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.
In practice, businesses use both side by side: the website for organic findability and orienting visitors, separate landing pages for campaign traffic with one clear intent. One doesn't replace the other; each has its own role in the funnel.
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.
The lesson: never send ad traffic to a generic page. The visitor clicked a specific promise in the ad and expects to see that promise again. Literally: in the headline, the image and the form.
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.
Checklist: a landing page that converts
1. The headline literally repeats the promise from the ad or email.
2. One primary call-to-action, above the fold and repeated at the bottom.
3. Form with a maximum of 3-4 fields; every extra field costs conversion.
4. Proof visible: reviews, logos or certifications within the first two screens.
5. Load time under 2.5 seconds on mobile. How to measure that is covered in our explainer "What is Google PageSpeed?".
6. No menu or footer links leading visitors away from the goal.
7. A/B test at least the headline and the CTA copy before drawing conclusions.
8. Also measure micro-conversions, such as clicks on the phone number or scroll depth, so you see exactly where visitors drop off.
A landing page rarely stands alone: it is part of your website and your campaign structure. Want a landing page that works technically and strategically? See our web design page on having a website built in Tilburg.
Want to know if your landing page profitably converts?
Request a CRO audit →