7 Landing Page Dos and Don’ts for Your School to Follow

A school landing page should help a prospective student complete one clear next step after clicking an advertisement, email, social post, search result, or campaign link. That step might be downloading a guide, registering for an open house, checking eligibility, booking an admissions call, starting an application, or requesting program-specific information.

The page fails when it does not continue the promise that brought the visitor there, hides important decision information, creates form or mobile friction, or reports every submission as a successful recruitment outcome.

These seven landing page dos and don’ts provide a current framework for educational institutions. They apply to campaign landing pages, event-registration pages, lead-generation pages, and focused program pages, although each page type may require a different amount of information and a different conversion action.

1. Do Match the Page to the Campaign; Don’t Send Everyone to a Generic Destination

The first responsibility of a landing page is to confirm that the visitor reached the right place. The program, audience, location, offer, deadline, and call to action should remain consistent from the advertisement or email through to the destination page.

For example:

• An advertisement for a nursing diploma should lead to the nursing diploma page or campaign landing page.
• An open-house advertisement should lead to the event details and registration form.
• A scholarship campaign should explain eligibility, the real deadline, and the application process.
• An international campaign should lead to information relevant to the promoted market and language.

Google Ads identifies landing-page usefulness, relevance, navigation, links, and the expectations created by the advertisement as elements of landing-page experience. A visitor who clicks an advertisement for one program should not have to search a general homepage to find it.

Repeat the central promise near the top of the page:

• What is being offered?
• Who is it intended for?
• Why is it relevant?
• What should the visitor do next?

Keep campaign tracking parameters intact and test the complete redirect path. The final URL should load the intended content on common devices and browsers without errors or unexpected cross-domain redirects.

HEM’s guide to program-specific campaign briefs explains how to align advertisements, landing pages, emails, and admissions follow-up around the same enrollment objective.

2. Do Provide the Information Needed to Decide; Don’t Confuse Concision With Withholding Details

A landing page should be focused, but “focused” does not always mean short. The right length depends on the visitor’s intent, the complexity of the offer, and the level of commitment required.

A simple event-registration page may need:

• Date, time, and location
• Who should attend
• What participants will learn
• Accessibility and attendance information
• A short registration form

A high-intent program campaign may also need:

• Credential, duration, format, and start dates
• Curriculum and learning experience
• Admissions requirements
• Tuition, fees, funding, or payment expectations
• Career pathways and further-study options
• Accreditation or regulatory information where relevant
• Student support and accessibility services
• Evidence such as faculty, facilities, projects, and outcomes

Place the most important facts early, use descriptive headings, and make the page easy to scan. Do not remove useful details merely to reduce word count. The goal is to reduce uncertainty without surrounding the main action with unrelated institutional content.

Historical example: The University of Toronto used a focused page to offer a Sustainability Leadership program brochure. The lasting lesson is that the page and resource should answer a specific information need rather than offering an undefined “more information” exchange.

Source: University of Toronto

For complete program-page structure, see HEM’s program-page conversion blueprint.

3. Do Offer a Relevant Next Step; Don’t Rely on a Generic “Request Information” Form

The call to action should reflect what the visitor is ready to do. Asking every visitor to “Request Information” assumes that they understand what they will receive and are willing to enter an admissions follow-up process.

More specific options may include:

• Download the Admissions Checklist
• Compare Tuition and Funding
• Register for the Open House
• Check Program Eligibility
• Book a 15-Minute Admissions Call
• View the Course Schedule
• Start Your Application
• Continue Your Saved Application

Explain the value and what happens after the action. Reassurance copy can reduce uncertainty:

• No application required
• Choose a convenient appointment time
• Save your progress and return later
• Receive the checklist by email
• An admissions adviser will respond within the stated service period

Use one visually dominant primary action for each major decision point. Secondary links can remain available when they help the visitor evaluate the offer, such as tuition, requirements, accessibility, privacy, or contact support.

Do not create false urgency. “Last chance,” “limited spaces,” and countdown timers should be used only when the deadline or capacity is genuine and can be verified.

HEM’s updated guide to effective calls to action for schools covers CTA copy, hierarchy, accessibility, placement, and testing in more detail. The content-offer guide provides alternatives to a generic request-information form.

