Landing Page Build and Launch Checklist

A landing page's job is singular: convert visitors into leads or customers. Every design choice, content decision, and technical configuration should serve that conversion goal. This checklist covers the complete build-and-launch process, ensuring nothing gets missed between concept and deployment. Use it whether you are building a standalone campaign page, a Google Ads destination, or a content offer download page.

Strategy and Planning

Conversion Goal Definition

Define the single primary conversion action before any design work begins. A landing page with multiple competing CTAs dilutes attention and reduces conversions. The primary goal should be one of: form submission, purchase, booking, download, or sign-up. Secondary micro-conversions (video plays, scroll depth) can be tracked but should not compete visually.

Document the landing page strategy:

• Traffic source: Paid search, social ads, email, or organic
• Audience segment: Who is arriving and what do they need?
• Offer: What value does the visitor receive in exchange for converting?
• Success metric: Target conversion rate based on channel benchmarks
• Follow-up sequence: What happens after conversion (email, call, redirect)?

Message Match

The landing page headline must match the message that brought the visitor. If the ad says "Get a Free SEO Audit," the landing page headline should reference a free SEO audit — not a generic "Welcome to Our Agency." Message mismatch is the most common reason paid landing pages underperform. Our landing page best practices guide covers message match strategy in depth.

Content and Copy

Above-the-Fold Requirements

The visitor should understand what you offer, why it matters, and what to do next within five seconds of landing on the page. Above the fold must include a clear headline, a supporting subheadline or value statement, and a visible CTA button. Eliminate any element above the fold that does not directly support conversion.

Persuasion Architecture

Structure the page content to walk the visitor through a persuasion sequence:

1. Problem recognition: Acknowledge the pain point or need that brought them here
2. Solution presentation: Explain how your offer addresses that need
3. Proof and credibility: Testimonials, case studies, client logos, or data points
4. Objection handling: Address common concerns (pricing, timeline, commitment)
5. Call to action: Clear, specific, and low-friction — "Get Your Free Audit" beats "Submit"

Include social proof prominently. Specific testimonials outperform generic ones — "They increased our organic traffic by 340% in six months" is more persuasive than "Great agency, highly recommend." Reference relevant case studies with concrete metrics where available.

Design and UX

Design the page with visual hierarchy that guides the eye toward the CTA. Use directional cues (arrows, eye gaze in photos, contrasting colors) to draw attention to the conversion element. The CTA button should be the most visually prominent element on the page — contrasting with the background and surrounded by adequate whitespace.

Key design requirements:

• Mobile-first layout — most paid traffic arrives on mobile devices
• CTA button visible without scrolling on all screen sizes
• Minimal navigation — remove or reduce the main site header to prevent exit
• Fast-loading images optimized for web (WebP format, lazy loading below fold)
• Readable typography — minimum 16px body text, high contrast ratios

Form Optimization

Forms are where conversions happen — and where they most commonly fail. Request only the minimum information needed to qualify and follow up with the lead. Every additional field reduces completion rates. For most B2B lead gen pages, name, email, and one qualifying question are sufficient.

Apply these form best practices from our CRO guide: use inline validation, descriptive field labels (not placeholders alone), a privacy statement near the submit button, and a benefit-oriented button label. If using Netlify Forms, configure the honeypot field for spam protection.

Technical Launch Checklist

Tracking and Analytics

Before driving any traffic, verify all tracking is operational:

• Conversion tracking fires on form submission or purchase completion
• GA4 page view and event tracking confirmed in real-time reports
• Google Ads conversion tag verified (if running paid campaigns)
• UTM parameters configured for each traffic source
• Thank-you page or confirmation event set as the conversion endpoint

SEO and Performance

Even for paid landing pages, basic SEO hygiene matters:

• Unique title tag and meta description
• Canonical tag pointing to the landing page URL
• Open Graph tags for social sharing
• Page load speed under 3 seconds on mobile (test via PageSpeed Insights)
• Performance optimization completed — compressed images, minimal JS, deferred non-critical resources

Post-Launch Validation

After launch, complete a full end-to-end test: click the ad (or follow the intended entry path), arrive on the page, complete the form, and verify the confirmation and follow-up sequence work correctly. Test on both mobile and desktop, in Chrome and Safari at minimum. Confirm the lead appears in your CRM or notification system.

Set up a CRO testing plan for the landing page within the first two weeks. Even a well-built page can be improved. Test headline variations, CTA copy, form length, and social proof placement to continuously improve conversion rates.