clear but also connect emotionally and show the solution they’re looking for.”
Megan Bingham, of Allobee also believes that a headline “should be compelling, clear, and concise, and should speak to your customers’ #1 problem.”
Value Proposition
“Working with a clear, relevant value proposition is the most important thing you can do to create a high-converting landing page,” explains Nicolas Jacobeus, Founder and CEO at SaaSpirin.
Jacobeus further explains that this value prop should be carried through from the ad to the headline on the landing page, and supported by the body copy and even the submit button.
Why?
“Because you’re making a promise to the prospect in your ad or link,” says Jacobeus. “If they click through to view your landing page, they’re telling you they want what you’re offering.
If you clearly show you’re delivering on that promise, the prospect will be much more likely to continue with the next step.”
Simon Dwight Keller, Founder and CEO at SDK Marketing, shares,
“Your unique selling proposition sets clear expectations for your customers and points out why you are their dream company. It's not about elaborate features, but more about the one-of-a-kind brand promise to your customer.”
The trick of a good USP?
“Break down your offering at its most basic level, outlining the specific benefit your customers will get from choosing your product or service,” explains Keller.
And Landon Vago-Hughes, Co-Founder and CPO at YSplit, aptly says, “If I have to scroll down the page to learn more about your product, then the landing page has done a poor job.
A visitor should only scroll down because they’re curious to learn more about your offering, not because they don’t understand what you do.”
Trello’s homepage does a great job at highlighting their value proposition in both heading and copy.
Stewart Dunlop, CEO at Linkbuilder, agrees with everyone and says, “When you are selling something, you need to convince your audience that your product is better than the competitor’s analog. So thinking over the benefits that make you stand out will also increase the interaction with the page and will lead to the purchase.”
Should you use generic benefits on your landing page?
Dunlop doesn’t recommend it and advises marketers to “give some benefits that would make you unique depending on the product you sell.
For example, we want to highlight that we use various link building strategies, so we don’t just say ‘use our services because we offer different strategies.’ We describe them and specify the number so that people know what to expect.”
Short, actionable copy
“Having short and actionable copy is key to increasing conversions on a landing page,” explains John Ross, CEO of Test Prep Insights.
“In our experience, bounce rates increase by 42% when you have more than 50 words above the fold on a landing page.
The key is to keep your copy concise and actionable. Sell the customer on the highlight of your product or service and why they need to act quickly.”
What are some of the characteristics of a well-crafted, high-converting landing page copy?
It evokes emotion
“Copy is the most important thing on any landing page.
If you want to optimize your conversions, you need to focus on the messaging first and foremost.
When you tap into the desires of your audience — that is, when you offer something they really, truly want — then you’re going to see your conversion numbers climb.” Explains Zach Watson, Content Manager at SoundStripe.
Slack does an excellent job at highlighting benefits and solutions in their landing page copy.
Bailey Thibodeaux, CEO of Honeywave Creative, advises marketers to tell the visitors how they will feel once they purchase your offering and how it will make their lives better.
“For example, people don’t buy online courses because they have bonus sessions and 40 different videos and templates.
People buy them because they know that they might hit 6 figures with their business in a year if they invest. This would allow them to live a more lavish lifestyle than they are currently living.
THAT is why people buy.
Don’t promote the features, promote the life-altering solutions.” Explains Thibodeaux.
“Fancy designs don’t move products, words do,” says Marin Perez, Director of Content Marketing at Kajabi. “You need a clear and compelling copy on your landing pages. You should clearly tell them how to get what you’re offering and what the benefits for them will be.
Play with the language. Use trigger words to entice action or be playful if that’s part of your brand.
But, be sure to cover: how they can get what you’re offering and the life-changing benefits it will provide.”
It should have a clear message
Alex Atkins, Head of Growth at CXL, believes the most critical element of a high-converting landing page is the clarity of its copy.
“Not long ago, my mentor, Peep Laja, quoted an Unbounce study that measured the conversion influence between copy and design. Their data science findings showed that copy is more than twice as influential as design in converting visitors.