4. Do Build Accessible, Mobile-Friendly Forms; Don’t Make the Form the Main Barrier

Forms are often the point where interest becomes a measurable inquiry, registration, or application. They are also where preventable friction can cause abandonment.

Ask only for information needed at that stage. A brochure form may require fewer fields than an eligibility assessment or application. When additional information is needed, explain why it is being requested.

Accessible forms should include:

• Visible labels programmatically associated with each field
• Clear identification of required and optional fields
• Instructions for dates, telephone numbers, files, and other formats
• Error messages that identify the field and explain how to correct it
• Keyboard access and visible focus indicators
• Buttons and controls large enough to activate reliably
• Logical tab and reading order
• Confirmation that the submission succeeded

Placeholder text should not replace a label because it can disappear when the visitor starts typing and may not be interpreted as a reliable label by assistive technologies.

On mobile devices:

• Use the appropriate input type for email, telephone, numbers, and dates.
• Avoid fields that require horizontal scrolling or zooming.
• Keep labels close to their fields.
• Prevent sticky banners from hiding the active field or button.
• Compress images and delay nonessential scripts.
• Test autofill, validation, dropdowns, file uploads, and payment steps.

WCAG 2.2 includes a Level AA minimum target-size criterion of 24 by 24 CSS pixels, subject to documented exceptions. Larger targets and sufficient spacing can make forms easier to use for people with limited dexterity and for anyone completing the form on a moving device.

Historical example: Moreland University adapted the same campaign content for smaller screens. A current mobile test should go beyond responsive layout and confirm that the form, buttons, validation, and thank-you experience remain usable.

Source: Moreland University

5. Do Remove Unnecessary Distractions; Don’t Remove Trust, Help, or Decision-Critical Links

A focused campaign page does not need a complete institutional navigation menu. However, the older rule that every landing page should contain no other links is too absolute.

Remove links that:

• Send the visitor to unrelated programs or news
• Repeat several competing primary actions
• Open promotional content unrelated to the campaign
• Move the visitor away before the page answers the advertised question

Keep links that support trust, safety, accessibility, or an informed decision, such as:

• Tuition and fee details
• Admissions requirements
• Privacy and consent information
• Accessibility support
• Accreditation or regulatory information
• Refund and cancellation terms
• Contact or technical assistance

The correct approach depends on the page’s purpose. A single-purpose webinar page may need very few links. A high-commitment program page may require several supporting paths before the student is ready to act.

Historical comparison: The Ivy Academy and Columbia examples illustrate different levels of navigation and focus. They should not be used to assume that the page with fewer links automatically converted better; only campaign data could establish that. The useful question is whether each link supports or distracts from the visitor’s decision.

Do not use bounce rate as proof that links harmed search rankings. A visitor may leave after completing a useful action or finding an answer. Evaluate the page according to its purpose and downstream outcomes.

6. Do Test the Complete Experience; Don’t Launch After Reviewing Only the Design

A landing page is not ready because it looks correct in the page builder. Test the complete journey from campaign click to admissions record.

Before launch, verify:

1. The final URL and tracking parameters resolve correctly.
2. The campaign message matches the page.
3. The page returns a successful status and is accessible to required advertising crawlers.
4. The design works on current mobile and desktop browsers.
5. Core content remains available when scripts load slowly or fail.
6. Forms validate correctly and reject obvious spam or invalid data.
7. The correct thank-you message or next step appears.
8. Analytics events fire once and contain the expected parameters.
9. The record reaches the CRM with source, campaign, program, and consent data.
10. Admissions ownership and follow-up tasks are created.
11. Email, SMS, or other confirmations use the correct language and content.
12. Application, payment, or booking links work after conversion.

Google’s current Core Web Vitals guidance recommends an LCP within 2.5 seconds, INP below 200 milliseconds, and CLS below 0.1 at the 75th percentile of visits. These metrics help evaluate loading, responsiveness, and visual stability, but good scores do not guarantee ranking or conversion success.

