Back to BlogDesign Tips

5 Essential Elements Every High-Converting Landing Page Needs

Jan 15, 2024
5 min read
BuiltIn24 Team
High-converting landing page design elements

Your landing page has one job: convert visitors into customers. Yet most businesses struggle with conversion rates below 2%. The difference between a high-performing landing page and one that fails often comes down to these five essential elements.

The Conversion Crisis

98% of website visitors leave without converting

The average landing page conversion rate is just 2.35% - but the top 25% achieve rates of 5.31% or higher.

1. Crystal Clear Value Proposition

Your value proposition should answer three critical questions within 5 seconds:

What?

What do you offer?

Who?

Who is it for?

Why?

Why should they care?

Place this above the fold in a prominent headline that immediately communicates your unique benefit.

Example of a Strong Value Proposition:

"Get your professional website built and launched in less than 24 hours - no coding required, no lengthy delays."

2. Compelling Call-to-Action (CTA)

Your CTA button is where conversions happen. Use action-oriented language that creates urgency and clearly states what happens next.

❌ Weak CTAs

  • Submit
  • Click Here
  • Learn More

✅ Strong CTAs

  • Get Started Now
  • Claim Your Free Website
  • Launch My Site Today

CTA Best Practices:

  • Use contrasting colors that stand out from your design
  • Make buttons large enough to be easily clickable on mobile
  • Place multiple CTAs throughout longer pages
  • Test different button text to optimize performance

3. Social Proof and Testimonials

Trust Factor

92% of consumers trust recommendations from people they know, and 70% trust online reviews from strangers.

People trust other people more than they trust businesses. Include customer testimonials, reviews, case studies, or client logos to build credibility and reduce purchase anxiety.

Types of Social Proof That Convert:

  • Customer testimonials with photos and full names
  • Case studies showing specific results
  • Client logos from recognizable companies
  • User-generated content and reviews
  • Industry awards and certifications
  • Social media follower counts

4. Mobile-Optimized Design

Mobile-First Reality

Over 60% of web traffic comes from mobile devices, and 57% of users won't recommend a business with a poorly designed mobile site.

Your landing page must work flawlessly on smartphones and tablets. This means:

Technical Requirements:

  • Fast loading times (under 3 seconds)
  • Thumb-friendly button sizes (44px minimum)
  • Readable text without zooming

User Experience:

  • Streamlined forms with minimal fields
  • Easy navigation and scrolling
  • Touch-optimized interactions

5. Minimal, Focused Design

Remove distractions that don't support your conversion goal. Every element should guide visitors toward your primary CTA.

Elements to Remove or Minimize:

  • Complex navigation menus
  • Sidebar content and widgets
  • Multiple competing offers
  • Excessive social media links
  • Unrelated blog posts or news
  • Auto-playing videos or music

Key Takeaways

  • Lead with a clear, compelling value proposition above the fold
  • Use action-oriented CTAs that create urgency
  • Build trust with authentic social proof and testimonials
  • Ensure your design works perfectly on mobile devices
  • Keep the design focused and distraction-free

Implementing these five elements can dramatically improve your landing page conversion rates. Remember, small changes can lead to big results - test different variations to find what works best for your audience.