The best landing pages for lead generation

"Effective Landing Pages for Lead Generation: Unlocking Your Marketing Potential"

TLDR;

Effective landing pages for lead generation have a compelling offer, crafted with direct response copywriting and supported by strong social proof. They are mobile-first, adhering to best practices in web design, UX, and UI. They minimize friction. Crucially, these pages are fast, rigorously tested live, and seamlessly integrated with your CRM system.

The Value of a Landing Page

Landing pages are a crucial part of your marketing strategy. Why invest time and resources in advertising on Google or Meta only to direct traffic to a generic page on your website?

To grasp the importance of landing pages, consider this exercise:

• Determine how many conversions you currently achieve through your paid media campaigns.

• Estimate, or better yet, track what each conversion is worth.

• Calculate three different scenarios estimating how a better landing page could increase your conversion percentage.

  
  

If you discover that even a small increase (say 10%) could significantly impact your results, creating and testing landing pages becomes essential.

Use this calculator from Google to determine the value of your conversions. Once you know the value of each lead, you can estimate the revenue impact a 10% lift will have on your business.

Can I Use My Home Page as My Landing Page?

In most cases, the answer is no. A home page serves to orient visitors and guide them to the information they need. It often contains multiple competing priorities and calls to action. Conversely, a landing page provides a focused experience with a specific offer and goal of driving leads.

Elements of Successful Landing Pages

Creating a successful landing page involves several key elements:

1. Compelling Offer: Provide a free quote, webinar, newsletter, discount code, live demo, or something of value to the visitor.

   
   

2. Benefit-Driven Language: Use clear communication and succinct sentences. Writing at a 5th-grade level makes your copy accessible to a broader audience.

   
   

3. Social Proof: Include testimonials, before-and-after photos, reviews, or endorsements to build trust.

   
   

4. User Expectations: Understand that website visitors have built-in expectations based on their previous online experiences.

   
   

5. Mobile Optimization: More than 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Prioritize the mobile experience for your landing page.

   
   

6. Web Design Best Practices: Ensure your landing page follows web design principles and is accessible to users with disabilities.

   
   

7. Clear Value Proposition: Communicate what’s in it for the visitor and why they should complete your web form to enhance your conversion rate.

   
   

8. Minimize Friction: Avoid popups on landing pages and overly long forms. Remove any unnecessary fields to streamline the process.

   
   

9. Visitor Attention Span: The average time visitors spend on landing pages varies by industry, but it’s often quicker than you think—around 60 seconds.

   
   

10. Consumer Perspective: Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer in your industry. Evaluate your creative and landing page experience from a customer’s viewpoint.

11. CRM Integration: It’s vital to capture all form submissions in a CRM system. This ensures that follow-ups and automation triggers can flow seamlessly.

Best Landing Page Builders for Lead Generation

There isn’t a single best landing page builder; it depends on what fits your purpose and aligns with your goals.

Here are three recommendations worthy of consideration:

Unbounce

Unbounce has been a leader in the industry for years, focusing exclusively on software that enables SMEs to build landing pages easily. Some benefits include:

• Implementing new web pages without needing a developer.

• Powerful personalization capabilities, especially useful for PPC with location modifiers.

• A/B testing software functionality.

• A wide range of available integrations.

  
  

Landingi

Landingi is a more affordable alternative to Unbounce, offering very similar functionality.

Webflow or Custom Coding

Webflow has revolutionized web design and development. It provides a full ecosystem that allows marketing teams to create their own pages. This approach shifts the front-end web development function into the hands of marketing teams.

Alternatively, you can develop a landing page the traditional way through web design and development teams. However, web development teams are often busy, and anything requiring immediate maintenance tends to be prioritized over landing pages.

A Caveat for PPC Landing Pages

In 2025, Google updated its guidelines for landing pages, requiring the inclusion of navigation links. This change is now part of their quality system (likely affecting quality score) to encourage advertisers to include navigation on their landing pages. You can read the full announcement here.

Conclusion

In conclusion, effective landing pages are vital for lead generation. They should be designed with the user in mind, focusing on clarity, value, and accessibility. By implementing the strategies discussed, you can significantly enhance your conversion rates and overall marketing success.

Incorporating these elements will not only improve your landing pages but also align them with your business goals. Remember, a well-crafted landing page is a powerful tool in your marketing arsenal.