How to create a landing page that converts (a beginner guide)

The main goal of a landing page is for the user to click on your CTA or call to action. That's the main way we can measure conversion. Today, I will discuss exactly what elements of a landing page make that happen. Then, you can tell your web development or content management team to implement them.

What exactly is a landing page

It's an independent web page designed to reach a singular goal. It has one mission, whether it's making customers buy something, fill out a form, or just call or email you. That's very important to understand. Everything we do on a landing page is about that goal.

Everything, from your titles to pictures, videos, themes, CTAs, etc., must serve that goal.

What is CTA

CTA is short for Call to Action; it's when you suggest the user do something like ("Buy this chair!") or ("Fill out that form and we'll reach you!").

What happens if the landing page doesn't convert

While creating pages with good and exciting content is essential for a perfect Google presence, it's not enough. Imagine your page is high-ranking on Google, or you just did an advertisement campaign on one of your pages. In this scenario, a user comes in as a result of advertisement or SEO, but will the user do what you want? Will he/she abide by the CTA? That's what is really important, isn't it?

A high-traffic site that doesn't convert is just like a trampoline; people come in, check something out, and leave. This does not help you or your business, and probably not even your customers. The technical term for this is bounce; you don't want your bounce rate to be high.

The pillars of a landing page that converts

This is the most important section of this topic; if you get these things right, you can implement and measure them however you want. These are the factors that can affect the conversion rate of a web page:

Clear and tempting headline

This is the first thing visitors see on Google or your own page. It should clearly define what they will be getting from this page, and it must be tempting. You can't expect users to read the whole article if your headline isn't promising something they want, so keep that in mind. 

Visuals are important

You should hire a UI designer or use a carefully crafted template. Go with a clean design with just some animations; a messy, cluttered design can remove the focus from the important CTAs or content you offer. If you are using a UI designer, tell them what the most important elements are that you want to showcase and tell them precisely what the goal of this page is. They are trained to make use of that information graphically.

Content, Content, Content

Content is really the king here. You need to study your users to know their problems and the root causes of why they may need your services. It's also good to know your competitors gaps that you can address, but without mentioning them. Keep the content short, too. 

Trust maker sections

Trust can be achieved in many ways, from talking about your past experiences to a short case study or just some plain old testimonials that show them you are a real one. Acquire credibility in any way you think is suitable, and make sure to showcase it on your landing page. You need to treat the landing page as if it is the only page your customer is going to check. It's an independent page, remember?

It needs to look good on mobile devices

Well, it's all in the title. Your page needs to look good no matter what device your client is using. Make sure to check the page on multiple devices or in your browser's tool kit. This is usually the web development team's job, but if you don't have one or you already have a landing page, test it on various devices to ensure it looks good and fast anywhere.

Persuasive CTA

Your call to action must be persuasive and commanding. You can inject a bit of urgency into your CTAs to make them more irresistible.

Like: "Free consulting services just till this weekend! Reserve now!"

How to create the landing page

Now that you know what elements should be present in a converting landing page, let's go through a step-by-step guide to creating one.

Step 1: Write your goals down

To create and use the pillars that we talked about, you first need to know what the end goal of your landing page is. What kind of action do you expect the user to perform at the end? What value do you want to add to them? Do you want them to fill out a form? Pay for something? Join a group? It must be a single attainable goal. Write that down.

Step 2: Understand your audience    

People to whom you are offering your services may have different tastes, but they probably have the same issues or concerns. Address them. You can use Google Forms and make questionnaires that ask them what their past experience was with the same service providers or simply what they are looking for in a service provider or product creator like you.

Step 3: Choose a clean and attractive design

If you have a UI designer, you can go to dribble.com, search for keywords related to your project, see many beautiful designs, and tell them to get ideas from them.

If you just have a front-end or web developer, you can go to themeforest.com, check out the designs related to your work, download or buy one, and then tell your developers to tailor that to your needs. It's better that your page aligns with your branding or website's colours, but it's not always necessary.

Step 4: Create the content of the landing page

You can consult a UX expert, AI agent, or just people in your industry to learn what content is best for that page. But it should be engaging and promising. It needs to promise something real and measurable. Avoid using cliches or advertise-like sentences. Keep it short and real. It must have headers, subheaders, and sections about your service or product's advantages. Make your users see the benefits of working with you.

