Introduction

First, let’s answer the question, “What is a landing page?” A landing page is a page on your website that is dedicated to being the first page a visitor lands on regarding any of your offerings. It’s a silent sales associate that sells the visitor on your offering, whether they arrive through Google search, a paid ad, or social media.

Ideally, you will have as many landing pages as you have offerings, so you can sell each one most effectively, while your homepage is the one selling the reputation and professional authority of your company as a whole, or showcasing your biggest/most popular offerings.

When someone clicks through to your landing page, it has one job: to turn that visitor into a customer or lead. But too many business owners treat their landing page like a generic brochure — cluttered, confusing, and easy to walk away from.

In this post, I’ll walk you through the most essential elements of a high-converting landing page. These are proven components that work for businesses just like yours, helping you capture more leads, book more appointments, and ultimately grow your business.

Let’s get started.

1. A Clear & Compelling Hook (Your Value Proposition)

When someone lands on your page, you have just a few seconds to grab their attention before they click away. That’s why your landing page needs a strong, clear hook right at the top. The hook is going to be a brief, persuasive statement of your value proposition — “You have problem X, I offer solution Y”. Or even let the problem be implicit and only state your solution. The visitor already knows what their problem is, and they’re deciding if you’re the right guy to solve it.

Your value proposition answers the visitor’s unspoken question: “Why should I choose you?”

New customers don’t choose a plumber because he’s a plumber selling plumbing services; they choose him because he’s positioned himself as the best plumber to solve their specific problem. This is the advantage of understanding what you’re really selling and how to pitch it (specifically on your landing page, though this advice is applicable in all marketing).

Instead of simply stating what you do (“We offer plumbing services”), focus on what your customer cares about most — the benefit to them. For example:

• “Emergency Plumbing Service in Under an Hour — Guaranteed.”
• “Get a Brighter Smile in Just One Visit.”
• “Fresh-Baked, Locally-Sourced Bread Delivered to Your Door.”

Notice how each example speaks directly to the customer’s problem or desire and presents your business as the solution. You don’t sell “plumbing services”, you sell the end result that solves the customer’s problem, e.g., “expert shower install” or “speedy leak repair”.

A Few Tips to Craft Your Own Value Proposition

• Keep it short and easy to read. One sentence or a short headline with a supporting line underneath.
• Make it customer-focused. Emphasize the result or benefit they’ll get.
• Place it above the fold. Make it visible without scrolling down.
• Pair it with a strong, relevant image. To reinforce your message.

Your hook sets the tone for the rest of the page. If visitors instantly understand what you offer and why it’s valuable to them, they’re much more likely to stick around and take the next step.

Creating persuasive marketing language is called copywriting, and the result is referred to by the same name or simply shortened to copy. We’ve just gone over a few basic copywriting principles. The next section details a little more of what goes into it.

2. Strong, Customer-Focused Copywriting

Once you’ve grabbed your visitor’s attention with your hook, the rest of your landing page needs to keep them engaged — and persuade them to take action. That’s where your copywriting really comes in.

Many small business landing pages make the mistake of focusing only on features (“We’ve been in business for 20 years,” “We use the latest equipment”). While those details have their place, your copy should focus on what really matters to your customer: the benefits and outcomes they care about. Because at the end of the day, your customers don’t truly care what equipment you use or how long you’ve been in your field — they care if you get the job done well.

For example, instead of saying “We offer 24/7 HVAC service.”

You could say “Get your heat or air conditioning fixed today — we’re available 24/7 so your home stays comfortable.”

Best Practices for Writing Copy That Converts

• Know your audience. Write with a clear picture of who your customer is and what they care about most, and speak directly to them, using words like you and your.
• Focus on benefits, not just features. Highlight how your service improves their life or solves their problem.
• Use simple, clear language. Avoid jargon — aim for conversational, easy-to-understand wording (you aren’t selling to your industry peers).
• Be specific. Specific claims (“Delivered in 30 minutes or less”) are more persuasive than vague ones (“Fast service”).
• Write for skimmers. Use short paragraphs, bullet points, subheadings, and bold text to make the page easy to scan.
• Create urgency (when appropriate). Phrases like “Limited spots available” or “Offer ends soon” can motivate faster action.
• Address objections. Preempt common concerns (e.g., “No hidden fees” or “Satisfaction guaranteed”).
• Use testimonials and real examples. Real-world stories or quotes can enhance trust and make your points more relatable.
• Keep the CTA clear and connected. Make sure your copy leads naturally to the action you want them to take (e.g., “Call now to schedule your free consultation”).
• Stay on-message. Every sentence should support the goal of the page — don’t clutter with irrelevant details.