Clarity and relevance will always trump persuasion. Since visitors spend seconds reviewing a landing page, it is of the utmost importance to establish immediate clarity.” Explains Atkins.
Call to Action
A simple, relevant call to action that instantly persuades visitors to click on it is an essential part of a high-converting landing page.
Without a CTA, your landing page serves no purpose.
As Madi Ballou of Green Apple Strategy aptly says, “You want your customer to move through your conversion funnel. For that to happen, you will strategically place messages throughout your page that encourages your customer to take action.”
General examples are buttons to ‘Learn More,’ ‘Contact Us,’ or ‘Get Started.’
What are some essential characteristics of a persuasive Call to Action button?
Clear
“A clear CTA is crucial. Otherwise, your customer may not know what action they should take next,” explains Bingham.
Shmuel Fogel agrees and says, “When a visitor goes through your webpage and demands your services, you must make it as easy as possible for them to take the next steps in converting.
For example, you can’t help but click Netflix‘s CTA.
A customer should not have to look around to know what to do next. Clear calls to action like ‘Get Started Now,’ ‘Get a Quote,’ and ‘Call Now’ guide visitors on precisely what to do to take the next steps.
The last thing you want to do is to design a killer landing page, only to discover that customers are not converting since they do not know what to do next and don’t want to make a large enough effort to find out,” adds Fogel.
Dominant and distinct
“Dominant CTAs guarantee higher conversion rate,” shares Kevin Parker, Co-Founder of VPN Alert.
“Big and clear CTAs appeal to customers’ needs, helping you present your proposition value better. Guiding your customers to the next stage increases the chance of converting them into leads.” Adds Parker.
And make sure CTAs are distinct, both in color and font, to avoid friction with other content.
Swati Chalumuri, Founder of Hear Me Folks, says, “If you decide to go with buttons, let them be bigger than other fields.
On the other hand, any forms should be personalized, small-sized, and with as few fields as possible. As such, visitors will not be overwhelmed but rather be moved to convert.”
Persuasive
As Ron Evans explains, “‘Submit’ or ‘Click Here’ are not persuasive enough. As a matter of fact, they sound bossy.
‘Download Your Free eBook Today,’ for example, is a lot more compelling and can push the readers to take action.”
CTA placement
“The CTA buttons like ‘Download Now,’ ‘Sign Up,’ and ‘Join Now’ should be next to the ‘magic moment’ of the product you are selling,” explains Vago-Hughes.
“If you read the header of a section describing a feature that excites your users, the CTA should be very close by.
For example, Uber Eats could have a section saying ‘Food delivered in less than 30 minutes’. This section is compelling, so it is a ‘magic moment.’
It is at this point that a user is most likely going to be convinced to use your product, which means there should be a ‘Sign Up’ or ‘Download’ button very close by.”
It would help if you placed a CTA button above the fold.
As Ross explains, “If you hide the button below the fold, many customers won’t scroll to find it. You have to put it right in front of their face and make clicking as easy and frictionless as possible.
In our experience through A/B testing, having the button above the fold increases conversions by 51%.”
Thibodeaux is of the same mind and stresses,
“Always have a call to action within the first fold of your landing page. It needs to be blatantly in the visitor’s face. Don’t ever make it difficult for users to do what you want them to do."
Make sure your site is optimized so that the call to action is still visible on a mobile device.
Micro-copy above or below CTA
Eden Bidani, Conversion Copywriter at Green Light Copy, believes the microcopy next to the CTA button is essential “because with just a few words you can,
- reduce the perceived risk of clicking (‘We will never spam you,’ ‘No credit card required’);
- increase urgency (‘Only while stocks last,’ ‘50% off today only’);
- build excitement (‘Save your spot now,’ ‘Get on the waitlist today’) for whoever is clicking.
Even if the copy on the actual button says something simple like ‘Download Now’ or ‘Sign Up.’”
Spotify uses micro-copy flawlessly on its home page.
Less CTAs the better
The best high-converting landing pages have just one Call to Action. The more CTAs your landing page has, the more confused your visitor will get.
