5 Tips to Design a Landing Page That Attracts Customers and Increases Your Revenue

Your landing page is your digital salesperson—working 24/7, never taking breaks, and often making the difference between a conversion and a bounce. Yet most landing pages fail miserably at their one job: getting visitors to take action.

The average landing page conversion rate is just 2.35%. The top 25% convert at 5.31% or higher. The top 10%? Over 11%. That's a 5x difference between average and excellent—and it comes down to design and optimization.

Here are five proven strategies to design landing pages that convert.

1. Craft a Compelling Headline (Your 8-Second Window)

You have roughly 8 seconds to convince visitors to stay. Your headline carries 80% of that burden—it's the most-read element on your page.

Headline formulas that work:

• Problem-solution: "Tired of [problem]? [Solution] in [timeframe]"
• Specific benefit: "Get [specific result] without [common pain point]"
• Social proof: "Join [number] [people] who [achieved result]"
• Question: "What if you could [desirable outcome]?"
• How-to: "How to [achieve goal] in [number] steps"

Headline best practices:

• Match the message that brought them there (ad, email, link)
• Focus on benefits, not features
• Be specific—numbers and specifics beat vague claims
• Keep it under 10 words if possible
• Test multiple versions (A/B testing is essential)

Bad example: "Welcome to Our Website"
Good example: "Double Your Email Subscribers in 30 Days—Guaranteed"

2. Use High-Quality Visuals That Support Your Message

Humans process images 60,000x faster than text. Your visuals should reinforce your message, not distract from it.

Visual elements that convert:

• Hero images/videos: Show your product in action or the result customers achieve
• Real photography: Authentic images outperform stock photos (by up to 95%)
• Product screenshots: Let visitors see exactly what they're getting
• Explainer videos: Can increase conversions by 80%
• Icons and illustrations: Break up text and guide the eye

Visual mistakes to avoid:

• Generic stock photos that add no value
• Cluttered images that compete with text
• Autoplay videos with sound (instant bounce trigger)
• Low-resolution or poorly cropped images
• Visuals that don't match your brand aesthetic

Pro tip: If using human images, have people looking toward your CTA. Eye-tracking studies show visitors follow the gaze of people in photos.

3. Include a Clear, Compelling Call-to-Action

Your CTA is where conversions happen. Everything else on the page exists to get visitors to click that button.

CTA design principles:

• Contrast: Button color should pop against the background (test to find what works)
• Size: Big enough to notice, not so big it overwhelms
• Whitespace: Give your CTA room to breathe—don't crowd it
• Position: Above the fold and repeated below longer content
• Singular focus: One primary CTA per page (secondary CTAs can exist but should be visually subordinate)

CTA copy that converts:

• Start with action verbs: "Get," "Start," "Download," "Join"
• Create urgency: "Get Started Today," "Limited Time"
• Emphasize value: "Get My Free Guide" vs. "Submit"
• Reduce risk: "Start Free Trial—No Credit Card Required"
• Be specific: "Download the 10-Page PDF Guide" vs. "Download"

Test everything: Button color, size, copy, and position all impact conversions. A/B test systematically to find your optimal combination.

4. Build Trust with Strategic Social Proof

92% of consumers read online reviews before purchasing. Social proof reduces perceived risk and validates the decision to buy.

Types of social proof (in order of effectiveness):

• Customer testimonials: Real quotes from real customers with names and photos
• Case studies: Detailed success stories with specific results
• Client logos: Recognizable brands you've worked with
• Numbers: "10,000+ customers," "50,000 downloads," "$2M+ saved"
• Reviews and ratings: Star ratings from third-party platforms
• Trust badges: Security seals, certifications, awards
• Media mentions: "As seen in Forbes, TechCrunch..."

Social proof best practices:

• Place testimonials near CTAs to reduce last-minute hesitation
• Use specific results ("Increased revenue by 47%") over vague praise ("Great service!")
• Include photos—testimonials with images are 200% more effective
• Feature testimonials from people similar to your target audience
• Keep it current—dated testimonials can backfire

5. Optimize for Speed and Mobile

40% of visitors abandon pages that take more than 3 seconds to load. And with 60%+ traffic now mobile, a non-mobile-optimized page is throwing away the majority of your potential conversions.

Speed optimization checklist:

• Compress and optimize all images (use WebP format)
• Minimize HTTP requests
• Use a CDN for faster global delivery
• Enable browser caching
• Minify CSS, JavaScript, and HTML
• Prioritize above-the-fold content loading
• Test with Google PageSpeed Insights (aim for 90+ score)

Mobile optimization checklist:

• Touch-friendly buttons (minimum 44x44px)
• Readable text without zooming (16px minimum)
• Single-column layout for easy scrolling
• Simplified forms (fewer fields on mobile)
• Sticky CTA buttons that stay visible
• No horizontal scrolling required
• Test on actual devices, not just emulators

Bonus: The Psychology of High-Converting Landing Pages

Beyond the mechanics, understand the psychology driving conversions:

• Loss aversion: People fear missing out more than they desire gaining—use urgency and scarcity
• Cognitive fluency: Easy-to-process pages convert better—keep it simple
• Reciprocity: Give value first (free guides, tools)—visitors feel obligated to give back
• Authority: Expertise indicators (credentials, media mentions) increase trust
• Commitment consistency: Small yeses lead to bigger yeses—start with micro-commitments

Your Landing Page Optimization Checklist

1. ☐ Compelling headline that communicates value in 8 seconds
2. ☐ Supporting subheadline that elaborates on the promise
3. ☐ High-quality, relevant visuals
4. ☐ Clear, prominent CTA with action-oriented copy
5. ☐ Social proof near decision points
6. ☐ Page loads in under 3 seconds
7. ☐ Fully optimized for mobile devices
8. ☐ Single, focused goal (no competing CTAs)
9. ☐ A/B testing plan in place

Need a high-converting landing page designed? Designgud creates conversion-focused landing pages as part of our unlimited design subscription. Let's discuss your goals.