Who doesn’t love landing page hacks! Digital evolution and customer sophisication being what it is, these days to increase leads and conversions from your landing page, you need to get creative.
Over my 13+ year career as a Website and Online Business Strategist, I’ve tested well over 200 different tweaks to improve landing page conversions.
What I’ve discovered might surprise you: only nine of these tweaks made any real difference. The best part? They’re so easy to implement that you could do them all in a few hours, even if you have zero marketing experience.
They’re so easy to implement that you could do them all in a few hours, even if you have zero marketing experience.
These hacks will help you learn how to build instant credibility, and discover one tweak so powerful, that if you apply it right now you should see pretty immediate results.
So what are these nine top hacks to increase your landing page conversions?
1. Use Social Proof Right at the Top of the Landing Page
Social proof is a game-changer. Positioning it above the fold can make a dramatic difference. ‘Above the fold’ is the section of your landing page that your visitors see as soon as they land on your page, without needing to scroll.
The Power of Social Proof for Landing Pages
The space at the top of your landing page is super important because it’s your first chance to build credibility and trust.
By showing landing page visitors that others are already working with you and seeing success with your offers, you humanise your business, which is the starting point to building credibility and trust.
Simple Steps for Social Proof on Landing Pages:
- Add a simple five-star graphic for enhanced social proof.
- Use testimonials as headlines, e.g., “This service saved me hours every week and doubled my leads!”
- Display customer photos, as they are a powerful tool to make your business feel more relatable. Make sure you get permission to use their photo.
Show Statistics on your Landing Page
Numbers speak loudly to many people. Showcasing the number of people you’ve helped, such as “Trusted by thousands” or “Helping businesses in 30+ countries,” can do much of the trust-building legwork instantly.
“People trust people, not faceless companies.”
2. Leverage Media Mentions
If you’ve been featured in well-known publications or podcasts, make sure you display those logos very prominently. These logos act as a huge shortcut to trust.
Getting Featured in the Media
Tools like Brand Featured will write a press release and distribute it to major news outlets. You can then say you’ve been featured in these places. This sort of coverage can boost conversions by up to 44%. Bear in mind that tools like this aren’t free — they’re paid tools.
3. Add Real-Time Social Proof Notifications
Although some people consider them annoying, studies show that to those same people that think they’re annoying, those little pop-ups that show what others are doing on your site in real-time — whether it’s signing up for a course, purchasing a product or service, or downloading something — work wonders to enhance trust.
Real-Time Social Proof Notification Tools to Consider
Products like UseProof create a lively page experience, instilling a somewhat subtle but very powerful FOMO (fear of missing out), which often leads to a 12-18% increase in conversions. Again, these are paid tools.
4. Incorporate Urgency and Scarcity
Phrases like “Limited spots available” or timers counting down to an offer’s expiration encourage action and reduce procrastination.
Practical Ways to Create Urgency and Scarcity
To make urgency and scarcity work effectively on your landing page, integrate visual and verbal cues that grab attention and drive action.
Countdown timers are an excellent way to highlight limited-time offers or expiring deals, keeping the deadline visible and prominent. Similarly, phrases like Only 3 spots left! or Offer ends at midnight! instill a fear of missing out (FOMO), prompting quicker decisions.
For added impact, emphasise exclusivity by using wording such as Exclusive to the first 50 sign-ups or Limited edition only available today. Combining these tactics with a clear, compelling call-to-action ensures your audience feels motivated to act without delay.
5. Perfect Your Landing Page Eyebrow Copy
What on earth is ‘Eyebrow Copy’ you ask? Eyebrow Copy is a simple line of text above your headline that sets the stage and context. It immediately assures visitors they’re in the right place.
What’s the benefit of Eyebrow Copy?
It connects with viewers’ concerns right away, hooking them as soon as they hit the headline, making the page feel cohesive and aligned.
6. A/B Testing Your Key Elements
Regularly test headlines, CTAs, images, and layouts to identify what resonates most with your audience. Tools like Google Optimize or Unbounce can help refine conversions.
A/B Testing: Refining for Results
A/B testing is one of the most effective ways to optimise landing page performance. It involves creating two variations of a single element (such as headlines, CTAs, images, or layouts) and testing them against each other to see which resonates better with your audience.
