Improving Landing Page Conversion

How to Tell if Your Landing Page is Actually Working

You’ve launched a landing page and sent paid traffic to it. Great, but how do you know if it’s doing what it’s supposed to?

This post will walk you through how to evaluate whether your landing page is converting, what to look for in your tracking tools, and how to make changes that actually move the needle. We’re going to show you how to turn traffic into usable insight. Even if your first test is successful, testing and iterating can improve your conversion and ultimately your profitability.  

Building an effective landing page should start by being data driven, but now we’re getting into user specific behaviours! 

Start With the Right Tools

If you’re not tracking, you’re guessing. You need a proper setup before you can learn anything:

• Google Analytics – to see where traffic is coming from and how people interact
• Microsoft Clarity – to watch real sessions, heatmaps, and see scroll/click behavior
• UTM Parameters – so you can filter the data and know which campaign or ad sent each user
• Page Speed Tests – like Google PageSpeed Insights or GTmetrix to ensure your page isn’t loading too slowly (slow pages can kill conversion).
• Mobile Responsiveness Checks – Over 50% of traffic is mobile. Both Shopify themes and Bricks Builder will do their best to make your site look good in mobile, but you should always verify and make tweaks.  A quick note here: Browser emulation, and how your phone renders content are ALWAYS different.  Check on your phone! 

Set up UTM codes to distinguish traffic sources. Use something like:

utm_source=google  
utm_medium=ppc
utm_campaign=landing-test

These make filtering traffic inside Clarity or GA much easier. You can set your source to something dynamic if the platform your using allows (like on Meta) and you can use campaign, or medium to be campaign specific to make it easier for filtering. 

Use Data to See What People Actually Do

Here’s where it gets interesting. Inside Clarity or Google Analytics, filter by your UTM codes to only view paid traffic. Now you’re watching your ideal customers, the people your ads were targeting, interact with your page. Google is best when dealing with larger volumes of data, and Clarity allows you to drill into a specific user and see what they do. 

From there, watch what happens:

• Do users bounce immediately?
• Do they scroll at all?
• Do they interact with your CTA?
• Are they trying to find more info, like an About page?
• Do they engage with features or just scan quickly?
• Are they spending time above the fold only?

Each of these behaviors tells you something.

Example #1: Immediate Bounce

If your page is seeing users land and leave instantly, there’s a problem with the congruency. The promise in your ad isn’t matching the content on the page. That could be the headline, the image, the offer, or even just a lack of clarity. According to CXL, mismatched expectations are one of the top reasons for high bounce rates (CXL, 2022). Check your hero section against your ad copy—does it pay off the promise?

Example #2: High Engagement, Low Conversion

Sometimes people scroll, read, highlight text, and seem engaged—but don’t click the CTA. That’s your signal to test new headlines, different CTA button text, or reprioritize your feature blocks. Try changing the CTA language from “Get Started” to something softer like “Download the Case Study” or “See Pricing.” Baymard Institute studies show that overly aggressive CTAs can deter action, especially in early discovery phases (Baymard, 2023). Also look out for: overly long paragraphs, lack of visual hierarchy, or unclear next steps.

Example #3: Searching for Trust Signals

If users click around looking for an About page, that’s a trust issue. They’re interested, but want to make sure you’re real. A well-built About page with a clear CTA can be the difference between conversion and drop-off. Bonus tip: Always add a CTA to your About page. Nielsen Norman Group emphasizes the importance of establishing credibility early, especially on landing pages with high-stakes conversions like SaaS trials or expensive purchases (NNGroup, 2023). Consider adding testimonials, recognizable logos, or links to press coverage to bolster confidence. Watch for when people are searching for this information, and add some content to your landing page and see if it impacts your conversion.  

Example #4: Hovering or Re-Reading

If you see users hover over certain sections or re-read specific parts, that’s a sign they’re either confused or intrigued. These are great opportunities to A/B test clearer copy, micro-interactions, or supplemental visuals. Clarity heatmaps and session replays can show these patterns in detail.

Example #5: Scroll Depth Drop-Off

If users aren’t scrolling past the top half of your landing page, your hook isn’t strong enough. A study by Chartbeat found that 66% of attention on a normal web page is spent below the fold—but only if users feel compelled to keep going (Chartbeat, 2019). Try shortening your intro, clarifying the value prop, or adding visual cues to guide them downward.

Example #6: Misaligned CTA Prioritization

If you’re seeing clicks on secondary links (like “Learn More”) but not your main CTA, your call-to-action might not match the user’s current stage in the journey. You can see where your users navigate and try brining some of that content forward.  If that still doesn’t help, it could just be not the right time to purchase, explore ways of collecting emails.  Remember it’s a value exchange and what you give to them needs to be relevant and valuable.  If it’s not, you’ve lost them. 

Example #7: Looking for Mobile-Specific Issues

Watch for pinching/zooming behavior or missed clicks on mobile replays. These are usually a sign that your mobile layout isn’t responsive or touch-friendly. HubSpot reports that mobile-optimized CTAs improve performance by up to 42% (HubSpot, 2023).

What to Do With This Data

Here’s how to use this insight to move forward:

• No clicks? Check the congruency between your ad and page.
• People scroll but don’t act? Rework your value props, reorder your page, or change your CTA.
• They want to learn more? Add trust-building content, a story, or social proof.
• They’re bouncing on mobile? Audit responsiveness and thumb-friendly layout.
• The CTA is buried? Adjust your visual hierarchy.

These changes can all be tested with small iterations. Just make one or two changes at a time, then rerun your traffic and compare.

Don’t Forget: It’s a Testbed

Landing pages are not set-it-and-forget-it. They’re the best place to learn what your audience responds to before you bake those changes into your homepage or product strategy.

If you’re in early-stage product development, even getting an email address from the landing page is a huge win. It proves interest and starts your email list.

If you already have traction, keep testing for optimization. Change layouts, adjust messaging, and fine-tune your targeting. Just don’t stop.