Remember: your visitor isn’t reading your page for fun — they’re there to figure out if you can help them. Make it easy for them to see that you can.

See these 15 cognitive biases that you can use to craft persuasive copy.

Or learn the basics of copywriting.

3. Sticky Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your call-to-action (CTA) is the most important element of your landing page — it’s what turns visitors into customers, clients, or leads. But too often, CTAs are hard to find, unclear, or buried at the bottom of the page.

That’s where a sticky CTA comes in. A sticky CTA stays visible as visitors scroll, making it easy for them to take action at any point without having to hunt for the button or form. This is especially helpful on mobile devices, where scrolling is common and screen space is limited.

For example:

• A floating “Book Now” button in the corner of the screen.
• A top or bottom bar with “Call Us Today” and your phone number that stays in place.
• A sticky form sidebar that scrolls alongside the main content.

Ingredients for a High-Converting CTA

• Make it specific & action-oriented. Instead of “Submit,” try “Get Your Free Estimate” or “Book Your Appointment.”
• Use a contrasting color. Your CTA should stand out visually from the rest of the page to draw attention to itself.
• Keep it consistent. Use the same CTA wording throughout the page to avoid confusion.
• Remove distractions. Don’t offer too many choices — focus on one clear action you want the visitor to take.
• Position it multiple times. Even with a sticky CTA, it’s smart to place additional CTAs in key spots — at the top, middle, and bottom of your page.

Remember, people are more likely to take action if you make it easy, clear, and available wherever they are on the page. A sticky CTA ensures you’re always just one click or tap away from a conversion.

4. Social Proof

People trust what others say about you more than what you say about yourself — that’s the power of social proof. It reassures visitors that others have chosen you and had a positive experience, which reduces hesitation and builds trust. You definitely want this above the fold so visitors see it before deciding if they’re going to scroll farther down or click away.

On your landing page, social proof can take several forms, and it’s especially important for local businesses where reputation matters deeply.

Examples of Social Proof to Include

• Customer testimonials. Short, specific quotes from real customers, ideally with names and photos.
  Example: “They arrived within 30 minutes and fixed the leak fast — highly recommend!”
• Star ratings & reviews. Display your average Google, Yelp, or Facebook rating prominently.
• Case studies or success stories. A short story about how you helped a specific customer solve a problem.
• Logos or names of clients/partners. If you’ve worked with recognizable local businesses, showcasing their logos can lend credibility.
• Trust badges & certifications. Display licenses, accreditations, or guarantees (like “BBB Accredited” or “Fully Licensed & Insured”).

A Few Tips for Effectively Displaying Social Proof

• Make it authentic. Prompt reviewers to use real names, photos, and specific details — vague or anonymous praise feels less trustworthy.
• Place it strategically. Right below your value proposition or near your CTA to reinforce confidence just as they’re about to act.
• Keep it fresh. Update reviews and testimonials regularly so they don’t feel outdated.

Remember: for many visitors, seeing that others trust and recommend you can be the deciding factor in choosing your business over a competitor.

5. High-Quality, Relevant Photos & Visuals

Your landing page isn’t just about the words — the visuals play a huge role in shaping how visitors feel about your business. People process images much faster than text, and the right visuals can build trust, communicate your message, and make your page feel more professional.

For local businesses, this is an especially big opportunity to stand out. Visitors want to see you, your team, your work, and even your customers — not generic stock photos that could belong to anyone.

