Landing Page Optimisation: The Elements That Actually Move Conversions

High-performing landing pages score well across every measurable element, not just one or two. The radar chart below shows how the top 10% of pages compare to the industry average across eight core elements.

The biggest gaps between top performers and average pages are in social proof, trust signals, and CTA design. These are the areas where most businesses leave the most conversion revenue on the table.

Above the Fold: The 5-Second Test

Visitors decide within 5 seconds whether to stay or leave. Above the fold must communicate three things instantly:

• What you offer — Specific, clear, jargon-free
• Why it matters — The outcome or benefit, not the feature
• What to do next — A single, visible call-to-action

Your headline is the most-read element on the page. If it doesn't connect, nothing else matters.

Headline Frameworks That Work

• Outcome-focused — "Get 3x more qualified leads without increasing ad spend"
• Problem-aware — "Tired of paying for clicks that don't convert?"
• Specificity — "127 UK businesses grew revenue 40%+ using this framework"
• Comparison — "The SEO strategy your competitors don't want you to know"

What to Avoid

• Vague claims — "We help businesses grow" communicates nothing specific
• Internal language — Don't use terminology your customers wouldn't search for
• Multiple messages — One headline, one message. If you need a subheadline, keep it supporting the main message

Subheadline Role

The subheadline expands on the headline with supporting detail. If the headline says "what," the subheadline says "how" or "for whom." Keep it under 25 words.

The call-to-action is where conversion happens or doesn't. Small changes here produce disproportionate results.

CTA Best Practices

• Action-oriented copy — "Get my free audit" outperforms "Submit" by 30-50% in most tests
• First-person language — "Start my free trial" beats "Start your free trial"
• Visual prominence — The CTA should be the most visually dominant element on the page
• Surrounding whitespace — Give the button breathing room. Cluttered CTAs get ignored
• Contrast — The button colour should contrast with the page background. Don't match your brand palette if it blends in

CTA Placement

• Primary CTA — Above the fold, immediately visible
• Repeated CTA — After key sections (social proof, feature explanation)
• Sticky CTA — Consider a fixed bar on mobile for long pages

Friction Reducers Near the CTA

Place reassurance directly adjacent to the CTA:

• "No credit card required"
• "Free consultation, no obligation"
• "Takes 30 seconds"
• Trust badges (SSL, industry accreditations)

Social proof is the single most underused element on landing pages. Most businesses either skip it entirely or bury it at the bottom of the page.

Types of Social Proof (Ranked by Impact)

1. Case studies with numbers — "We increased organic traffic by 312% for [Company]" is the strongest form of proof
2. Video testimonials — Real people speaking carry more weight than text
3. Text testimonials with names and photos — Include job title and company for B2B credibility
4. Client logos — Recognisable brands provide instant authority
5. Review aggregation — Google Reviews, Trustpilot, G2 scores
6. Usage statistics — "Trusted by 2,500+ UK businesses"

Placement Rules

• Put at least one piece of social proof above the fold
• Place testimonials immediately before the CTA to reinforce trust at the decision point
• Match social proof to the page audience: B2B prospects want to see similar companies, not consumer reviews

Technical performance directly impacts conversions. A 1-second delay in page load can reduce conversions by 7%, and 53% of mobile visitors leave a page that takes longer than 3 seconds.

Speed Optimisation Checklist

• Image compression — Use WebP format, lazy-load below-fold images
• Code optimisation — Minify CSS and JavaScript, remove unused code
• CDN delivery — Serve assets from the nearest edge location
• Server response — Target under 200ms TTFB (Time to First Byte)
• Critical rendering path — Inline critical CSS, defer non-essential scripts

Mobile-Specific Optimisations

• Touch targets — Minimum 44x44px for buttons and links
• Thumb zone — Place primary CTAs in the natural thumb reach zone (bottom centre)
• Single-column layout — Don't force mobile users to zoom or scroll horizontally
• Phone-friendly forms — Use appropriate input types (tel, email), enable autofill, minimise typing
• Reduce scrolling — Mobile pages should be shorter than desktop, not longer

Optimisation without measurement is guesswork. Track these metrics for every landing page:

Primary Metrics

• Conversion rate — The percentage of visitors who complete the desired action
• Cost per conversion — Total traffic cost divided by conversions
• Revenue per visitor — For ecommerce, total revenue divided by unique visitors

Diagnostic Metrics

• Bounce rate — Percentage leaving without interaction (high = page/audience mismatch)
• Scroll depth — How far visitors scroll (if most don't reach the CTA, the page is too long or the content above isn't engaging)
• Time on page — Very low = visitors aren't reading; very high = visitors are confused
• Click heatmaps — Where are visitors clicking? Are they clicking non-clickable elements?
• Form analytics — Which fields cause abandonment?

Review these metrics weekly. Set up alerts for significant drops in conversion rate, as they often indicate technical issues or audience changes.

Our Web Design & CRO services are built around this exact framework, designed for businesses that need predictable growth.

See how we applied this approach in our client case studies.