Landing page: definition, and what makes a page convert

A landing page is the page someone arrives on after clicking an ad. It has a single job: turning that visit into an action, a quote request, a call, a purchase.

Why not the home page

The home page speaks to everyone: customers, job seekers, suppliers, people checking your opening hours. It offers ten paths. The person who just clicked "bespoke kitchen, quote in 48 hours" was looking for one.

Every click is paid for. Sending it to a page that scatters attention means paying for the person to get lost.

The elements of a page that converts

1. The headline repeats the ad's promise. If the ad talks about a fibreglass pool installed in three weeks, the page opens with that. The person must feel within a second that they are in the right place.

2. One action asked. One button, repeated several times down the page. No full menu opening ten exits.

3. Proof near the button. Finished jobs, reviews, real numbers. On a purchase worth thousands, trust is what makes people click.

4. A short form, but not too short. Too many fields scare people off. Too few let through requests you can't call back. One or two questions that qualify the project, the town, the timing, beat a form reduced to name and phone. How to qualify requests.

5. A fast page on mobile. Most clicks come from a phone. A page that takes several seconds to load loses visitors before they even read the headline.

6. A face. For a tradesperson or a freelancer, a photo of the person who will come does more than any slogan.

Landing page or instant form

On Meta, you can also collect the request without leaving Facebook, with an instant form. It often brings more requests, cheaper, but less considered. The landing page filters more: the person took the time to read. The instant form, its strengths and limits.

I often test both and keep whichever brings requests that turn into customers.

What matters for Google too

On Google Ads, the landing page counts towards ad quality, and therefore the price of the click. A page that answers the search precisely pays less for the same position. SEA, how it works.

How to know if it works

The number to follow is the conversion rate: the share of visitors who send a request. Going from 3% to 6% halves the cost of each request, for the same budget. It is often the cheapest lever in an entire campaign. Working out the budget from the conversion rate.

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Further reading: Cost per lead and Why my Facebook ad isn't working.

Want an opinion on your current page? Book a 30-minute call. We look at it together through the eyes of someone who just clicked.