So to maximize conversions, Melissa Wallace, CEO of Five Foot Two Marketing, says, “landing pages should have ONE call to action with a concise supporting copy to entice the user to fill out the form.”
You’ll find that people love to pack the page with actions that distract the user from the actual intent. That’s not the characteristic of a high-converting landing page.
Leonardo Wolff, Founder of Eikonikos, agrees with Wallace and says, “You need to have ONE message and ONE goal. I can’t stress this enough.
We often see landing pages with multiple CTAs that have slightly different messages.
Let’s say you are designing a page for a tool-truck company. You don’t want a CTA saying ‘Email Us’ or ‘Send a Message.’ You want a big, bold, and well-positioned ‘CALL US NOW’ button.”
Unique
“Don’t say ‘Click here.’ It is generic and says nothing,” says Keira Cuthbert, Founder of Surf Engine Marketing.
“Instead, have your call-to-action button on the banner be unique! You could say ‘Get a Quote in One-Hour’ or ‘Get a Better Smile.’
Once you pick a button, you should perform A/B testing on your website to see if other buttons perform better. Business owners should be testing their audience to see if a blue button vs. a red button converts better, or changing the text to compare results.” Adds Cuthbert.
Page load speed
Alistair Dodds believes that while CTAs and page copy are essential elements of a high-converting landing page, page load speed trumps everything.
“For without a fast loading page speed, the majority of users will bounce without even seeing the other key elements of a well-designed landing page. After all, you can’t convert and sell on the best-designed landing if no one is around to see it.” Explains Dodds.
Essentially, a one-second delay in page-load speed leads to a 7% drop in conversions.
Calloway Cook, President of Illuminate Labs, agrees, “It’s essential for optimizing conversions to have a page that loads quicker than your competitors.
Users are increasingly impatient and expect web pages to load in less than two seconds, especially mobile. Having a landing page that loads quickly leads to a seamless user experience.”
Validate your concepts for performance during the design stage with AI-generated attention analytics
Incentive
“No matter what kind of landing page you go for, a great incentive arguably matters the most,” opines Francois Mommens, Founder and CEO of Linkody.
“You’ll need to provide an effective solution for your audience’s problems if you’re trying to sell your products. Or provide a piece of free, valuable content in exchange for their details if your page is for lead generation. Things such as ebooks, long guides, or webinars are some things you can consider.”
This is where the Law of Reciprocity comes into effect.
“Psychologically speaking, we don’t like to get something without giving back. You can use this concept to help drive conversions on your landing pages.
I’ve done this with free videos, interactive cheat sheets, and other free materials in exchange for email addresses. Once they’re on your list, even if they don’t buy today, you can always market to them in your email campaigns.” Explains Ben Currier, Owner, and Creator of Excel Exposure.
Lead form
A lead form is fundamental as some of your users may not be willing to convert without getting more information,” says John Lavapie, Marketing Manager at Special Event Rentals.
“Besides, getting their information is a win for the company, which you can use for remarketing or email campaigns. It is another form of conversion for the business.”
And one that you absolutely cannot afford to miss out on.
What are some of the characteristics of a well-crafted lead form that yields high conversions?
It’s short and to-the-point
“Since you are using landing pages as a destination of your marketing campaign, chances are that your prospects are already aware of what kind of problem they face. Therefore, they’d be looking for a fast solution – whether that would be purchasing a product, requesting a quote, or signing up for a demo product.
I had clients who were trying to collect all the information with a single form, and they haven’t been successful at all!
First off, prospects have been dropping as they did not understand why we need so much data about them at the very first stage of brand-customer interaction.
Secondly, the form looked hideous on mobile devices, and scrolling through it wasn’t very pleasant.
As a result, we’ve wasted a significant chunk of the campaign budget on traffic that hardly converted.” Explains Sandra Kaminska-Paciorek.
Like Uber’s lead form.
It has an easy response mechanism
“How often have you tried to complete an action, say, download a white paper, and you have to give your phone number or information about your company?” Asks Nicolas Jacobeus.
