Landing pages that do not convert all look alike, and the problem is hardly ever the button colour.
They ask before they give. The form appears while the visitor still has not worked out what is on offer, and at that point any field at all is too many.
The six blocks, in order
| # | Block | The question it answers |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Promise | what do I get, in one line |
| 2 | Proof | why should I believe you |
| 3 | How it works | what happens if I say yes |
| 4 | Who says so | has anybody else done this? |
| 5 | Objections | what if it is not for me? |
| 6 | Action | what do I do now |
The fifth is the one almost nobody includes, and it is the one that unlocks conversions on offers that cost money.
Above the fold: a promise, not a slogan
The first three seconds decide the rest. That space needs a sentence saying what the reader gets, specific enough that it could be false.
"We transform your business" cannot be false, so it says nothing. "You find your first franchisee in 90 days or you do not pay" can be false, which makes it an actual claim.
A promise that cannot be disproved is not a promise.
Under the promise go two lines on who it is for and who it is not for. Excluding people raises conversion, because the ones who stay recognise themselves.
The block almost nobody includes
Objections. Written out, in the open, before the visitor thinks of them alone.
Sellers fear naming them: it feels like arming the other side. The opposite happens. An objection met openly is worth more than three extra benefits, because it shows you understand the reader's situation better than someone who never mentions it.
- NOI"Too expensive" — do not drop the price: say what not doing it costs
- NOI"No time" — say how much time it really takes, with a number
- NOI"I already tried" — say what differs from what they tried
- NOI"Not for my size" — if that is true, say so. You lose a wrong lead
- AI"What if it fails" — what actually happens, without legal formulas
The form: fewer fields, but not barely any
There is a widespread rule saying cut fields to the minimum. True for consumer offers, false when the lead needs qualifying.
A one-field form brings many contacts and few opportunities. A seven-question form brings fewer contacts and better conversations, which is why ours has seven. The right number depends on what happens next: with somebody calling back, ask less; when you have to filter, ask more.
How to read that trade-off in numbers is in the funnel guide.
The mistakes that lose people before the form
The carousel at the top. Nobody waits for slide two. Whatever is on the first slide is everything that gets read.
Autoplay video with no transcript. Half your visitors are on mobile with the sound off, and for them your promise does not exist.
Three different actions. "Download the guide", "book a call" and "join the newsletter" on one page means none of the three happens. One landing, one action.
Full site navigation in the header. An eight-item menu is an invitation to leave. On a landing page the menu goes, or shrinks to the logo.
Load time over three seconds. The one technical problem worth fixing before the copy, because somebody who never sees the page cannot read even the best promise ever written.
How to tell whether it works, without guessing
Not from conversion rate alone, which means nothing without context.
You need three numbers together: how many people reach the bottom of the page, how many start the form, and how many finish it. Reaching the bottom without starting means the offer is the problem. Starting without finishing means the form is. Those are two different jobs, and confusing them costs weeks.
What happens to people who leave with a full cart is here.
Frequently asked questions
How is a landing page that converts built?
Six blocks in order: a specific promise above the fold, proof it is true, how it works, who says so besides you, objections met openly, and one single action repeated. The most common mistake is not aesthetic: it is placing the form before giving anyone a reason to fill it in.
How many fields should a landing page form have?
It depends on what happens next, not on a fixed rule. One field brings many contacts and few opportunities; seven real questions bring fewer contacts and better conversations. With somebody calling back immediately ask less, when you need to filter ask more.
What belongs above the fold on a landing page?
A promise stating what the reader gets, specific enough that it could be false: one that cannot be disproved is saying nothing. Below it, two lines on who it is for and who it is not, because excluding people raises conversion among those who stay.
Should objections go on a landing page?
Yes, and it is the block almost nobody includes. An objection met openly is worth more than three extra benefits, because it shows you know the reader's situation. The fear of arming the other side is understandable but wrong: never naming them looks like not knowing them.
What is a good landing page conversion rate?
The number alone says nothing without knowing where the traffic comes from and what a lead is worth. Three numbers together are more useful: how many reach the bottom, how many start the form, and how many finish. Reaching but not starting means the offer; starting but not finishing means the form.
What mistakes cost conversions on a landing page?
The carousel at the top that nobody scrolls, autoplay video with no transcript for people with sound off, three different actions on one page, full site navigation inviting people to leave, and load time over three seconds. That last one gets fixed before the copy does.
Want us to look at your landing page?
We will tell you where it loses people and what we would change first. Seven questions, founders answer within 48 hours.
ApplyKeep reading
Founder of As Growth, an AI-first growth partner. He runs growth and strategy across partner businesses: OroEtic, Giojello, Equity Plus and others. Apply if you want to work with us.