Guidelines for Using Photos & Visuals Effectively

• Use real images whenever possible. Show your actual team, workspace, or products to build authenticity.
• Demonstrate your service in action. Photos of you helping a customer or completing a job help visitors imagine working with you.
• Include happy customers if they agree. A smiling customer alongside a testimonial is more convincing than text alone.
• Keep it professional but approachable. If you can, hire a local photographer or use a good smartphone camera with natural light — avoid blurry or overly staged photos.
• Optimize for speed. Make sure your images are properly sized and compressed so your page loads quickly.

Other Visual Elements to Consider

• Icons to break up text and highlight key benefits.
• Short, clear videos that explain your service or show it in action.
• Diagrams or infographics, if they help explain your process clearly.

Your visuals should support and reinforce your value proposition, not distract from it. When done well, they give visitors confidence that you’re a trustworthy, professional choice — and they help you stand out in a crowded local market.

6. An FAQ Section

Even with great copy, visuals, and a clear call-to-action, many visitors will still have questions before they’re ready to take the next step. Adding a short Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) section to your landing page can help remove doubt, build trust, and make it easier for visitors to say “yes.” It’s proactive objection handling — handling it before it arises.

Why Include an FAQ Section?

• It eliminates objections. Proactively addressing common concerns that might otherwise stop someone from converting.
• It saves time. Reducing repetitive calls or emails asking the same questions.
• It improves SEO. FAQs often include natural language queries people are searching for.
• It builds trust. Showing you understand your customers’ needs and have nothing to hide.

Tips for an Effective FAQ Section

• Focus on real, common questions — don’t fill it with fluff.
• Keep answers short and clear; avoid jargon.
• Place it toward the bottom of the page, where visitors who are still unsure can find it.
• Address topics like:
  • Pricing & payment options
  • What to expect after filling out the form or booking
  • Turnaround times or availability
  • Cancellation or refund policies
  • Safety, privacy, or guarantees
  • How your process works

Most especially, include the questions that you frequently get asked already, and answer them. Make sure to write the questions in the first person as if you were the one asking them, and their answers just as you would answer that person. These are little details that can play a big part in how personal you appear as a professional or company.

Example FAQs for a Local Business Landing Page

Q: How soon can you come out if I book today?
A: We can usually offer same-day or next-day appointments. Once you fill out the form, we’ll call you right away to confirm.

Q: Do you offer free estimates?
A: Yes, we’re happy to provide a free, no-obligation estimate — just fill out the form and we’ll get started.

Q: What if I’m not happy with the service?
A: Your satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. If something isn’t right, we’ll make it right — at no extra cost to you.

Q: Do you serve my area?
A: We serve the entire [your city/region] area. If you’re unsure, just give us a call and we can confirm!

By anticipating and answering these kinds of questions upfront, you’ll make your visitors feel more confident and comfortable — and more likely to take action.

7. Fast Load Time & Mobile Responsiveness

Even the best looking landing page won’t convert if it’s slow to load or hard to use on a smartphone. In fact, studies show that most people will leave a page if it takes more than a few seconds to load — and for many local businesses, the majority of visitors are browsing on their phones.

That’s why it’s crucial to make sure your landing page loads quickly and works flawlessly on all devices.

Why This Actually Matters

• A slow page makes you look less professional and frustrates potential customers.
• Google ranks faster, mobile-friendly pages higher in search results, which helps people find you.
• A good mobile experience makes it easier for customers to call, fill out your form, or click your CTA right from their phone.

Optimizations You Can Make to Your Page

• Compress your images. Large, unoptimized photos are the most common cause of slow pages.
• Use a mobile-first design. Make sure text is readable, buttons are large enough to tap, and nothing gets cut off on small screens.
• Test on real devices. Don’t just rely on your desktop — open your page on your own phone and tablet to see how it looks and feels.
• Minimize fancy animations & scripts. While they might look nice on a desktop, they can slow things down and sometimes break on mobile. And they don’t matter a bit for conversions. Just take a look at Craigslist.

By making your page fast and easy to use on any device, you’re removing barriers between your visitor and your business — which means more of them will take action.

8. Simple, Focused Design & Navigation

One of the biggest mistakes on small business landing pages is clutter. Too many links, too much text, and too many competing options confuse visitors and distract them from taking the action you want them to take.