This data-driven approach helps identify what drives conversions and eliminates guesswork in your design and content decisions.
How to Implement A/B Testing Effectively
Tools like VWO make it easy to conduct A/B tests, if you don’t want to set it up yourself or get a Website Designer like us to it for you.
Start with a clear hypothesis—for example, “Will a red CTA button outperform a green one?” Then, run your test on a significant portion of your audience to gather reliable data. Monitor metrics like click-through rates, bounce rates, and form submissions to gauge the effectiveness of each variation.
Pro Tip: Focus on One Element at a Time
For accurate results, limit your tests to a single element at a time, such as testing just the headline or button color. This ensures you can pinpoint the cause of any changes in user behavior. Over time, iteratively refining these elements creates a landing page that is tailored to your audience’s preferences and maximises conversions.
A/B testing is not a one-time activity—regularly revisit and test new ideas to keep your page aligned with evolving user expectations.
7. Add Exit-Intent Popups
Capture visitors who are about to leave by offering a last-minute incentive, such as a free resource, discount, or newsletter sign-up.
Exit-intent popups are a powerful tool to capture attention at the moment a visitor decides to leave. By offering a last-minute incentive, you can turn would-be bounces into loyal customers, newsletter subscribers, or engaged leads. Regularly test and refine your approach to maximise results.
Add Exit-Intent Popups to Reduce Bounce Rates
Exit-intent popups are an effective strategy to re-engage visitors who are about to leave your website. Using cursor tracking technology, these popups detect when a user moves their mouse toward the close button or address bar. By triggering a popup at this crucial moment, you can present a compelling offer that encourages visitors to stay or take a specific action.
Why Use Exit-Intent Popups?
Visitors leave your site for many reasons — perhaps they’re not ready to commit or need a stronger reason to engage. Exit-intent popups give you one last opportunity to convert them by offering:
- Discounts or Promotions: E.g., Get 10% off if you order in the next 5 minutes!
- Free Resources: E.g., Download our free guide now!
- Newsletter Sign-Ups: E.g., Join our mailing list for exclusive updates.
How to Create High-Converting Exit-Intent Popups
- Design for Clarity and Simplicity
Use bold headlines and minimal text to communicate your offer quickly. For instance:
“Wait! Don’t Go Empty-Handed. Grab Your Free E-Book Before You Leave!” - Offer Genuine Value
Incentives should align with your target audience’s needs. Examples include:- Free shipping offers for eCommerce sites.
- Bonus content like eBooks or cheat sheets for bloggers or consultants.
- Personalize Your Message
Tools like OptiMonk or Wisepops allow you to tailor popups based on user behavior or location. For instance, repeat visitors might see:
“Welcome back! We’ve got something special just for you.” - Include an Irresistible Call-to-Action (CTA)
Your CTA should inspire immediate action, such as:- “Get My Discount Now!”
- “Subscribe for Free Resources!”
- Optimise for Mobile
Ensure your popups are mobile-friendly, respecting screen size and user experience. Google penalises intrusive popups, so use them sparingly. - Test and Analyze Results
Tools like Unbounce, or OptinMonster lest you A/B test various popup designs and offers. Monitor metrics such as click-through rates, bounce rates, and conversions to identify what works best.
Pro Tip: Timing is Everything
Trigger exit-intent popups at the right moment—avoid showing them too early in the session. This ensures visitors aren’t interrupted while browsing.
8. Write Conversational Landing Page Copy
Try to avoid formal, corporate pitch tones. Instead, use human, conversational language to speak directly to your audience and build trust. Remember that trust, after all, leads to conversion.
Tips for Conversational Copy
- Use shorter sentences, as well as direct questions, and contractions like… “you’ll” or “we’ve.”
- Show empathy by addressing visitors’ pain points in a relatable way.
9. Optimise Page Load Speed
A slow page absolutely kills conversions. Make sure you compress images, minify code, and use tools like PageSpeedInsights and GTmetrix to ensure your page loads in under 1 second.
Compressing and Optimising Images
Images often make up a significant portion of a webpage’s size, so optimising them before you upload them, can dramatically improve load speed.
I like to use the tool TinyPNG to reduce file sizes without sacrificing quality. Choose the right file format—JPEG for photos, PNG for graphics with transparency, and modern formats like WebP for smaller file sizes.