“In my opinion, if you ask for more than an email address, your prospect will go elsewhere because they can usually find it more readily. So make it super easy for the prospect to take the next step.”
It’s above the fold
“Above the fold might seem like an antiquated concept, but form placement is critical to conversion landing performance.
Users are in a hurry and inherently seek instant gratification in their fast-paced lives. Having to scroll to find the form creates additional “work” for the user.
Put the form as high on the page as possible to maximize conversions and only ask for the information you need. Do you need to know someone’s favorite color? Probably not.” Advises Melissa Wallace.
Social proof
“Humans are both social and risk-oriented beings. By seeing other people have enjoyed the product or service, our doubt fades away,” explains Brian Robben, CEO of Robben Media.
Studies have shown that social proof is not only useful for persuading people to take the desired action; it can increase conversion.
According to Unbounce, edX’s landing page converted at a whopping 52.8%, mostly in part by adding social proof and making the copy as simple as possible.
“People want to know what others are saying and how they have benefited from interacting with you.
By including social proof on your landing page, you’re validating your offer without even saying anything. Besides, showing off your customer’s positive experiences will build trust in you and your brand,” shares Andrew Wachholz of Designing4UX.
So the addition of social proof is one of the critical assets that pushes for high-conversions.
Whatagraph highlights reviews, names their clients, and integrates review websites into landing as social proof.
As Domantas Gudeliauskas, Marketing Manager at Zyro, sums up, “At this point, consumers are used to value propositions that promise them the world and more. Well-integrated social proof is what backs up that UVP, builds trust, and encourages conversion.
It would help if you highlighted reviews, integrated Capterra or Trustpilot, and displayed quotes from news media for your landing page. Also, consider showing what people talk about you on social media.”
Visual elements
“A landing page with just texts is unappealing. Using graphical elements helps in better ranking and conversion as they make visitors stay longer through visuals,” explains Kevin Parker.
“Images and videos make your sales message more effective, and they make it easier for your market to envision what you have for them.”
What kind of visual elements work the best on a landing page?
Explainer videos
Did you know using videos on landing pages can increase conversions by 86%?
“When landing on a campaign’s page, you want people to take a specific action.
However, with more people being aware of companies collecting their data, they may refuse to do so without a proper understanding of what they’re inquiring for,” says Sandra Kaminska-Paciorek, Marketing Manager at Nibble Video.
So what works instead?
“Video explainers (a professional animated explainer or simple screen recorded walkthrough of your product) are perfect for presenting all the necessary information your customer needs. It is especially true for businesses that sell complex products or advanced B2B services.
When working for a digital marketing agency as a PPC specialist, I was responsible for landing page optimization for a B2B payments provider.
One thing that skyrocketed the conversion rate was a series of short videos that explained how the product works in less than a minute!
Since people are already on your landing page, they are looking for easy-to-digest info about your product to make a well-informed decision. Our job as marketers is to give that info to them in the most attractive form possible,” shares Kaminska-Paciorek.
Impressive featured image
The other key component of your high-converting landing page is the featured image, as shown in Airbnb’s home page.
Nik Sharma says, “Most people believe a picture is worth a thousand words, so make your featured image engaging and inviting to complement your offer.”
Landing page design
“User experience is the ultimate key to modern-day business,” explains Madi Ballou.
“Especially younger generations, millennials and below, view their experience with a company as a gauge of whether they will make a purchase or become brand loyal.”
Here are a few characteristics of a user-friendly landing page design.
Simple
“Congested and stuffy landing pages will cause more bounce rates than success.
If the landing pages are too busy, stuffed with information or pop-ups, you’ll lose your audience fast. When landing pages are simple with very clear calls to action – then you’ll have higher conversion rates,” opines Jennifer Sargeant, Founder of Digital Sargeant.
Lack of distractions
“As far as landing pages go, it’s best to keep it as simple as possible,” shares Francois Mommens.
“Using too many elements may distract the visitors from the CTA. Ultimately, this can result in them not leaving their details.
The page should be clean, with contrasting colors for the background and buttons. Don’t display unnecessary menus or sidebars. The high-converting landing page’s sole goal is for your visitor to click the CTA,” adds Mommens.
