Landing pages for paid

Landing pages are where the majority of paid budget is lost. Great ad, bad landing page = 80% drop-off. The landing page's job is to convert the click into a qualified lead or customer.

The rules

Match the ad

Headline of landing page matches headline of ad. Promise of ad = promise of page. Mismatch = bounce.

One goal per page

One primary CTA. Not "sign up OR learn more OR read blog." One.

Above-the-fold clarity

In 5 seconds, visitor knows: what you are, what you offer, what to do next.

Mobile-first

60-80% of traffic is mobile. Design for mobile first; verify desktop second.

Fast load

Under 3 seconds. Ideally under 2. Every second of delay = 10%+ drop in conversion.

The structure

1. Above the fold: headline, subhead, primary CTA, hero image/video
2. Benefits (not features): 3-5 key benefits as you scroll
3. Social proof: logos, testimonials, review stars
4. How it works: brief process or demo
5. FAQ: objection handling
6. Second CTA
7. Footer: basic links

Headline

The most important element. Should:

• Match ad promise
• Include core benefit
• Under 12 words
• Readable in under 2 seconds

The form

For lead gen:

• Ask only what you need
• Every field drops conversion 5-15%
• Name + email = baseline
• Phone + company = qualifying but lowers conversion
• Multi-step forms often beat single long forms

The CTA button

• Specific text ("Get my free plan", not "Submit")
• High-contrast color
• Above fold + at bottom
• Visible without hunting

Social proof

• Named testimonials with photo (not "John D.")
• Logos of known clients
• Specific numbers ("4,000+ customers")
• Review stars from external platform

Common landing page mistakes

• Sending traffic to homepage instead of dedicated page
• Multiple CTAs competing
• Slow load time
• Generic hero image (stock photo)
• No social proof
• Form with 12 fields
• Mismatched ad-to-page messaging