A scenario we see often: a business starts ads on Google or Instagram, sees clicks in the report, but the phone doesn't ring any more than before. The usual conclusion is "ads don't work". Often the ads are working fine. The problem is the page people land on.
A landing page is the page someone arrives at after clicking an ad, an email link or a post. Unlike your homepage, it has one single goal. Here are 9 principles that make it work.
1. One page, one goal
If the ad is about "mattress cleaning", the page should be about mattress cleaning, not every service the company offers. Every link that takes the visitor somewhere else is a door they can leave through. Remove the full menu, or at least simplify it.
2. The headline repeats what the ad promised
The visitor clicked for a reason. If the ad said "Same-day air conditioner repair in Tirana" and the page opens with "Welcome to our company", the visitor thinks they've come to the wrong place. The headline should confirm it straight away: yes, you're in the right place.
3. What, for whom, and the next step, before any scrolling
On the first screen, even on a phone, three things should be clear: what you offer, who it's for, and what the visitor should do now. If the contact button only appears after three scrolls, most people never reach it.
4. One main call to action
"Call us", "Message on WhatsApp", "Book now". Pick one as the main action and make it visible. There can be an alternative, but not five buttons competing with each other. The button text should say what happens: "Get your quote within 24 hours" is clearer than "Submit".
5. A short form
Every extra field loses people. For a first enquiry, a name, one way to get in touch and a message are enough. You'll get the details in conversation. If you need a budget, make it optional and add "Not sure yet": lots of people don't know, and that's normal.
6. Proof, right where doubt appears
Next to the button, give a reason to trust you: a real review from a customer, photos of your work, how long you've been in business (if it's true), a guarantee you actually honour. Proof doesn't have to be big; it has to be real and in the right place.
Don't invent reviews or numbers. A landing page claiming "500+ happy customers" that isn't true loses the trust of everyone who notices, and in small markets like ours, people notice.
7. Answer questions before they're asked
How much does it cost? How long does it take? Do you cover my area? The questions you hear on the phone every day should be answered on the page. A short FAQ section lowers uncertainty and brings more qualified enquiries.
8. Fast, especially on phones
Most ad clicks come from phones, often on a slow connection. A page that takes five seconds is paid for twice: once for the click, once for the visitor who left. More in our website speed guide.
9. Measure, then change one thing at a time
Without measurement, every change is a guess. Track how many visitors make an enquiry (form, call, WhatsApp). Then change one thing, for example the headline, and compare over a few weeks. Several changes at once won't tell you which one worked.
The ad and the page are one system
The ad budget is the same whichever page you send people to. That's why improving the page often gives more than raising the budget. If you're considering ads, see also Google Ads or SEO and our SEO & Google Ads packages, where the landing page is part of the work.
Got ads that bring clicks but not customers?
Send us the page they land on and we'll tell you what we'd change first.
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