“Attention spans online are short. A page should be simple and straightforward. Anything that distracts or slows down a customer’s comprehension will reduce conversions, adds Jack Gillett and explains,
- The text should be in a legible color and font. It won’t get read otherwise.
- Language should be simple. The reader needs to understand the words being used.
- Sentences should be short and to the point. If not, the reader will forget what they read at the start before they get to the end.
- Paragraphs should be small and easily digestible. If someone gets lost in the middle, they’re unlikely to try again.
- Calls to action should be obvious. Have one above the fold and ensure it sticks out. Otherwise, they won’t know how to convert.”
Flow
Another critical element that works is the scannability of the page itself.
“It’s more of the structure, not design.
From heatmaps and data from over a dozen Google Analytics accounts, I found that conversion rates are higher for well organized and structured landing pages regardless of whether the copy was great or not.
This led me to the conclusion that as long as you build your page that allows people to scan the copy easily, it will convert better,” explains Ariel Lim, Founder of Ariel Lim Consulting.
Luka Maras shares, “Keep the visitor’s attention focused, step by step, until they reach the CTA. With the flow, leading the user through the content on your page, you are building the psychological motivation that will increase the probability of him/her taking action.”
Good aesthetics
“Your landing page should have pleasing aesthetics as that will funnel your website visitors. Make sure you use high-quality images on your landing page.
Humans process images differently and more quickly than text. You can add images that are relevant to your product. Use infographics or illustrations to make your landing page visually appealing.
Remove clutters from your website. You can use visuals sparingly on your website and use the white space. Make your site easy for your visitors to navigate.
Do not use too many flashing lights and whistles, as this will easily distract your visitor. Simplify the design so that the customer can focus on your products, value proposition, and other elements that convince them to buy.
Simple designs also load faster, so that will also help in boosting the conversion rate of the landing page,” explains Azza Shahid, Digital Marketer at GigWorker.
Contact information
“When optimizing your landing page, you should make sure your phone number and/or email button are in the header.
Users don’t want to scroll or search for this info.
Most of the time, people don’t scroll down the page, and you only have 2 seconds to grab these leads and make a connection, so don’t play coy with them by only showing this info on the contact page.
It’s also important to know that an email should be in button form. If you just put your email on your site, bots can scrape this info and start spamming your inbox,” advises Keira Cuthbert.
Mobile responsive
“Visitors will bounce from the website and leave if they have a difficult time viewing the website on a mobile device. The same holds if they are forced to scroll or toggle to read text or interact with the landing page,” says David Reischer, Marketing Manager at Legal Advice.
With 53.3% of web traffic now mobile, you need to make sure your website and landing pages are mobile responsive.
Guarantee
“We don’t want to risk even $20 if there’s a high probability we’re going to get taken advantage of,” explains Brian Robben.
“Knowing we can get our money back, or the company will pay for return shipping, allows consumers to buy in confidence. Always focus on removing risk from the sale to improve sales rates.”
No navigation links
“Your high-converting landing page has one goal and one goal only: convert visitors into leads.
Any competing links, including internal links to other pages on your website, will distract from that goal. Remove any other links on your page to draw the attention of all your visitors to your call to action,” suggests Simon Dwight Keller.
Wouldn’t it be amazing if every visitor on your landing page turned into a customer?
Reality is far from it.
Only 5 to 10 people out of 100 end up converting into leads.
So if you’re not working to improve your landing page conversions, you’re wasting loads of your marketing dollars.
Continuously test, tweak, and improve your landing page’s elements to optimize it and increase conversions.
| AI Accuracy vs. Eye Tracking | Attention Insight | Eyequant |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | 90 - 94% | 85 - 92% |
| Model evaluated by MIT Saliency Benchmark | Yes | - |
| AI Accuracy vs. Eye Tracking | Attention Insight | Eyequant |
|---|---|---|
| Accuracy | 90 - 94% | 85 - 92% |
| Model evaluated by MIT Saliency Benchmark | Yes | - |
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