A great ad campaign sending traffic to an untested landing page is one of the most common ways we see budget wasted. Here are the five elements we test on every landing page launch, in the order we test them.
Why we test in a specific order
Not every element on a page moves the needle equally. Testing button color before testing headline framing is a common mistake — it optimizes a small detail while leaving the bigger lever untouched. We work top-down, testing the elements most likely to affect conversion first.
The five elements we test on every new landing page, roughly in priority order.
1. Headline framing
The headline is the first thing a visitor reads, and it has to match the promise made in the ad that brought them there. We typically test a benefit-led framing ("Get more qualified leads") against a specificity-led framing ("300+ businesses generate leads with us") to see which resonates more with a given audience.
2. Hero image vs. short video
Static hero images load faster, but a short autoplay video (muted, with captions) often holds attention longer and can explain a service faster than text alone. Which wins depends heavily on the offer — video tends to help more for services that need explanation, while a clean static image works better for simple, visual offers.
3. Form length
Every additional form field reduces completion rate, but sometimes a slightly longer form that pre-qualifies leads produces a higher-value pipeline even with fewer total submissions. We test a short form (name, phone) against a slightly longer one (adds budget or timeline) to see which produces better sales outcomes, not just more raw submissions.
4. Call-to-action button copy and color
Generic button copy like "Submit" consistently underperforms action-specific copy like "Get My Free Quote." Color matters less than most people expect — what matters more is contrast against the surrounding page, so the button is impossible to miss.
5. Social proof placement
Testimonials, client logos, or stats like "300+ businesses served" can go directly under the headline, near the form, or in a dedicated section further down the page. We've found that placing at least one proof point above the fold — visible without scrolling — consistently improves trust and conversion for new visitors who don't yet know the brand.
Key takeaways
- Test one major element at a time so you know what actually caused a change
- Judge tests on lead quality and sales outcomes, not just submission volume
- Let each test run long enough to reach a meaningful sample before deciding a winner
None of these tests are one-and-done — audience preferences shift over time, so we revisit headline and offer framing every few months even on pages that are currently performing well.