Your landing page isn’t meant to act as a full website — it’s designed to do one thing really well: convert visitors into customers or leads. To do that, you need to keep the design clean, focused, and distraction-free.

Why This is Important

• Visitors have short attention spans — if they feel overwhelmed or can’t figure out what to do next, they’ll leave.
• More friction = less conversions. A good salesman removes friction, not adds it.
• A clear, single goal helps guide the visitor to take that specific action.

Tips for Creating a Simple & Focused Design

• Remove unnecessary navigation. Avoid including your full website menu (or put it in the footer). Instead, keep visitors focused on your offer.
• Use plenty of white space. Give your content room to breathe so it feels easier to read and less overwhelming.
• Stick to one primary CTA. Every element on the page should support that one action — don’t dilute the focus by adding too many options.
• Use consistent colors & fonts. A cohesive look feels more professional and trustworthy.
• Organize content logically. Arrange your sections (hook, benefits, social proof, CTA) in an order that tells a clear story and builds trust as they scroll.

A simple, well-organized landing page makes it easy for visitors to understand your offer and take action — and that’s exactly what you want.

9. An Optimized Lead Capture Form

If your landing page’s goal is to collect leads — whether it’s for a free estimate, consultation, newsletter signup, or special offer — then your lead capture form is where the magic happens. Or you’re directly posting your phone number and accepting calls at any time. Nevertheless, having a form to fill out for those without the time for a phone call or don’t want to go all in on it yet is important.

But here’s the problem: too many forms ask for too much information, look intimidating, or feel untrustworthy, which causes visitors to abandon them. To maximize conversions, your form should be as simple and inviting as possible.

The Basic Principles

• A well-designed form lowers the barrier for visitors to take the next step.
• Every additional field or confusing instruction reduces the chances they’ll complete it.

Guidelines for an Effective Lead Capture Form

• Keep it short. Only ask for the essentials you truly need (often just name, email, and maybe phone number).
• Make it visually appealing. Use clean, readable fonts and plenty of white space so it feels approachable.
• Be clear about what happens next. For example: “We’ll call you within 24 hours” or “Your free guide will arrive in your inbox.”
• Reassure them about privacy. Add a short note like “We respect your privacy and will never share your information.”
• Test it on mobile devices. Make sure fields are easy to tap and fill out on a smartphone.

You can even offer an incentive to fill out the form — like a free consultation, a small discount, or a downloadable resource. This is especially applicable if it’s useful to your marketing strategy to build a warm email list.

You can place the form right on the landing page, or put it in its own page or popup that gets opened by the CTA button(s). Generally, less clicks means less friction, which means higher conversion. So it would be ideal to put the form directly on the landing page. However, once a visitor is hooked, they’ll click the CTA button and then fill out the form without hesitation, and doing it this way avoids the visual clutter of including the entire form alongside everything else. You make the call on whether you want the form on the page or behind a button.

Remember: your form is where interest turns into action. Make it simple, clear, and reassuring, and you’ll see more visitors take that next step.

10. Analytics & Tracking

Usually, the basic stats provided by your web hosting service are enough to gauge page views and correlate them with form submissions. Especially if each form has a unique subject line for the page it’s associated with. But if you want to take it up a notch and really get into analyzing user behavior and optimizing the heck out of your landing page, consider these more advanced methods.

The Main Benefits

• You can see how many visitors are coming to your page, how long they stay, and where they’re coming from.
• You can track which parts of your page people interact with and where they drop off.
• You can easily measure your conversion rate — the percentage of visitors who actually take the desired action.

A Few Methods for Collecting Analytics

• Install Google Analytics (or a similar tool). Free and powerful for tracking page visits, traffic sources, and behavior.
• Set up conversion tracking. Define what counts as a conversion (form submission, phone call, appointment booking) and track it specifically.
• Use heatmaps & session recordings. Tools like Hotjar or Crazy Egg can show you where visitors click, scroll, and lose interest.
• Check mobile vs. desktop performance. Often your page performs very differently on mobile, and you’ll want to know how.
• Review data regularly. Take time each month to review the numbers and look for areas to improve.

