Ask ten designers what makes a landing page convert and you'll get ten different answers. But after building pages for restaurants, roofers, salons and solicitors across Kent and London, the pattern is remarkably consistent. High converting pages share a dozen elements — and missing even two or three of them can halve your results. Here's the complete checklist we use on every build.
1. A hero that answers three questions in five seconds
Within moments of landing, a visitor must know: what is this, who is it for, and what do I do next? Your headline states the outcome ("Boiler fixed today, from £89"), your sub-headline names the audience and area, and your call to action sits right there — no scrolling required.
2. One primary call to action, repeated
Pages that ask visitors to do five things get visitors who do nothing. Pick one action — call, WhatsApp, form — and repeat it after every major section. Secondary options can exist, but visually quieter.
3. Benefit-led sub-headings
Nobody reads walls of text, but everybody scans headings. Each section heading should promise a benefit ("Fixed prices, agreed before we start") rather than label a topic ("Our pricing").
4. Social proof near every decision point
Reviews, star ratings, client counts and named testimonials work hardest right where doubt creeps in — beside the form, under the price, next to the CTA. A glowing review in the footer is a wasted review.
5. Real images, not stock smiles
Visitors can smell stock photography. Real photos of your work, your premises or your team — even phone photos — consistently outperform polished stock in trust and conversion.
6. Risk reversal
Guarantees, free quotes, "no fix, no fee", cancellation policies — anything that moves risk from the customer to you. If the visitor feels they can't lose, they're far more likely to act.
7. A short, friction-free form
Every extra field costs completions. Name, contact detail, and one question about the job is usually enough. You can qualify later; you can't qualify someone who bounced.
8. Speed under two seconds
Over half of mobile visitors abandon pages that take longer than three seconds. Compressed images, minimal scripts and clean code aren't technical vanity — they're conversion features.
9. Mobile-first layout
For most local campaigns, 70–85% of clicks arrive on phones. Thumb-sized buttons, click-to-call links, sticky CTAs and text that's readable without pinching are non-negotiable.
10. Trust signals with specifics
"Fully insured · City & Guilds qualified · Based in Coulsdon since 2015" beats "trusted professionals" every time. Specifics are believable; adjectives aren't.
11. Urgency that's honest
Genuine reasons to act now — a launch price, seasonal availability, limited slots — lift response. Fake countdown timers destroy trust the moment they reset. Use real urgency or none at all.
12. A thank-you that continues the conversation
After the form submission, tell people exactly what happens next and when. A good thank-you page reduces "did it send?" doubt and keeps the lead warm until you reply.
Print this list, open your current landing page, and tick each element off honestly. Most pages we audit score five or six out of twelve — and fixing the gaps is usually cheaper than buying more traffic.
If you'd rather have the checklist applied for you, that's literally what our £150 Starter package does.
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