How to Design a Landing Page That Actually Converts

When I first landed in Thailand, I didn't have much. Laptop, camera, and a list of things I needed to rebuild from scratch. One of those things was my whole marketing system. I needed something simple enough to run from a cafe in Pattaya, but strong enough to actually bring in clients.

That's when I learned the hard truth about landing pages... most of them don't work because they're trying to do too much.

Related: Why Pretty Websites Don't Sell

The Problem with Most Landing Page Designs

You've probably seen them. Hell, you might've even built one. Landing pages packed with information, five different call-to-action buttons, image sliders, testimonials scattered everywhere, and a paragraph trying to explain every single thing you offer.

I built pages like that too when I started. I thought I needed to impress people. Show them everything I could do. Prove I was legit.

Then I looked at the analytics. People weren't staying long enough to read any of it. They'd land on the page and bounce. Not because the offer was bad... because they couldn't figure out what I was asking them to do.

That's when I stripped everything down and started building minimalist landing pages. Not because it looked cool. Because it actually worked.

I built pages like that too when I started. I thought I needed to impress people. Show them everything I could do. Prove I was legit.

That's when I stripped everything down and started building minimalist landing pages. Not because it looked cool. Because it actually worked.

How to Design a Landing Page: Start with One Goal

Here's the thing most people get wrong when they're trying to figure out how to design a landing page. They think it's about design. Colors, fonts, images. That stuff matters, but it's not the foundation.

The foundation is knowing what you want someone to do.

Book a call. Download a guide. Sign up for a webinar. Buy a product. Whatever it is, pick one. Not three. One.

I use a content worksheet I built for myself to plan this stuff out before I ever open a design tool. It's just a simple doc with questions like: What's the one action I want? What's the benefit of taking that action? What's stopping someone from doing it right now?

Once you answer those, you've done most of the work. The rest is just layout.

The foundation is knowing what you want someone to do.

Book a call. Download a guide. Sign up for a webinar. Buy a product. Whatever it is, pick one. Not three. One.

Once you answer those, you've done most of the work. The rest is just layout.

Simple Landing Page Design That Converts

A simple landing page design doesn't need fancy software or coding skills. You don't need to hire a designer or spend weeks tweaking pixels. You just need a few core pieces that guide someone from curiosity to action.

Here's what actually needs to be on the page:

A headline that tells them exactly what they're getting. Not clever. Not vague. Clear. If someone lands on your page and has to guess what you're offering, they're gone.

One strong image or video that reinforces the message. Not a stock photo of people shaking hands in a conference room. Something real. Something that makes them feel like they're in the right place.

A short explanation of why this matters to them. Not a paragraph about your credentials or your process. A few sentences that connect the offer to a problem they actually have.

One call-to-action button. Not five. One. Make it stand out, keep the text simple, and make sure it's obvious on mobile.

That's it. Anything else is extra. And extra doesn't always mean better.

Here's what actually needs to be on the page:

A headline that tells them exactly what they're getting. Not clever. Not vague. Clear. If someone lands on your page and has to guess what you're offering, they're gone.

One strong image or video that reinforces the message. Not a stock photo of people shaking hands in a conference room. Something real. Something that makes them feel like they're in the right place.

A short explanation of why this matters to them. Not a paragraph about your credentials or your process. A few sentences that connect the offer to a problem they actually have.

One call-to-action button. Not five. One. Make it stand out, keep the text simple, and make sure it's obvious on mobile.

That's it. Anything else is extra. And extra doesn't always mean better.

Related: How To Boost Site Traffic

Landing Page Design Tips I Learned the Hard Way

Living in Thailand taught me a lot about space. The way temples are designed, the layout of street markets, even how cafes arrange their seating. There's a rhythm to how space gets used. It creates calm. It lets you focus on what matters.

Your landing page needs that same rhythm.

White space isn't wasted space. It's breathing room. It gives your visitor time to process what you're saying before you ask them to act. When I started using more white space in my landing page designs, conversion rates went up. Not because I added something... because I took things away.

Your landing page needs that same rhythm.

Here are a few landing page design tips that made the biggest difference for me:

Test your page on mobile first. Most of your traffic is coming from phones. If your headline is too small, your button is hard to tap, or your page takes forever to load, you're losing people before they even see your offer.

Use one font family. Maybe two if you really need contrast. But don't mix five different typefaces trying to look creative. It just looks messy.

Keep your background simple. Light colors, subtle textures, or just plain white. Your content should be the focus, not the background.

