slugFr: "" slugEn: "landing-page-complete-guide" title: "Landing Pages: What They Are and How to Create One That Gets Results" description: "What a landing page is, why it converts better than a standard website, the 7 elements every good one needs, and how to measure whether it is working." publishedAt: "2025-04-22" updatedAt: "2025-04-22" author: "Emeric Mathis" category: "Marketing"
You have probably heard the term "landing page" before. Maybe a marketing person mentioned it, or you came across it while reading about online advertising. The concept sounds technical, but the idea behind it is straightforward — and understanding it can make a real difference to how many enquiries or sales your website generates.
This guide explains what a landing page actually is, why it outperforms a standard website for specific goals, what every good one needs, and how to tell whether yours is working.
What is a landing page?
A landing page is a single web page designed to achieve one specific goal. That goal might be:
- Getting a visitor to call you
- Getting them to fill in a contact form
- Getting them to book an appointment
- Getting them to buy a specific product
- Getting them to download a guide in exchange for their email address
The critical difference between a landing page and a regular website page is focus. A standard homepage serves many purposes: it introduces your business, shows your services, links to your blog, points to your contact page, and gives your opening hours. A landing page does exactly one thing and removes everything that might distract from it.
Think of it like a shop window versus a conversation with a salesperson. Your homepage is the shop window — it shows everything you offer. A landing page is the salesperson saying: "Based on what you told me you need, here is exactly why this is the right solution for you. Ready to move forward?"
When do you need a landing page instead of a regular page?
Landing pages are particularly powerful in two situations:
When you are running paid advertising. If you are paying for Google Ads or Meta (Facebook/Instagram) ads, sending visitors to your homepage wastes money. Visitors who clicked an ad for "emergency plumber Marseille" and land on your homepage have to search for what they want. Many will leave. A landing page that matches exactly what the ad promised — emergency plumbing in Marseille, available now, here is how to call — keeps them engaged and increases the chance they contact you.
When you are promoting a specific offer or service. A hairdresser running a promotion on balayage treatments for the summer. A builder targeting homeowners who want kitchen extensions. A coach offering a free 30-minute consultation. In each case, a dedicated landing page outperforms sending people to the general services page.
Why landing pages convert better
Conversion rate is the percentage of visitors who take the action you want. A standard website page might convert 1–3% of visitors. A well-built landing page for the same audience and goal can achieve 5–15% or higher.
The reason is psychology, not magic. When a visitor arrives on a focused page that:
- Immediately confirms they are in the right place
- Addresses their specific need or concern
- Removes distractions and navigation options
- Makes the next step obvious
... they are far more likely to take that step than if they have to work out where to go and what to do on a general website.
A good UX design reduces friction. Friction is anything that makes the visitor hesitate or have to think. Every extra click, every irrelevant option, every unanswered question is a reason to leave. A landing page eliminates as much friction as possible.
The 7 elements every good landing page needs
1. A clear, specific headline
The headline is the first thing a visitor reads. It has about three seconds to convince them they are in the right place. It should:
- State what you offer and for whom
- Be specific, not generic
- Match what brought them to the page (the ad, the search result, the link)
Bad headline: "Welcome to our services" Good headline: "Boiler breakdown? Emergency plumber in Cavaillon — available today"
The visitor should feel, immediately, that this page was made for them.
2. A supporting sub-headline
One or two sentences that expand on the headline and add context or reassurance. This is where you can mention your experience, a specific benefit, or a key differentiator.
Example: "With 12 years of experience in Vaucluse, we fix most boiler problems the same day. No call-out fee for quotes."
3. Clear benefits (not just features)
This is one of the most common mistakes in website copy. Business owners naturally want to explain what they do and how. Customers want to know what it means for them.
Feature: "We use the latest diagnostic equipment" Benefit: "We identify the problem quickly so repairs take less time and cost you less"
Feature: "We are certified by Qualibat" Benefit: "You can trust the quality of our work — your insurance will accept it"
List your 3–5 key benefits in plain language. Use short sentences. Use bullet points if that makes it clearer. Avoid technical language that your customers would not use themselves.
4. Social proof
Social proof is evidence that other people have used your service and been happy. On a landing page, this typically means:
- Customer testimonials: short quotes from real customers, with their first name and town (and photo if they agree). "David sorted our leak in under two hours. Brilliant service." — Marie, Pertuis
- Star ratings: if you have Google reviews or are on a platform, showing your average rating adds instant credibility
- Numbers: "Over 200 satisfied customers in Vaucluse" or "Rated 4.9/5 on Google"
- Logos: if you have been featured somewhere or work with recognised brands or certification bodies
The goal of social proof is to answer the unspoken question in every visitor's mind: "Is this person reliable? Have others used them and been happy?" Without this reassurance, many people will not take the step of contacting you.
