Landing page optimization: a checklist that starts with why visitors leave

Landing page optimization checklist

The checklist goes through a landing page in the order a visitor experiences it: from the click on the ad or search result to the submitted form. Each item comes with a question. Answer it for your page with yes or no. Every no is a spot to change or to check before launch.

25 questions in 8 areas. You can tick them off here; nothing is saved.

1. 1.Message match with the ad or search

   Whoever clicks has just read a promise. The landing page has to pick it up in a recognizable way within the first few seconds.

   • Is the term from the ad or search in the headline?Someone who searched for “time tracking for contractors” looks for exactly those words in the first sentence. If all they find is a brand slogan, they have to work out for themselves whether they are in the right place.
   • Does the page deliver the offer from the ad?If the ad promises a price, a free trial or a download, exactly that appears on the first screen, not three sections further down.
   • Does every promise in your ads have a matching entry point?If a price argument and a quality argument lead to the same page, the headline fits only one of the two ads. The other one then needs its own page or its own hero.

   More on this: Message testing

2. 2.Hero and H1

   The first screen decides whether someone keeps reading. It says what is on offer and what to do next.

   • Does the H1 say what is offered and for whom?Check it with someone who doesn’t know the project: let them look at the first screen for five seconds, then ask what they would get here.
   • Does the subheadline make the H1 concrete?In one or two sentences it explains how the offer works or what is different afterwards. If it just repeats the H1 in other words, that information is missing.
   • Is the next step visible without scrolling?On a small laptop and on a phone too. A second button next to it is fine if it is a real alternative, such as “See pricing”.
   • Does the image show the product or a result?A stock photo of a team at a laptop explains nothing. A screenshot, a product photo or a before and after shows what it is about.

   More on this: Free headline analyzer

3. 3.Offer and next step

   A landing page has one goal. Visitors should know what they get and what happens after the click.

   • Is there exactly one main step?A newsletter, a demo, a white paper and the careers page on the same page split the attention. Decide on one step; everything else gets smaller or goes.
   • Is it clear what happens after the click?“Request a demo” leaves open whether a form, a calendar or a phone call comes next. One sentence below the button settles it, for example how long the call takes and who will get in touch.
   • Does the size of the step match what the visitor already knows?People coming from a broad search rarely want a sales call right away. A smaller step, such as a pricing overview or a trial without payment details, fits better then.

4. 4.Proof

   Every landing page makes claims. They become believable when visitors can check them.

   • Is every big claim backed by proof right next to it?“Saves time” becomes believable with a number from a customer project or a screenshot showing the step that is no longer needed.
   • Are testimonials specific and attributable?A quote without name, role and company reads as if you wrote it yourself. A few real voices that name a result carry more weight than many general ones.
   • Do the customers you show resemble your visitors?Enterprise logos help little if the page speaks to small trade businesses. Visitors who recognize themselves in the examples are more likely to believe the offer will work for them too.

5. 5.Objections

   Visitors who hesitate usually have a specific reason. The page should know it and answer it.

   • Do you know why prospects say no today?Ask your sales team and reread lost deals. Whatever comes up again and again belongs on the page as an answer.
   • Is the answer where the doubt comes up?The question about effort comes up at the process, the one about price at the offer. An FAQ at the very bottom only reaches those who scroll that far.
   • Is the risk of the first step addressed?Say what happens if it isn’t a fit: notice periods and setup effort belong here, and in B2B often data protection too.

6. 6.Form

   The form is where interest turns into an inquiry, or doesn’t. Every field costs the visitor something.

   • Does the form only ask for what you need for the next step?Go through each field and ask who reads it after submission. Company size and budget can often be cleared up in the first call.
   • Does it say next to the form what happens after submission?When someone will get in touch, and whether by phone or email. Without that, submitting stays a small risk for the visitor.
   • Is the form easy to fill in on a phone?The right field types for email and phone, autofill, error messages right at the field, and no lost input after an error. Submit it once yourself on a phone.

7. 7.Mobile

   If your visitors come from social ads or mobile search, the phone is the normal case.

   • Have you read the page on a real device?A shrunken browser window doesn’t show the same thing. Use a small phone and a slow mobile connection too.
   • Does the first screen on a phone show the headline and the button?If a large image or the cookie banner fills the screen, visitors see neither at first.
   • Does the next step stay within reach while scrolling?Long pages need the button several times or as a sticky bar at the bottom. Check that the bar doesn’t cover content.

8. 8.Page speed

   A page that is still loading doesn’t get read. You can measure it for free with Google’s PageSpeed Insights.

   • Is the largest element of the first screen in place after 2.5 seconds at most?That is the threshold Google gives for Largest Contentful Paint (LCP) for a page to count as good. Check the value for mobile devices, not just for desktop.
   • Are images and videos sized for the device?A hero image in print resolution or a video that starts on its own slows things down on phones in particular. Modern formats such as WebP and the right size per screen help.
   • Do chat widgets, pop-ups and third-party scripts load only once the page is in place?Every extra script costs time. Check which of them this landing page really needs.

   More on this: Source: web.dev, Largest Contentful Paint (retrieved October 12, 2026), PageSpeed Insights

Your own team often struggles to answer many of these questions, because it knows the offer too well. Whether the H1 makes sense to outsiders, or which objection stays open, readers from your audience can tell you more reliably. How to ask them before launch is in the next section.