You need landing pages that turn visitors into leads or customers as efficiently as possible. After analysing top-performing trends we’ve seen with our clients, we’ve distilled five landing page essentials to help you maximise conversions. These tips are proven and adaptable whether you’re in B2B software, e-commerce retail, or even niche fields like legal or financial services.

1. Customer-Centric Headline & Value Proposition

Your landing page only has a few seconds to grab attention, so start with a clear, customer-centric headline that instantly tells visitors what’s in it for them. A great headline is concise (aim ~10 words or less), benefit-driven, and highlights your unique value proposition. Do not talk about yourself, speak to the visitor’s needs or pain points. For example, instead of “Welcome to Shopify,” a stronger headline would be “Save 30% on Shipping Costs” – a tangible benefit.

If needed, use a subheading to add a brief explanation or supporting detail – but keep it skimmable.

Tips for Headlines:

  • Be clear and specific: Avoid cute or clever slogans that obscure what you’re offering, keep those for internal posters at your office. State the core benefit or offer plainly (e.g. “Free Dental Check-Up with Whitening Appointments”).

  • Focus on the customer’s perspective: Use “you” and speak to their desires or challenges. For instance, a B2B software page might say “Boost Your Team’s Productivity by 50%”, whereas a legal service could be “Protect Your Assets with Expert Estate Planning.”

  • Highlight your USP: What makes your offer special or different? If you have a unique advantage (like “Australia’s #1 rated app” or “24/7 local support”), weave that into the headline or subheading.

 

This is the top of a landing page we run for SEO for reference.

A high converting landing page example

 

2. One Page, One Purpose

High-converting landing pages follow a golden rule: one page, one purpose. That means every landing page should have a single primary goal and call-to-action. Whether you want users to sign up for a newsletter, request a quote, or buy a product, design the page entirely around that one action.

Why? Because giving people too many choices or offers dramatically lowers conversion rates. According to Mailchimp’s research, multiple offers on one landing page can confuse visitors and reduce conversions by up to 266%. It’s far more effective to create separate landing pages for separate campaigns or audience segments than to cram everything into one. Keep the message and action laser-focused.

Ensure your primary CTA button stands out visually (use a contrasting colour and bold text) and appears prominently, ideally near the top of the page and again where it makes sense as they scroll. Craft the CTA copy to be action-oriented and specific, like “Get My Free eBook” or “Start My Trial”, rather than a bland “Submit Your Details Below”. This sets clear expectations about what the click will give them.

Equally important, remove distractions that could pull users away from that primary action. Limit or eliminate standard website navigation menus, footer links, or unrelated offers on your landing page. Remember that a landing page has one purpose, your standard website pages designed to scour through may be different. If you’re using a template that includes a top menu or sidebar, consider disabling it for the landing page. Also avoid multiple CTAs (like “Buy Now” and “Learn More” on the same page) which force the user to decide, a confused mind takes no action.

Tips for One-Goal Focus:

  • Design everything toward the one CTA: Every element (headline, copy, image) should drive toward the action. If it doesn’t support the primary goal, remove it.

  • Use whitespace and visual cues: A clean layout with plenty of empty space helps the CTA shine. You can even use arrows or directional cues pointing to the button (as long as it fits your design) to guide the eye.

  • Consider secondary info carefully: If you absolutely need secondary links (say, a “Privacy Policy” for legal compliance or an FAQ dropdown for a complex B2B offer), make them unobtrusive. They should not compete with the main conversion goal.

Different industries might implement this differently. A B2B landing page might have a single CTA like “Schedule a Demo”, but also offer a phone number for those who prefer calling – in that case, the phone number is provided as supportive info, while the design still emphasizes the “Schedule a Demo” form as the primary action. An e-commerce landing page for a specific product will focus on “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now” as the one action, with any cross-sells or extra product details placed further down or on subsequent pages. The principle remains: at a glance, it should be obvious what action the user is expected to take on this page.