5. A strong, clear call to action
The call to action (CTA) is the button or form that represents the action you want visitors to take. It should be:
- Visible without scrolling on both desktop and mobile
- Specific: "Call now for a free quote" is better than "Contact us"
- Repeated: once at the top of the page, once at the bottom, and possibly once in the middle on a longer page
- Easy to complete: a phone number to tap or a short form (3 fields maximum) rather than a lengthy multi-step process
For service businesses — plumbers, electricians, builders, hairdressers — a phone number is often the most effective CTA. People prefer to talk before committing to a job. Make the number large, prominent, and clickable on mobile.
6. Trust signals
Trust signals are the small details that reassure visitors that your business is legitimate and professional. They include:
- Your address or the area you serve (it confirms you are local and real)
- Professional certifications (RGE, Qualibat, Qualifelec, and similar)
- Insurance information ("All work is fully insured")
- A clear privacy notice if you have a form: "Your details are kept confidential and will not be shared"
- HTTPS (the padlock in the browser bar — this is table stakes in 2025)
These are not dramatic elements, but their absence creates doubt. A potential customer who cannot find your address or any reassurance about who you are has good reason to hesitate.
7. Urgency or scarcity (when honest)
If you have a genuine reason why someone should act now rather than later, say so. "Limited availability in May" for a builder who really is booked up. "Promotional price available until 31 May" for a real seasonal offer. "Call now to be seen this week" for a service with limited appointment slots.
Do not manufacture false urgency — customers see through it and it damages trust. But when urgency is real, communicating it is both honest and effective.
Examples for local businesses
A baker launching a wedding cake service
Headline: "Custom wedding cakes in Provence — order yours for 2025" Benefit 1: "Made to your design, with locally sourced ingredients" Benefit 2: "Tastings available in our Cavaillon kitchen — book yours online" CTA: "Request a tasting session" → short form (name, date, number of guests) Social proof: photos of previous cakes, a quote from a recent couple
A hairdresser promoting a new colour service
Headline: "Balayage in Cavaillon — book your appointment this week" Benefit 1: "Natural-looking results tailored to your hair type and colour" Benefit 2: "First consultation free — no commitment" CTA: "Book online" → booking widget or phone number Social proof: before/after photos (with permission), Google rating
An electrician targeting solar panel installations
Headline: "Solar panel installation in Vaucluse — certified RGE installer" Benefit 1: "Eligible for government subsidies — we handle the paperwork" Benefit 2: "Free site assessment, no obligation" CTA: "Request your free assessment" → form with name, address, phone number Social proof: number of installations completed, certification logos, one testimonial
How to measure whether your landing page is working
A landing page you cannot measure is impossible to improve. Set up the following before you launch:
Google Analytics (or a privacy-friendly alternative like Matomo): install tracking so you can see how many people visit the page and where they come from.
Conversion tracking: in Google Analytics or Google Ads, set up a "goal" or "conversion" that fires when someone submits the form or clicks the phone number. This tells you your conversion rate.
Heatmaps (optional but useful): tools like Hotjar or Microsoft Clarity show you where visitors click, how far they scroll, and where they drop off. This is invaluable for understanding why people are not converting.
The key metric is your conversion rate: the percentage of visitors who take the desired action. If 100 people visit and 5 fill in the form, your conversion rate is 5%. Anything above 3% for a service business is reasonable; above 8% is strong.
If your conversion rate is low, the usual culprits are: headline does not match what brought them there, benefits are not clear, CTA is not prominent, or the page loads too slowly. Site speed and performance directly affect conversion rates — a page that takes more than 3 seconds to load on mobile loses a significant share of visitors before they have read anything.
One page, one goal
The most important principle of landing page design is focus. Remove your main site navigation from the landing page — or at least make it much less prominent. Every link to another page is an invitation to leave before converting. Keep the visitor's attention on the one thing you want them to do.
This feels counterintuitive. Surely more options are better? In reality, the opposite is true. Choice overwhelms action. Give someone one clear path forward and more of them will take it.
Ready to build a landing page that actually works?
A landing page is not a replacement for a full website. It is a focused tool for specific campaigns, specific services, or specific traffic sources. Used well, it is one of the highest-ROI investments a small business can make in its online presence.
If you want a landing page built properly — with the right structure, the right copy approach, and tracking set up from day one — visit my services page. I work with small businesses and independent professionals across France to build pages that generate real enquiries.