Before redesigning anything, these ten checks catch the issues that cost landing pages the most conversions. Most can be tested in a single sprint.
When a landing page underperforms, the instinct is to redesign it. Usually that’s not necessary. In our experience, poor conversion rates trace back to a handful of fixable issues: the message doesn’t match the ad, the next step isn’t clear, the page is slow, or the form asks for too much.
Here are the ten things we look at first, roughly in order of impact.
1. Message match with the ad or email
A visitor clicked something specific. If your ad says “Free bookkeeping audit for restaurants” and the page opens with “Accounting solutions for growing businesses”, they’ll wonder if they’re in the right place.
What we test: repeating the ad’s promise, wording and audience in the headline. For larger campaigns, separate landing pages per audience or ad group.
2. A headline that states the outcome
Your headline has a few seconds to answer “what is this, and why should I care?” Clever or vague headlines lose to clear ones.
What we test: outcome-led headlines (“Get your app to the App Store in 12 weeks”) against feature-led or brand-led versions, with a subheading that explains how.
3. One page, one goal
Every extra link is an exit. Full site navigation, multiple offers and “learn more” links all compete with the action you actually want.
What we test: removing main navigation, and keeping one primary call to action repeated down the page.
4. Call-to-action wording and placement
“Submit” tells the visitor nothing. “Get my free quote” tells them exactly what happens next.
What we test: button copy that describes the result, a CTA visible without scrolling on mobile, and a repeat CTA after key sections such as pricing or testimonials.
5. Form length and friction
Each field is a small reason to give up. Ask only for what you need right now.
What we test:
- Removing optional fields, or moving them to a later step
- Multi-step forms that start with easy questions
- Correct mobile keyboards (email, number, telephone) and browser autofill
- Clear inline error messages instead of clearing the whole form
6. Proof near the decision
Visitors are sceptical. Social proof works best right next to the moment they’re asked to act.
What we test: specific testimonials with names, roles and photos (with permission); client logos; review ratings; short case-study results; and security or compliance badges near forms. Specific proof (“cut onboarding time from 3 days to 4 hours”) beats generic praise (“great team!”).
7. Page speed
Paid traffic is expensive, and slow pages waste it before the visitor sees anything. Landing pages are often weighed down by large hero images, video backgrounds, chat widgets and tracking scripts.
What we test: compressed, correctly sized images; removing or delaying non-essential scripts; and hitting Google’s Core Web Vitals targets (Largest Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds) on a mid-range phone.
8. The mobile experience
For many campaigns, most traffic is mobile, yet pages are still designed and approved on large screens.
What we test: readable text without zooming, large tap targets, a short path to the CTA, sticky CTA buttons, and forms that are easy to complete with a thumb.
9. Answering objections
Every visitor has a reason not to act: price, time, risk, effort, or “is this for me?” Pages that answer these doubts convert better than pages that ignore them.
What we test: a short FAQ addressing real objections from your sales team, clear pricing or a price range, risk reversal such as free trials, guarantees or “no card required”, and a note on what happens after they submit.
10. What happens after the click
Conversion doesn’t end at the form. A confusing thank-you page or a slow follow-up loses leads you’ve already paid for.
What we test: thank-you pages that set expectations and offer a next step, such as booking a call immediately; instant confirmation emails; and fast follow-up from sales.
How we run tests without fooling ourselves
A/B testing is powerful, but it’s also easy to draw the wrong conclusions. A few rules we follow:
- Start with a hypothesis. “Moving testimonials next to the form will reduce hesitation and lift form completions” is testable. “Let’s try a green button” isn’t much of a strategy.
- Test one meaningful change at a time, unless you have enough traffic for multivariate testing.
- Decide the sample size in advance and don’t stop the test the moment one version pulls ahead.
- Run tests for full weeks to account for weekday and weekend behaviour.
- Measure the real goal: qualified leads or sales, not just clicks.
Low traffic? If a page gets only a few hundred visits a month, formal A/B tests may take too long to reach a reliable result. Use session recordings, heatmaps, user interviews and five-second tests to find problems, then make the clear improvements directly.
A quick self-audit
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Headline matches the ad or email that sent the traffic -
The benefit is clear within five seconds -
One primary action, visible without scrolling on mobile -
CTA button says what the visitor gets -
Form asks only for essential information -
Specific proof sits near the form or CTA -
Page loads quickly on a phone -
Main objections are answered on the page -
Conversion tracking is working correctly -
Thank-you page and follow-up are in place
Want an expert review of your landing pages? We audit, rebuild and test pages for paid campaigns. Request a landing page audit. Need a hand with this?
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