Step 5: Work on graphics

If you have a UI designer, they will do that for you. But if you are doing it yourself or just using a developer, make sure to check out Shutterstock, freebies and other image services to get royalty-free or buy specific pictures for that page. The more unique you are, the less is the chance of customers categorizing you as "just another advertisement" category 😉

Step 6: Optimize landing page for Mobile

Ask your developers to make the page responsive. To make sure you can check it on multiple devices or if you are using Chrome:

Open Chrome => Click on the three dots in the corner => Click on More tools => Click on Developer tools.

Now, you can choose a device and load your website. This shows how your page will be displayed on that device. Make sure there are no rough edges or glitches when using multiple devices.

Step 7: Check for SEO problems on the landing page

Make the landing page accessible, but do not index or link it anywhere, so it's in some kind of testing or staging mode. Use tools like Screaming Frog and online SEO checker tools to check for problems in your page by giving the tools the URL. Make sure to address any serious issues, like meta problems, headline problems, or image problems. Consult the developers or AI agents for the method of addressing those issues.

Step 8: Measure the performance of your landing page

Keep it in testing mode, like step 7. Provide links to tools like Google Page Insight or Gtmetrix to check the page's performance. Pay attention to the ranking and the solutions those tools provide. Use your developer team or AI agent to address those issues, too. The goal of this step is to have a website performance higher than 80% in Gtmetrix.

Step 9: Gather information or feedback

Try to gather feedback after releasing your landing page. Of course, suppose your development team is any good. In that case, they can gather information and record sessions for you so you see how customers are reacting on your web page. Use that information to iterate the process and improve your landing page; in a few runs, you will have an almost perfect landing page! <3

How to persuade users to do the CTA

These are some small last-minute tips that I've come across in my experience as a software engineer that helped us improve our conversion rate:

Use Social Proof

To be honest, if your landing page is fast and pretty and offers good content, products, or services, the only important reason it's not getting good feedback is trust! Try to eliminate this concern by providing social proof. Whether it's your Google rate and suggestions or a thank you note from your latest client, it doesn't matter. Showcase them and make your customers understand that you will be working your best to satisfy them.

Make your offers expirable

It doesn't work in every situation. For example, if you are offering a free platform and intend to keep it free, it would be stupid to lie and make it seem expirable. But if it is possible in your business case, make a sense of urgency by making your offer time-limited. That would really improve the conversion rate.

How to track the conversion rate

When it's all done and released, you want to be able to measure your progress. In some cases, the conversion rate is visible and attainable. It all comes down to how you record the CTA answer.

Know how many people visited the landing page

In almost every case, it's necessary to record the number of unique people who have viewed your landing page over a period of time. Make sure your developers know that.

Know how many people Did the CTA

If your CTA is to buy something, make sure you record the number of people who bought it from the landing page. You can use a refer URL or something similar. If your CTA is about downloading or filling out a form, make sure you log the number or gather that from another query in your database. The goal here is to have the number of people who listened to the CTA.

Easy part

Now, just divide the CTA action trigger by the total number of people who visited the page. That's your conversion rate.

Bonus: It is worth mentioning the option for measuring the conversion rate

Google Analytics and other tools like Hotjar, Kissmetrics, etc., are great tools that can help you measure your success accurately. But I always implement internal calculations, too, to make sure nothing is missed.

Conclusion

Creating a landing page that converts is about aligning every element—from design and content to user experience—with a single, clear goal. You need to understand and Implement the pillars of a good landing page on your page and learn how to measure your success later.

FAQ about creating a landing page that converts

Here are some frequently asked questions about landing pages.

How can I attract visitors to my landing page?

If you have high-ranked pages in Google on your own website, you can create internal linking from that. If not, you can use advertisements like Google ads or email marketing to ensure you are being seen in the online world.

How do I measure the success of my landing page?

By using internal calculations and/or Google Analytics services.

How many landing pages do I need?

Remember, every landing page must be designed for a single purpose. So, if you offer different services or products, it's always better to separate them.