3. Trust Builders & Social Proof

People are naturally cautious online, if they don’t trust your brand or feel confident in what you’re offering, they won’t convert. This is particularly important as we move more and more into the ChatGPT era of content where anyone can post anything quite quickly. That’s why incorporating trust builders and social proof on your landing page is essential. When prospects see that others have had a positive experience, especially if they recognise them, it reassures them that they’re making a wise choice.

There are many forms of social proof and trust signals you can use, for example:

  • Customer testimonials: Short quotes from happy customers or clients, ideally with a name, photo, and specifics. Real names and details make testimonials more believable.

  • Case studies or success stories: Especially for B2B or services, a mini-case study (“How Company X achieved 150% ROI with our software”) can be persuasive. Link to a full case study if available, but even a brief summary on the landing page builds trust.

  • Star ratings and reviews: For products or e-commerce, show your average star rating or a snippet of reviews. For example, “⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rated 4.8/5 by 50+ customers” immediately signals that people love the product.

  • Client logos or “as seen on” mentions: If you serve notable clients or have been featured in reputable media, display those logos. A row of client logos (especially if they’re well-known brands) says “companies like these trust us, you can too.” Just be sure you have permission to use their logos. For smaller agencies or B2B providers in Australia, even showing local client logos or government affiliations can add trust (e.g. an NDIS provider might display the NDIS logo, a law firm might show the Law Society membership).

  • Trust badges and certifications: These could be security badges (like “Secure Checkout” SSL seals), industry certifications (e.g. CPA certified for an accounting service), awards, or memberships. For financial or legal services, displaying certifications and regulatory affiliations is particularly crucial to establish credibility.

  • Social proof numbers: If relevant, mention user counts or usage stats (“Join 10,000+ subscribers” or “Serving 5,000 Aussie homeowners and counting”). Quantified proof can validate that others have chosen you.

The key is to choose trust elements that fit your audience and offering. A flashy badge saying “Hacker Safe Certified” might help an e-commerce checkout, but for a local consulting business a personal testimonial could carry more weight. For B2B services, detailed proof like case study results or client success metrics work well. For consumer products, peer reviews and star ratings are effective. And in legal or financial sectors, highlighting credentials, years of experience, or professional standards (like “ISO Certified” or “Licensed by ASIC”) will reassure risk-averse visitors.

Also, placement matters. Sprinkle trust signals near your call-to-action and throughout the page so that wherever a doubt might arise, a reassurance is nearby. For example, place a testimonial next to the signup form, or list a few client logos right below the headline.

Remember, trust builders should themselves appear authentic, use real names, images, and avoid overly generic or obviously fake endorsements. Authentic social proof builds confidence, making users more likely to fill out that form or buy. By addressing the unspoken question “Can I trust this company/product?”, you remove a major barrier to conversion.

For Distl, we use our results, numerous testimonials and Google Reviews everywhere it’s relevant on site to demonstrate to users we have a track record of success.

4. UX & Mobile-Friendly Design (Fast, Responsive, Accessible)

Even the best message or offer can fall flat if the user experience (UX) is poor. “UX” might sound technical, but at its core it means designing your landing page to be easy, intuitive, and enjoyable to use for everyone who lands on it. This encompasses layout, mobile responsiveness, loading speed, accessibility, and visual appeal. Get these right, and you remove friction so that visitors can focus on converting.

Start with mobile-friendly design. In 2025, more than 60% of website traffic comes from mobile devices and that likely includes many of your potential customers scrolling on their phones. If your landing page isn’t responsive (i.e. it doesn’t automatically adapt to smaller screens), you’re potentially alienating over half your audience. Make sure your page looks and works great on smartphones and tablets: use a mobile-responsive template or builder, test the page on your own phone, and check that things like buttons, forms, and text are all easily readable and tappable without zooming. Large, finger-friendly buttons and a single-column layout for forms work well on mobile.

Next, speed it up. Australians are as impatient as anyone online, if a page takes too long to load, we hit the back button. In fact, 70% of consumers say that page load time influences their willingness to buy. Ideally, your landing page should load in about 3 seconds or less on mobile; any slower and you will lose a chunk of visitors before they even see your headline. To improve speed, compress images (without sacrificing quality), eliminate unnecessary scripts or heavy elements, and use fast hosting. Simple is often faster, for instance, a clean design with a few optimised images will typically load quicker than a cluttered page with auto-play videos and multiple tracking scripts.

