Rise and shine, contrarians! Let's turn this Monday into a masterpiece. (Or at least make it slightly less Monday-ish.)

Now, let's dive into this week's contrarian goodness: one insightful article, one Fun Thing, and one Weekly Feature.

Missed last week's article? Catch up here. Stop Pretending, Start Personalizing: Your Guide to Authentic Customer Connection

Today we’re talking about landing pages; what they are, why they’re important, and how to lay them out for optimal conversion.

Last month, I launched a new lead magnet for the Contrarian Marketer. Two identical campaigns, but two very different landing pages.

The first was a standard website template, packed with navigation, related content, and all the “usual” branding elements. The second (check it out here) was a stripped-down landing page with just the essentials.

The result? The simplified page converted 47% better.

So many marketers are killing their conversion rates with visual clutter or worst, not even using landing pages. In this article, I will show you how cognitive simplicity drives better results.

And before you dismiss the use of landing pages, “because it's hard” or “it takes our website administrator forever to create one”, you don't need complex tools or a full-time developer to create effective landing pages. 

A platform like Leadpages offer drag-and-drop builders with pre-made templates focused on conversion. This is one I highly recommend if you’re marketing your business online.

Alternatively, work with your website administrator to create a basic landing page template in your CMS (like WordPress or Webflow). Once set up, your team can duplicate this template and modify the content without touching code. 

The key is choosing a solution that lets you maintain visual simplicity while making quick content updates.

What is a landing page (and what it isn't)

A landing page is a standalone web page designed for a single conversion goal. It's not your homepage, product catalog, or contact page. The moment you add multiple purposes, you've created cognitive load that kills conversions.

And don’t forget to consider where your landing pages falls within your buyer stage with Messaging for Buyer Stages.

When to use (and not use) a landing page

Use a landing page when:

• Running paid advertising campaigns

• Promoting a specific offer or lead magnet

• Testing new market positioning

Skip the landing page when:

• You need to showcase multiple products

• Visitors need extensive product information

• Building brand awareness is the primary goal

Essential elements of a high-converting landing page

While every landing page is slightly different, most high-converting pages will include the following elements:

1. Logo

Your logo and brand presence should be subtle yet recognizable.

💡 Contrarian tip: Oversized logos waste valuable above-fold real estate. A small, understated logo in the top left builds trust without distracting from your core message.

2. Headline that hooks

Your headline should address one specific pain point or promise one clear outcome. No fancy fonts, no clever wordplay—just clarity.

💡 Contrarian tip: Visual simplicity amplifies message impact. Use standard fonts and plenty of white space around your headline.

• Bad: "Revolutionizing Email Marketing" in a decorative font

• Good: "Get 2x More Email Opens in 30 Days" in clear, readable type

3. Engaging subheadline

Support your main hook with additional context. Keep it visually subordinate to maintain clarity.

💡 Contrarian tip: The gap between your headline and subheadline should be your only significant visual break above the fold.

4. Strategic visuals

Most landing pages suffer from visual overload. Choose one perfect image or video that directly supports your conversion goal.

💡 Contrarian tip: Test removing all images. Text-only pages often outperform visually complex ones by reducing cognitive load.

5. Conversion-focused CTA

Your call-to-action needs visual prominence through simplicity, not design tricks. Common CTA’s might include 

• Subscribe to a newsletter, blog, or email list

• Download a piece of content, ebook, comprehensive guide, or white page report

• Register for live or digital events, such as a webinar or conference

• Purchase a product or service

💡 Contrarian tip: A plain button with high contrast and clear copy often outperforms "designed" CTAs.

6. Benefits over features

Focus on your top 3 benefits, presented in clean, scannable text that focuses on “what’s in it for your audience”.

Here’s one of our more popular Contrarian articles that gives guidance on how to talk about your customers’ problems instead of your product features - Your Product Isn’t as Sexy as You Think.

💡 Contrarian tip: Resist the urge to add icons or visual representations of benefits.

7. Social proof

In the form of customer testimonials, reviews, and customer images or logos. However, one detailed success story beats a wall of logos or testimonials.

💡 Contrarian tip: Present social proof in simple text rather than complex visual layouts.

8. Closing Arguments & Final CTA

Your landing page's closing needs to reinforce key benefits and create urgency.

💡 Contrarian tip: Most closing sections try too hard. Focus on removing final doubts rather than adding pressure.

And don’t forget to optimize over time with these A/B testing priorities

1. Headline clarity

2. Offer presentation

3. Visual simplicity

4. CTA clarity

5. Form friction

Great landing pages succeed through cognitive simplicity, not visual complexity. Every design element you remove is one less thing competing with your message.

Until next time, keep swimming against the current!