Create Landing Pages that Grab Attention, Build Trust & Drive Action
When building a landing page for a paid ads campaign, having a clean design and good user experience is important.
But if your content doesn’t engage people or guide them toward taking action, your landing page simply won’t be effective.
The result?
Wasted ad spend and high marketing costs.
So, before you dive into design or development, it’s crucial to start with a content first approach.
Think about what you need to say and how you’ll guide visitors toward taking action.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the 7-step content framework we use to turn underperforming campaigns into campaigns that deliver results.
This framework is based on principles from Donald Miller’s StoryBrand method, which you can check out here: https://storybrand.com/
Quick Side Note:
Before diving into this content framework, I recommend reading our article Smart Branding: How to Cut Your Marketing Costs & Increase Sales.
It walks through a simple brainstorming process to help you define the tone, values, and direction of your brand – so when it comes time to write your content, you’ll already have a clear sense of what you want to say and who you’re saying it to.
With that in place, let’s move on.
1. Hook the Customer by Positioning Them as the Hero
Your headline is your first chance to grab attention.
The mistake most businesses make? They make it about themselves.
Instead, focus on what your customer wants to achieve. Use a clear, benefit-led message that speaks directly to their goals.
Let’s use the Finance Industry as an example:
- “We Are Top Financial & Retirement Advisors Based in London”
- “Take Control of Your Finances and Retire With Confidence.”
The second headline works better because it speaks directly to the outcome the customer cares about: control, confidence and a secure future.
When your headline reflects their goal, not your credentials, it helps draw them in.
2. Define the Problem: External, Internal & Philosophical
To get people to take action, it’s important they feel understood. That’s why great landing pages don’t just explain what you do, they highlight the problems faced by your customers.
Use this three-layered approach from the StoryBrand framework:
External: What is the practical, surface-level issue:Using the example of financial services, customers might be wondering:
- “Do I have enough savings to retire?”
- “Should I invest my savings for more security?”
- “How does my pension actually work?”
Internal: What’s the emotional impact behind the problem?Once you’ve listed the practical issues you solve, try to understand the frustration or anxiety driving the need for action.Your customers might be thinking:
- “I feel overwhelmed, I’m not sure I’m making the right decisions.”
- “I’ve been putting this off, and now I’m worried it’s too late.”
- “This stuff stresses me out, I just want someone I can trust.”
Use this type of language to show that you understand what they’re feeling, not just what they need.
Philosophical: What’s the deeper belief or sense of fairness at play?This is where you connect to values, the underlying belief about what should be true. It’s often tied to a sense of what’s fair, deserved or simply right.
- “I’ve worked hard my whole life, I shouldn’t have to worry about retirement.”
- “Planning for my future shouldn’t feel this complicated.”
- “Financial advice should be clear, honest, and built around my needs.”
When you connect through shared values, and show you understand what really matters, your message hits harder and this can be the difference between average results and conversion rates that skyrocket.
3. Introduce Your Company
Once you’ve captured attention and shown you understand their problem, then you can introduce your solutions.
This is where you position your business as ‘the guide’ and show why you are uniquely qualified to help.
What’s your solution to their problem, and why should they trust you to deliver it?
Example: A Service That Addresses All 3 Layers of the Problem
Retirement Readiness Plan.
Our Retirement Readiness Review helps you understand exactly where you stand, removes the guesswork and gives you a clear, confident plan. Because after years of hard work, you deserve peace of mind about your future.
This phrasing:
- Solves the external issue (know where you stand)
- Relieves the internal emotion (removes the guesswork, feel confident)
- Affirms the philosophical belief (you deserve peace of mind after years of hard work)
Compare That to a Typical Offering:
Retirement Specialists
If you’re nearing retirement and want to speak to a financial expert, book a consultation today.
It’s generic.It lacks empathy, doesn’t address the emotional or philosophical concerns, and most importantly, it doesn’t convert users into paying customers.
4. What Happens Next?
Eliminate uncertainty.
Take Uber, they removed the guesswork around availability, pricing and wait times, and became one of the largest and most recognised brands in the world as a result.
You might not be building the next Uber, but you can take a lesson from their playbook:
If you can remove the uncertainty around what customers can expect from your business, you’ll convert more of them into paying customers.
Here’s a list of common areas that create uncertainty for customers:
1. Before Contact
What exactly is being offered? Is this service right for me? Do I qualify or meet the criteria?
2. Making Contact
How do I get in touch? What should I say or ask? How long will it take to hear back?
3. What Happens Next
What happens after I submit a form or book a call? Is there a consultation? A site visit? A quote? How long does the process take? What do I need to prepare or have ready?
4. Pricing & Payment
How much will it cost? Are there additional fees? Do I pay upfront or after the service? What’s included in the price? What’s the refund or cancellation policy?
5. During Delivery
Who’s doing the work and when? How do I know it’s being done right? Can I track progress or get updates?
6. After Purchase or Service
What happens once the service is complete? Will I get ongoing support if I need it? Is there a guarantee or warranty? What if something goes wrong?
5. Results Speak Louder Than Promises
Anyone can make a bold claim and post it on a website.
So, it’s important to show credibility and build enough trust so that the user feels comfortable giving you their contact information.
You can remove that last element of uncertainty through:
- Testimonials
- Reviews
- Case studies
- Certifications
- Accreditations
Anyone can claim to be “the best” but few demonstrate it.
Let your past work do the talking.
6. What Action Do You Want Them to Take?
By now, you’ve done the hard work,
You’ve grabbed their attention, shown you understand their problem, offered a solution, removed uncertainty and built trust.
Now it’s important to be clear and direct about what you want them to do next, but keep in mind at this stage there are still two types of people:
- Those ready to take action
- Those who are still deciding or doing a bit more research
That’s why it’s good to have multiple calls to action.
(1) Direct CTA
These are high-intent visitors who are ready to speak with you or take the next step.
Example: “Book Your Free Consultation” or “Get an Instant Online Quote”
Keep it clear, specific and outcome-focused. Use language that makes the action feel low-risk and valuable.
(2) Transitional CTA
These are visitors who aren’t ready to talk just yet, but they’re interested. Give them something useful that lets you stay in touch and build trust over time.
Examples: “Download Our Free Checklist” or “Download Our Free Guide”
Why Use Both?
Not every visitor is ready to convert on the spot.By offering both a direct and a transitional CTA, you meet people where they are in the buying journey resulting in more leads overall.
7. Remind Them What’s at Stake (and What’s Possible)
Sometimes, just before taking action, people feel that last bit of hesitation, even if you’ve done everything right up to this point.
That’s where a simple reminder can make the difference. Reignite their motivation and highlight the cost of doing nothing
Crete a quick contrast:
- Before: Stress, uncertainty, wasted time or money
- After: Clarity, control, and confidence in the outcome
Why are they here? What do they want to avoid? And what could they achieve if they take action now?
Use this moment to remind them what’s at stake and what’s the risk of doing nothing, then paint a picture of success, of what they can achieve.
By framing the stakes clearly, you help make the decision easier, and more urgent.
Bonus Tip: Make it skimmable
Don’t make people work to understand what you do.
Most visitors won’t read every word, so your content needs to be easy to scan.
Review everything you’ve written and ask yourself: “Would I actually read this?”
If not, aim to make it simpler, clearer and more conversational.
Use short paragraphs, clear subheadings, bullet points and bold key phrases.
Good content doesn’t just say the right things – it says them in a way that’s easy to absorb at a glance.
In Summary
Effective landing pages start with clear, compelling content.
Before you worry about design or campaign targeting, get clear on what you want to say.
To recap:
- Hook your audience with a clear, benefit-led headline
- Show you understand their problem
- Position your business as the guide with the right solution
- Remove uncertainty by explaining what happens next
- Build trust through proof, reviews, or credentials
- Include both direct and transitional calls to action
- Remind them what’s at stake and what’s possible
And don’t forget: make it skimmable.
Get your content right, and everything else – your design, your ads, your results will be more effective and generate better results.