Make your call-to-action button a different color than everything else on the page. It should be the first thing someone's eye goes to after they read your headline.

Write like you're talking to one person. Not a crowd. Not "clients" or "customers." Just one person sitting across from you who's trying to decide if this is right for them.

Test your page on mobile first. Most of your traffic is coming from phones. If your headline is too small, your button is hard to tap, or your page takes forever to load, you're losing people before they even see your offer.

Use one font family. Maybe two if you really need contrast. But don't mix five different typefaces trying to look creative. It just looks messy.

Keep your background simple. Light colors, subtle textures, or just plain white. Your content should be the focus, not the background.

Make your call-to-action button a different color than everything else on the page. It should be the first thing someone's eye goes to after they read your headline.

Write like you're talking to one person. Not a crowd. Not "clients" or "customers." Just one person sitting across from you who's trying to decide if this is right for them.

If you're a musician, DJ, or creative trying to build your online presence. Take a look at how a landing page can assist your progress!

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How to Create a Landing Page Without Overthinking It

When I work with small business owners or freelancers, the biggest thing holding them back isn't skill. It's perfectionism. They spend months tweaking a page that never goes live because it's not "ready yet."

Here's the truth... you'll learn more from publishing one simple landing page and watching how people use it than you will from spending six months building something perfect.

If you're wondering how to create a landing page that actually gets results, start with a template. Strip it down to the basics. Write a clear headline. Add one good image. Write two or three short paragraphs. Put a button at the end.

Here's the truth... you'll learn more from publishing one simple landing page and watching how people use it than you will from spending six months building something perfect.

Keep This In Mind

Publish it. Send some traffic to it. See what happens.

You'll know pretty quickly if it's working. If people are scrolling, reading, clicking... or if they're bouncing after five seconds. Then you adjust. That's how you get better at this.

Marketing isn't about getting it perfect the first time. It's about testing, learning, and improving. Every landing page is a small experiment in how clearly you can communicate value.

Publish it. Send some traffic to it. See what happens.

You'll know pretty quickly if it's working. If people are scrolling, reading, clicking... or if they're bouncing after five seconds. Then you adjust. That's how you get better at this.

Marketing isn't about getting it perfect the first time. It's about testing, learning, and improving. Every landing page is a small experiment in how clearly you can communicate value.

Need a landing page that converts? Learn more about our landing page design services and what we can do to help you!

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Landing Page Design for Small Business Owners

If you're running a small business, you don't have time to mess around with complicated funnels or multi-step campaigns. You need something simple that brings in leads while you're focused on actually doing the work.

A minimalist landing page is perfect for that. It's fast to build, easy to test, and it works on any device. You're not trying to explain your entire business. You're just trying to get someone to take one next step.

I've built landing pages for local services, consulting offers, online courses, and lead magnets. The ones that perform best are always the ones that focus. One offer. One message. One action.

The worst ones try to be everything to everyone. They're trying to sell and educate and build trust and capture emails all on the same page. It doesn't work. People get confused, and confused people don't convert.

I've built landing pages for local services, consulting offers, online courses, and lead magnets. The ones that perform best are always the ones that focus. One offer. One message. One action.

What I'd Do Differently If I Started Over

If I could go back and give myself advice when I first started learning how to design a landing page, I'd say this: stop trying to impress people and start trying to help them.

Your landing page isn't a portfolio piece. It's not a chance to show off every skill you have. It's a tool. A tool that moves someone from not knowing you to trusting you enough to take the next step.

That's it.

The best landing pages I've built came from asking better questions. What does this person need right now? What's the smallest commitment I can ask for that still moves things forward? What's stopping them from saying yes?

Answer those, and the page basically builds itself.

If I could go back and give myself advice when I first started learning how to design a landing page, I'd say this: stop trying to impress people and start trying to help them.

That's it.

Answer those, and the page basically builds itself.

Keep It Simple, Keep It Real

Every landing page you publish teaches you something. About your offer, about your audience, about how clearly you understand what you're actually selling.

If you're just starting out... or if you've been struggling to get your pages to convert... go back to the basics. Strip away the extra stuff. Focus on one goal. Write like you're talking to a real person. Test it, learn from it, adjust.

And if you need help building a landing page that actually works, that's exactly what I do. You can check out my landing page design services or just reach out. I'm happy to talk through what you're working on.

The goal isn't perfection. It's clarity. That's what converts.

Every landing page you publish teaches you something. About your offer, about your audience, about how clearly you understand what you're actually selling.

The goal isn't perfection. It's clarity. That's what converts.

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