After technical validation, test strategic hypotheses. Examples include:

• Program-specific offer versus generic request information
• Website form versus instant form
• Advisor appointment versus brochure download
• Short summary versus more complete decision information
• Student evidence versus institutional claims
• Different CTA wording or placement

Define the primary success metric before starting. A test should not be declared successful only because CTR or raw form volume increased. Review valid inquiries, qualified inquiries, applications, and enrollments where the recruitment cycle permits.

7. Do Localize the Full Journey and Measure Enrollment; Don’t Stop at Translation or Form Fills

An international landing page requires more than translating a headline and button.

Localize:

• Program and credential terminology
• Language and writing conventions
• Currency, fees, deposits, and payment methods
• Entry requirements and academic equivalencies
• Application dates and time zones
• Visa, immigration, insurance, housing, and arrival information where appropriate
• Student support and contact channels
• Consent and privacy information
• The thank-you page and admissions follow-up

Do not translate only selected page fragments when the form, validation, legal information, or follow-up remains in another language. Where equivalent language or regional pages are indexable, use self-referencing canonicals and reciprocal hreflang annotations correctly.

The page should also preserve campaign and student-journey data:

• Source, medium, campaign, content, and term
• Program, campus, intake, and market
• Original and most recent source
• Landing-page and offer version
• Form start and validated submission
• Successful admissions contact
• Event attendance or appointment completion
• Application start and completion
• Offer, deposit, enrollment, cancellation, or deferral

In GA4, an event measuring an action important to the institution can be marked as a key event. Use Realtime and DebugView to confirm that the event is recorded correctly. Connect analytics with CRM and enrollment data so that the page is evaluated through student progression—not only sessions, bounce rate, or raw form submissions.

HEM’s guide to marketing attribution and enrollment tracking explains how to connect campaign data with later admissions stages. The specialist guide to international student landing pages should remain focused on international market requirements.

School Landing Page Pre-Launch Checklist

• The page matches the campaign, audience, program, location, and offer.
• The main value and next step are clear near the top.
• The page contains enough information for the required decision.
• The CTA states the action and expected result.
• Deadlines and scarcity claims are genuine.
• Forms have labels, instructions, accessible validation, and useful error messages.
• The mobile experience is tested on real devices.
• Required trust, privacy, accessibility, and support links remain available.
• The final URL, redirects, tracking parameters, and thank-you page work.
• Analytics events and GA4 key events have been validated.
• CRM source, campaign, program, and consent fields are preserved.
• Admissions ownership and response expectations are defined.
• International language, currency, requirements, and follow-up are localized.
• Success is measured through valid inquiries, applications, and enrollments.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should be included on a school landing page?

Include a clear program or offer, the intended audience, decision-relevant information, institutional proof, an appropriate call to action, an accessible form or next step, privacy information, and a destination that matches the campaign.

What are the biggest landing-page mistakes?

Common mistakes include sending traffic to a generic page, failing to match the campaign message, hiding tuition or requirements, using vague CTAs, asking for excessive information, providing inaccessible forms, loading slowly, failing to test tracking, and measuring only raw submissions.

Should a landing page have navigation links?

A focused campaign page can use limited navigation, but necessary links for tuition, requirements, accessibility, privacy, accreditation, support, or other decision-critical information should not be removed simply to reduce exits.

Should a school use a short or long landing page?

Use enough content to support the visitor’s decision. A simple event page may be short, while a program or international-recruitment page may require more detail. Test meaningful variations with comparable audiences and downstream-quality metrics.

How many fields should a school landing-page form have?

Ask for the minimum information required for that stage. A resource download may need fewer fields than an eligibility assessment or application. Explain why sensitive or additional information is needed.

How should schools measure landing-page success?

Measure valid submissions, cost per valid inquiry, qualified inquiries, appointments, event attendance, applications, offers, deposits, and enrollments. Use traffic and engagement to diagnose performance rather than as the final outcome.

How should an international landing page be localized?

Localize the language, credential terminology, currency, fees, requirements, dates, support, form validation, consent information, thank-you experience, and admissions follow-up—not only the promotional copy.

A high-performing landing page does not pressure every visitor into the same form. It continues the campaign promise, answers the questions required for the next decision, works for different users and devices, and gives marketing and admissions teams enough reliable data to improve enrollment outcomes.