What distinguishes a landing page?
A homepage tries to serve all visitors simultaneously: new visitors, returning customers, partners and applicants. That's why a homepage has navigation, footer, multiple CTAs and diverse messages.
A landing page serves one purpose for one audience. The visitor arrives from a Google Ads ad or specific newsletter and you know what they're looking for. All elements on the page support that one action.
Elements of a strong landing page
Clear headline that repeats the promise from the ad. The visitor must see within 3 seconds they're in the right place.
One primary call-to-action, prominent and repeated. Not three choices.
Proof: reviews, client logos, certifications, or concrete numbers. Remove doubt.
Short question-answer format (FAQ). Visitors take 80% of decisions based on objections resolved in FAQ blocks.
No menu, no footer links. Every distraction costs conversion.
Mobile-first. 60-80% of Ads traffic comes from mobile.
Fast load time. A page slower than 3 seconds loses 40% of visitors.
Conversion benchmarks per type
Lead-generation landing page (quote request): 5-15% conversion is good, 20%+ exceptional.
E-commerce product page: 2-4% conversion is average, 5%+ strong.
Webinar registration: 20-40% conversion achievable because the promise is concrete.
Download (whitepaper, guide): 30-50% conversion if the audience matches precisely.
These figures apply to traffic with matching intent. Wrong traffic isn't optimised away.
Real-world example
A dormer company runs Google Ads on 'dormer installation Tilburg'. The ad clicks through to the homepage where dormers are one of 7 services. Conversion: 1.2%.
The company replaces the destination URL with a dedicated landing page focused only on dormers, with examples from Tilburg neighbourhoods, price indication and one quote form. Conversion: 8.4%. Sevenfold improvement on identical ad budget.
Common mistakes
Too many messages on one page. Whoever wants to say everything says nothing clearly.
Form with too many fields. Each extra field reduces conversion. Ask only what you genuinely need for follow-up.
No link between ad copy and headline. The visitor wonders if they're in the right place.
Forgetting to test. A landing page that isn't A/B tested almost always performs below its potential.
Tools for landing page building
For those without a developer: page builders without code allow fast test cycles.
For those with a site: in your existing CMS, a separate page template without navigation. Maximum flexibility and performance.
For enterprise: marketing platforms with integrated CRM and analytics.
Related terms
Conversion rate: percentage of visitors who complete the desired action. Most important KPI of any landing page.
Quality Score: Google Ads rewards landing page relevance with lower CPC. A good landing page pays itself back in lower click costs.
A/B test: showing two versions of the same page simultaneously to measure which converts better. Industry standard for optimisation.
Want to know if your landing page profitably converts?
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