With even basic tracking in place, you’ll have clear insights into how your landing page is performing — and you’ll be able to make smart adjustments over time to increase conversions and get better results from your marketing efforts. But I honestly only recommend the more extreme options if you’re obsessed with squeezing out every last drop of conversions, or are hiring for (or specializing in) online marketing and advertising. Following the principles outlined in this post are enough to build landing pages that convert, using the ratio of page views to form submissions to calculate your conversion rate.

If you’re evaluating where to share your page or effectiveness of ad campaigns, use third party analytics to track conversions from different traffic sources. It’s more powerful than the ratio method I mentioned above and will help you narrow your outreach efforts to the places which value your offerings the most (by buying them).

11. Putting it All Together

There’s a general flow you want to follow when building a landing page. You want to use the most persuasive elements higher in the page, with the supporting elements as the visitor scrolls farther down.

Above the fold, you need to have your:

• Hook/Value Proposition with a supporting line or two
• Call to Action
• All Forms of Social Proof
• Compelling Imagery

Imagery. There are two things that work well for the above imagery. The first is a picture of your ideal customer in the state of having their problem solved by your solution. Barring that, use a picture or multiple pictures of your best work and/or you/your team. Ideally, you want both on the page, with the former first, and the latter afterwards.

Social Proof. Include any third party approval of your business as social proof — good reviews, certifications, professional partnerships, etc.

Sticky CTA. Next, you need to make sure that your site header is sticky, and stays stationary on the screen. Don’t clutter it with many options, and make sure its biggest option is the same CTA as the landing page. You really want to drive home that this is the action the visitor should take.

Copywriting & Relevant Photos. Then below the fold, you want to make use of the copywriting principles we went over to persuade the visitor that your solution is the one they’re looking for, using relevant photos (avoid stock photos the best you can), with each point compounding on all the previous ones.

Layout. Remember to avoid clutter and use white space to your advantage to guide the eyes of your visitors and structure your page to be comfortable to view with a logical, natural flow.

FAQ Section. Just above the final CTA, include the FAQ section. Visitors who are interested but still have questions will be scrolling down looking for their answers. FAQs are a great place to answer the questions that don’t make sense to include in your copy (and those that do, for good measure) and the ones you already get frequently. It boosts conversion and saves time.

Final CTA. At the bottom of the page, you want to push your CTA the hardest; visitors who’ve scrolled all the way down here are interested. You can even place your form right on the page to make it easier for them.

Site Navigation in Footer. For any site navigation that you omitted from the header, include it in the footer. It’s unobtrusive and any visitor looking for it will be able to find it here, without it being distracting from the CTA.

Load Speed. Optimize your page load speed by compressing images and forgoing fancy animations and fonts which don’t actually play a part in selling your offering. This ensures visitors don’t get frustrated and leave your site.

Advanced Analytics. Lastly, decide how deeply you need to analyze the performance of the page and its traffic sources, and decide what analytical tracking tools you want to install on the page. I recommend this mostly if you’re running ads or testing social media strategies. If you rely on SEO and directory listings, it’s not quite as important, as the data provided by your hosting service is enough to gauge the performance of the page as a whole.

Double-down by learning how to drive organic search traffic to your locally-focused landing page.

Conclusion

Your landing page is one of the most powerful tools you have to turn curious visitors into paying customers — but only if it’s built with purpose. Every element we’ve covered here — from a strong hook and compelling copy to social proof, sticky CTAs, and fast mobile performance — works together to guide your visitor toward taking action.

As a local business owner, you don’t need to overcomplicate things. Focus on keeping your landing page clear, customer-focused, and easy to use. Start by auditing your current page: are you clearly communicating your value? Are you making it easy for people to contact you? Are you building trust and removing distractions?

Implement even just a few of these improvements, and you’ll likely start seeing more calls, more leads, and more customers from the same amount of traffic.

If you take one thing away from this guide, let it be this: your landing page isn’t just a digital flyer — it’s your best chance to make a great first impression and win new business. So make it count.

Sounds Complicated? You Might be Interested.

My name is Andrew Neal, and I offer a done-for-you website solution where I do all the web stuff — including everything in this post — so you can focus on your business stuff. That includes building and running the site for you, managing review collection and display for you, and taking care of SEO for you.