Make sure your images are appropriately sized for the web, avoiding oversized dimensions that increase load time unnecessarily. By optimising your images, you create a faster, smoother user experience while maintaining visual appeal.
10. Use Testimonials with Intent
Strategically place testimonials to bolster your biggest claims. Scatter them wisely rather than randomly across your landing page.
How to Use Testimonials on your Landing Page
Place testimonials near claims about significant benefits, as this provides immediate real-world proof. Amy Porterfield’s Digital Course Academy page does this by pairing testimonials with potential student scenarios, effectively answering visitor doubts.
10. Capture Key Messages with Video Testimonials
Video testimonials are the absolute gold standard, but not always watched. If you can get a video testimonial – do so. Even if it’s not watched, just the fact you have it there and are offering it builds trust.
Video Headlines
Use compelling quotes from the videos as headlines next to the video player. This way, even if they don’t watch the video, visitors grasp the main message that watching the video would have given them.
11. Clear Navigation (or None at All)
Remove distractions like excessive links or menus. A landing page with a single, clear focus ensures visitors take the desired action.
12. Create a Comparison Table
Visitors often:
- Compare you to competitors
- The old way of doing things
- Or the option of doing nothing at all.
A well-crafted comparison table can highlight your advantages without appearing too salesy.
Crafting a Good Comparison Table
Balance your comparison table by showing where competitors might also do well, but emphasising your unique features, benefits, or efficiencies.
Address Hesitations and Objections
Highlight your service against the inertia of doing nothing. By doing this you are subtly showing that sticking with the status quo and doing nothing, isn’t an option if they want better results.
13. Highlight Benefits Over Features
Instead of focusing on technical details, ensure you lead with how your service benefits the client. People love reading benefits every day of the week over technical jargon.
A Features Benefits Example: Fresh Dog Food Delivery
Instead of listing ingredients, frame them as benefits. For example, a dog food service, discusses improved digestion and allergy control, conveying benefits that resonate emotionally with dog owners. Imagine if you have a much loved pet that is getting older. Your pain point is your dog dying and getting nearer the time it will die. If you read benefits that would help your dog live longer, the chances you’ll buy just went up significantly.
“A fresh whole food diet has been proven to help dogs live up to two and a half years longer.”
14. A/B Testing Your Key Elements
Regularly test headlines, CTAs, images, and layouts to identify what resonates most with your audience. Tools like Google Optimize or Unbounce can help refine conversions.The Call to Action Panel
Some visitors will skim straight to the bottom of your page. A concise CTA panel summarising the key points ensures these fast scrollers still see your main offer and benefits.
Crafting the CTA Panel
Keep it short, direct, and focused on the primary benefit, alongside a final compelling call to action. Remember they’ve already skipped to this part, so they don’t want to read much. Even if they didn’t skip ahead to this part, they haven’t clicked a CTA button to buy yet, so a concise summary panel will help recap for them.
“Keep it short, direct, and focused on the primary benefit, alongside a final compelling call to action.”
The Most Powerful Tweak Of All
Revisit the top of your page by reinforcing your call to action.
CTA Boosters
Adding comforting, objection-busting lines like… “Get set up in 5 minutes” or “No credit card required” can alleviate hesitation, encouraging clicks to purchase by reducing perceived risk.
Adopting these strategies can make all the difference in your landing page’s effectiveness and your business’s success. Implement these today and you’ll start seeing the results for yourself fast!
Final Thoughts: 14 Landing Page Hacks That Deliver Results
These nine simple yet effective landing page hacks have the power to elevate your conversions quickly and efficiently. Whether it’s leveraging social proof, crafting intentional copy, or optimizing your CTA placement, each tweak is backed by proven strategies that work — without needing a huge budget or technical expertise.
Start implementing these hacks today and watch as your landing pages start delivering more leads and business growth.
If you found this guide helpful, stay tuned for our next post where I’ll dive into the Editorial Bait Lander strategy—a game-changing approach for tripling traffic and doubling leads.
Need a hand improving your landing pages? At MRB Creative, we specialise in crafting high-converting landing pages that turn visitors into loyal customers. Get in touch today for a consultation, and let’s optimsze your landing page or website for conversions, growth and success.
