Landing page: How to create an effective one

Artyom Dovgopol

An effective landing page is a balance between the art of persuasion and the science of conversion, where every element is deliberately designed to turn a visitor’s interest into a result for the business 😉

Key takeaways 👌

Landing page basics

A landing page is a web page specifically designed for a particular marketing campaign with one clearly defined goal. This goal can range from collecting contact information from potential customers to directly selling products or services.

Unlike a multi-page website, a landing page focuses on a single offer and encourages the visitor to complete one target action — the very action for which you created it. This can be:

• Filling out a form to collect contact details
• Subscribing to a newsletter
• Downloading a material (e.g., an e-book or a guide)
• Registering for a webinar or event
• Making a purchase
• Booking a consultation
• Any other target action that aligns with your business goals

Landing pages work on the principle of a sales funnel: at the top of the funnel are all the visitors to the page, and at the bottom are those who completed the target action. In between them is the path the potential client takes from first contact to conversion.

The effectiveness of a landing page is determined by several key factors:

• Focus on one goal: The absence of distractions helps the visitor concentrate on the target action.
• Personalization: A landing page can be tailored to a specific audience and marketing campaign.
• Ease of testing: A/B tests can be easily conducted to optimize conversion.
• Measurable results: Clear metrics allow you to assess the effectiveness of the page.
• Psychological triggers: Using proven psychological persuasion techniques.

Think about it — how many customers are you losing due to a page that talks about everything a little, instead of answering the main question: "Why will this offer solve my problem right now?"

Landing or homepage?

A common question arises: how does a landing page differ from a regular website or its homepage? Let’s break down the key differences:

The homepage of a website serves as a kind of showcase, representing the business as a whole. It should cover all areas of the company’s activities, provide an understanding of the brand, and help visitors navigate the site’s structure.

A landing page, on the other hand, is a specialized tool for a specific marketing campaign. It doesn’t tell the whole story of the business; instead, it focuses on one specific offer and encourages immediate action.

Types of landings

For every marketing purpose, there’s a specifically designed landing page — all are similar, but just different enough to make things interesting:

• Sales Landing Page: The goal is direct sales. Detailed product description, emphasis on benefits, testimonials, and a clear call to action to purchase.
• Lead-Generating Landing Page: The goal is to collect contact information. A value proposition in exchange for contact details, with a short form.
• Click-through Landing Page: The goal is preparation for the next step. Explanation of the offer before transitioning to the payment page.
• Micro Landing Page: The goal is quick familiarization. An ultra-short format with minimal text and striking visuals.
• Landing Quiz: The goal is engagement through interaction. A series of questions with a personalized result.

Landing page essentials

Landing pages were a novelty around 5-10 years ago. Now? Every kindergartner has a few attached to their portfolio. A successful landing page is a combination of various elements working together to achieve one goal. Let’s take a look at the key components that should be present on an effective landing page:

• Attention-grabbing headline (H1): Clearly communicates the offer, includes the unique selling proposition (USP), and sparks interest.
• Unique selling proposition (USP): Explains why your product is better than the competition.
• Hero section: The first screen with a headline, visual, and call to action.
• Benefits and advantages: Focus on results, not features.
• Social proof: Testimonials, success stories, client logos.
• Call to action (CTA): A bold button with clear text that creates a sense of urgency.
• Addressing objections: FAQ, guarantees, payment security.
• Lead capture form: Minimal fields with clear explanations of their purpose.
• Adding urgency and scarcity: Elements that encourage immediate action (limited-time offer, countdown timer, limited stock, bonuses for first buyers, seasonal promotions).

The process revealed

We’re not barbarians — we won’t just leave you to figure it all out by yourself. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to get started:

• Audience analysis: Create audience profiles, study needs, objections, and motivators.
• Setting goals and KPIs: Establish a specific target action and measurable success indicators.
• Competitor research: Study competitors’ landing pages, identify their strengths and weaknesses.
• Creating the structure: Define the key blocks and logical sequence of information.
• Content development: Create compelling headlines, benefit descriptions, and calls to action.
• Design and layout: Choose a platform (Tilda, WordPress with plugins, manual coding) and implement the project.
• Setting up analytics: Connect analytics systems and set up conversion tracking.
• Testing and launch: Test functionality on all devices and run a pilot campaign.
• Optimization: Analyze data and improve page elements based on the results.

Common mistakes

• Lack of a clear USP: The visitor doesn’t understand why they should choose you.
• Information overload: Too much text and distracting elements.
• Weak call to action: The CTA is unclear or unobtrusive.
• Ignoring mobile users: Poor responsiveness.
• Slow loading: Heavy images and unoptimized code.
• Lack of trust elements: No testimonials, guarantees, or company information.
• Complex forms: Too many fields in lead capture forms.

Trust A/B testing

A/B testing is a method of comparing two versions of a landing page to determine which one yields better results. It’s a continuous optimization process that helps gradually increase conversions.

Test:

• Headlines and subheadings
• Texts and CTA design
• Visual elements
• Forms and their placement
• Social proof

Key rules:

• Test one element at a time
• Ensure sufficient traffic volume (100+ conversions)
• Run tests for at least a week
• Document the results

A bit more about conversion…

To understand how else to measure and improve the performance of your landing page, we suggest diving deeper into the topic and reading the article: Website conversion: What is it and how to improve it?

Conclusion

A landing page is a powerful tool that can significantly boost marketing effectiveness. The key to success is finding the balance between the art of persuasion and the science of optimization.

Start by understanding your audience, crafting a compelling offer, designing a page that leads to a target action, and constantly testing and improving.

Even a small increase in conversion can lead to significant long-term growth for your business.