Pro Tip: You can use free tools like Google PageSpeed Insights to get suggestions on speeding up your page.

Equally important is clarity and simplicity in design. Follow a logical visual hierarchy: the most important information (headline, value prop, CTA) should be immediately visible at the top (above the fold). Use headings, subheadings, and bullet points (like we’re doing here) to break up text and make it scannable. A visitor should be able to glance at your page and understand the gist without reading every word. For example, keep paragraphs short and use images or icons to illustrate points where appropriate. A well-placed hero image or short video can engage users (visuals are processed faster than text), but ensure you’ve installed the ideal plugins to optimise your images for loading speed.

In terms of visuals and overall look, aim for a design that aligns with your brand but prioritises clarity. Good UX means people don’t have to overthink. Use familiar patterns (e.g., a form looks like a form, buttons look clickable), and make any interactive elements obvious. If something is clickable, make it a button or underline the link. If an error occurs (say, form validation), give a clear message. All these little UX touches reduce frustration and keep users on the happy path toward conversion.

5. Continuous Optimisation & Personalisation

Launching your landing page is just the beginning. The highest-converting teams treat a landing page as a living project, something to test, tweak, and improve continuously. Small changes can lead to big conversion lifts, but you won’t know what works best for your audience until you experiment. This is where ongoing optimisation and even personalisation come into play.

Start with a culture of A/B testing (split testing). Rather than making guesses, run experiments: change one element and see if it improves conversions. For example, test two headlines against each other (Version A vs Version B), or try a green CTA button vs an orange one, or compare a short form vs a slightly longer form. By directing half your traffic to each version, you can gather data on what actually performs better. Never assume a particular design or copy is optimal. Test it and let your audience vote with their clicks.

What kinds of things should you optimise continuously? Some ideas to test or monitor over time:

  • Headlines & copy: Try different messaging angles. Is a problem-focused headline (“Frustrated by Slow Wi-Fi?”) driving more sign-ups, or a solution-focused one (“Get Ultra-Fast Wi-Fi Today”)? Even changing a single word or phrasing more clearly can impact results.

  • Images or media: Test using a product image versus a person’s photo, or an explainer video versus a static image. See which version keeps people engaged longer or leads to more clicks.

  • CTA design and placement: You might experiment with button colour, size, or text (“Get Started” vs “Get My Free Quote”). Or try placing an extra CTA button halfway down a long page for those convinced early, versus only at the end.

  • Form length and fields: If your goal is lead generation with a form, test fewer fields (only name and email) versus a longer form that also asks for phone and company, etc.

  • Personalised content: This is a more advanced tactic, but very powerful. Personalisation means tailoring the landing page to the user’s context or profile. For example, if you know someone clicked an ad about “Cloud Solutions for Healthcare”, your landing page headline could dynamically include “Healthcare” in it to show relevance. Tools and platforms (like Unbounce, Optimizely, etc.) allow dynamic text replacement or audience-specific variants. Even simpler, you might create two versions of a page, one for SMB audience, one for Enterprise, each highlighting the most relevant benefits for that segment. The idea is to increase relevance, because a visitor who feels “this is just for me” is far more likely to convert.

Finally, don’t be afraid to seek outside input or expert help. Sometimes an extra pair of eyes like a colleague, a user testing session, or a conversion rate optimisation (CRO) specialist can spot opportunities you missed. The digital landscape and consumer preferences are always evolving, so what worked last year might need a refresh now. By continuously optimising and personalising, you ensure your landing page stays ahead of the curve and keeps converting at the highest level.

Ready to transform your landing pages into conversion powerhouses? Distl’s web design and digital marketing experts are here to help. We’ve helped businesses across Australia create high-ROI landing pages and websites that tick all these boxes. Get in touch with Distl’s team to see how we can maximise your conversions and drive real results for your business. Let’s turn more of your clicks into customers!

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Jack Headford

Account Manager & Operations Lead