Landing Page Best Practices: How to Optimize Your Web Pages for Increased Conversion

Your website's landing page gives customers their first impression of your business. Customers will notice if your page has a slow load time, too many calls to action, broken links, or if it's just too confusing to use—and they will likely click out of your page before viewing your products or services.

This is why it's so important to have a strong landing page that draws customers in, instead of pushing them away. From A/B testing to focusing on SEO keywords, YEC members share 12 best practices for optimizing your website's landing page.

What's one best practice you'd recommend for optimizing a website's landing page, and why? What impact will this have?

1. Do the "Squint Test"

One best practice is called the "Squint Test" where you take a step back from the screen, squint and notice what stands out the most on the page. Is it the call-to-action button that you want people to click on, or is it something else on the page? You want to make sure that it's obvious what you want people to click on, so add more contrasting colors if your page fails the Squint Test. —Nathalie Lussier, AccessAlly

2. Center your content around SEO

Add relevant content centered around SEO, and incorporate keywords into your headers. Relevance is key; Google's algorithm is designed to catch keyword stuffing, and users get more value when you provide information. When visitors see that you are a leader in your topic, then they are more likely to stay and deliver on conversions. —Duran Inci, Optimum7

3. Use A/B testing

Your landing pages should have A/B testing set up so that you can alter the message and test results. One of the most critical aspects of the landing page is the message and call to action. You can set up experiments to see which resonates with your audience. —Peter Boyd, PaperStreet Web Design

4. Eliminate distractions

The fewer distractions on the page, the higher the chance of conversion. One of the more actionable tips is to reduce the navigational elements. This will allow visitors to better absorb the core message, which improves the user experience and, hopefully, conversion. —Sujay Pawar, Astra

5. Improve load time

One best practice is improving the load time. Landing pages with higher load times fail to ensure a seamless user experience. Moreover, visitors often will exit a site if a page fails to load in three seconds or less. So, the load time of your landing page has a significant impact on your leads and conversions. —Jared Atchison, WPForms

6. Get a third-party opinion

Always review from the perspective of the customer. Put yourself in their shoes. Think of yourself as somebody unrelated, then look at what you've designed and ask yourself if it would make sense to you. Better yet, get a third party's opinion or involve customers or partners in the design process. The biggest failure with design is that we design based on our perspective, not on others’. —Andy Karuza, NachoNacho

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7. Post short, relevant video content

YouTube videos that are less than 30 to 60 seconds long make it easier for the user to see who they are hiring for professional services. People hire people, not companies, and if your text is on point, but your interpersonal skills are not, that could lose a sale. I like to add informational videos that explain a complicated process using road maps or visuals. This establishes credibility. —Givelle Lamano, Lamano Law Office

8. Consider placement

So many things can optimize the landing page, but one clear technique is to make the call-to-action button clear. The easier it is for people to respond, the more responses you will have. Put it near the top, above the "fold," or where people would have to scroll to read it. You might also include a second button near the bottom for those who scroll down. —Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

9. Focus on the "three P’s"

I think it's critical to use a copywriting formula that's specifically made for landing pages. One great way to start your landing page is by focusing on the three P’s: the problem, pains and predicaments. When you draw people in by showing them that you understand their problem, it's much easier to get them to read on and learn more about your product or service. —Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

10. Have a single call to action

You'll have an easier time boosting your landing page conversion rate if you stick to one primary call to action. When creating your page, think about the one thing you want users to do once they get to the bottom. Now, make that one thing the focal point of your page. Having several CTAs can overwhelm visitors and increase your bounce rate. —John Turner, SeedProd LLC

11. Address your audience's needs

You can ensure your landing page is optimized for conversions by discussing the benefits of your product features. Many marketers spend time talking about what their product can do, but don't discuss how customers ultimately benefit from this feature. Think about your audience's specific goals and needs and address these points on your landing page. —John Brackett, Smash Balloon LLC

12. Get the basics right

One best practice that I'd like to recommend is getting the website's basics right. This includes ensuring that your landing pages are search engine optimized, have an ideal load time, don't contain broken links or images, have optimized titles and descriptions, are mobile optimized, and so on. All these things ensure a smooth user experience and thus facilitate conversions. —Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms