How to Create a Landing Page in WordPress

A good landing page is like a focused salesperson: it has one job, one message, and one clear next step. In WordPress, that means a page with a strong offer, minimal distractions, and an easy way for visitors to take action.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a dedicated landing page in WordPress using either the built-in block editor or a page builder plugin. We’ll cover layout, page settings, forms, and tracking so you can publish a page that actually converts.

If you’re still setting up your site, you might first want to create a website with WordPress and then come back to build your first landing page on top of that foundation.

Prerequisites

Before you start building the landing page, make sure you have these basics ready. This will save time and avoid frustration later.

• An existing WordPress site installed and working.
• Access to the WordPress admin dashboard (username + password).
• A theme that supports full-width page layouts (most modern themes do).
• Optional: A page builder plugin (Elementor, Beaver Builder, SeedProd, etc.) if you prefer drag-and-drop design.
• A clear offer (lead magnet, product, demo, call booking, etc.) and a basic idea of your ideal visitor.

Step 1: Define the Goal of Your Landing Page

Every landing page should have exactly one main goal. Defining this first will guide your layout, copy, and form fields.

• Lead generation: Capture email addresses with a free guide, webinar, or checklist.
• Sales: Sell a specific product or service without distractions from other offerings.
• Bookings: Get users to book a call, demo, or appointment.
• Sign-ups: Encourage visitors to sign up for a free trial or membership.

Write down your primary goal and the one action you want visitors to take (e.g., “Fill out the form to get the free guide”). You’ll reuse this line in your headline, button labels, and form description.

Step 2: Create a New Landing Page in WordPress

Now that you know what you want the page to achieve, it’s time to create the actual page in WordPress.

1. Log in to your WordPress admin dashboard.
2. Go to Pages → Add New.
3. Enter a working title such as “Landing Page – Free SEO Checklist” (you can refine later for SEO).
4. If your theme supports it, look for the Template or Page Attributes panel and select a Full Width or Landing Page template if available.
5. Click Save draft to avoid losing your work.

If you’re using a page builder:

• Click the button such as Edit with Elementor or Launch Page Builder from the top of the page.
• Choose a pre-built “Landing Page” template if your builder offers one. This can speed up your design dramatically.

Step 3: Build a High-Converting Layout

A strong landing page layout follows a predictable flow: problem, solution, proof, and action. You can build this with blocks or page builder widgets.

1. Hero section (above the fold)
   • Add a Cover or Group block (or a similar section in your page builder).
   • Include a clear headline that states the benefit (e.g., “Get Our Free WordPress SEO Checklist”).
   • Add a short supporting sentence and a primary button or form field.
2. Benefits or features section
   • Add a Columns block with 2–3 columns listing key benefits.
   • Use short headlines + 1–2 sentence descriptions.
3. Social proof section
   • Insert a Testimonials block or simple quote blocks.
   • Include names, titles, or company logos to build trust where possible.
4. Final call-to-action section
   • Repeat the main offer with a button or form near the bottom.
   • Remove any secondary buttons that lead people away from the goal.

Step 4: Remove Distractions and Adjust Page Settings

To act like a true landing page, your WordPress page should hide most distractions: navigation menus, sidebars, and unnecessary footer links.

1. Use a distraction-free template
   • In the Page settings panel, look for Template and choose Full Width, Canvas, or Landing Page if your theme provides it.
   • Preview the page. The header and footer should now look simpler or be removed entirely, depending on the template.
2. Hide sidebars and widgets
   • In the Customizer or Theme Options, disable sidebars for this page layout if possible.
   • If the theme doesn’t offer a setting, check the page’s own layout options to disable sidebar display.
3. Turn off comments
   • Scroll down to the Discussion box on the page editor.
   • Uncheck Allow comments so the landing page doesn’t show a comment form.
4. Optional: Remove header/footer via CSS
   • If your theme can’t hide the header/footer on a single page, you can target that page with a small CSS snippet.
   • Find the page ID (view the page on the front-end and inspect the body class like page-id-123).
   • Go to Appearance → Customize → Additional CSS and add something like:

   /* Hide header and footer on a specific landing page */
   .page-id-123 .site-header,
   .page-id-123 .site-footer {
       display: none;
   }

Step 5: Connect Forms, Tracking, and A/B Testing

Your landing page is only useful if it can capture and measure conversions. That means adding a form or button that connects to your email marketing or CRM, plus analytics tracking.

1. Add a lead capture form
   • Use a form block from your form plugin (e.g., WPForms, Contact Form 7, etc.) or your page builder’s form widget.
   • Ask only for essential fields (usually name and email) to maximize conversions.
   • If you’re new to forms, follow this detailed guide on how to add a contact form to WordPress and then adapt the form for your landing page.
2. Set a thank-you page
   • Create a simple “Thank You” page that confirms the action and tells users what happens next.
   • In your form settings, set the redirect or confirmation to send visitors to that page after submission.
3. Enable conversion tracking
   • Install and configure Google Analytics on your site if you haven’t already. See the guide on Google Analytics for WordPress for step-by-step setup.
   • Set up an event or goal for form submissions or button clicks so you can see how well the landing page performs.
4. Run simple A/B tests
   • Clone the page and change only one element: headline, button text, or hero image.
   • Send traffic equally to each version and compare conversions over a set time period.

Step 6: Troubleshoot Common Landing Page Issues

Even with a solid plan, a few WordPress quirks can get in the way. Here are common issues and how to fix them.

• Problem: The menu and footer still show, even after selecting a full-width template.
  Fix: Check if your theme has a dedicated Landing or Canvas template. If not, use a page builder’s “Canvas” mode or apply targeted CSS as shown above.
• Problem: The layout looks broken or different from the editor preview.
  Fix: Clear your caching plugin and browser cache. If you’re using multiple layout plugins, temporarily disable one at a time to rule out conflicts.
• Problem: The page loads slowly.
  Fix: Compress images, limit heavy animations, and avoid embedding too many third-party scripts. Consider using a performance or caching plugin to speed up your WordPress site.
• Problem: Form submissions don’t arrive in your inbox.
  Fix: Make sure the email address is correct in the form settings and that your site uses an SMTP plugin to send mail reliably. Test with multiple email addresses and check spam folders.
• Problem: The landing page is indexed by search engines before it’s ready.
  Fix: While testing, you can set the page to noindex using your SEO plugin, or keep it in draft until you’re ready to launch.

Launch Your WordPress Landing Page With Confidence

By now, you’ve defined a clear goal, built a focused layout, removed distractions, and wired up forms and tracking. You’ve essentially turned a regular WordPress page into a conversion-focused landing page.

From here, the real work is ongoing: keep refining copy, testing variations, and reviewing your analytics. As you learn what your audience responds to, you can clone and improve your landing pages, using them as powerful building blocks in your overall WordPress marketing strategy.

Further Reading

• How to Add a Popup on WordPress
• Step-by-Step Guide to On-Page SEO in WordPress
• Beginner Checklist for Optimizing WordPress Blog Posts
• Analytics Setup for WordPress with Google Analytics

Frequently Asked Questions