How to Create a Landing Page in WordPress Without a Builder

Need to create a landing page for your next offer but not sure where to start? Or maybe you’re tired of paying monthly fees for a landing page builder? (Gosh, why is everything a subscription nowadays!)

Here’s the good news: if you’re already using WordPress, you don’t need extra software to build an effective landing page. With the right tools (and a clear goal), you can design a high-converting landing page using what you already have.

This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. Please see my full affiliate disclosure for further information.

TL;DR Summary

WordPress Landing Pages

• You don’t need a third-party landing page builder—WordPress + your theme is more than enough
• Use a landing page when promoting a lead magnet, launch, or offer with one clear CTA
• Pair your offer with a strong headline, CTA, and email opt-in form (ex: MailerLite)
• Don’t forget legal basics: include a privacy policy and cookie notice for GDPR compliance
• Tools mentioned: Restored316 templates, BluChic templates, FeatheredVine tutorial, Landing Page Toolkit by Can Do Content

Shop Landing Page Templates

Landing Pages vs Websites: When to Use Each

Before we get into how to create your landing page, let’s make sure you’re choosing the right approach for your goals. While both websites and landing pages live online, they serve different purposes in your marketing strategy.

When to Use a Landing Page

A landing page has one job: to convert visitors into leads or customers. You might want a landing page when you’re:

• Launching a new product or service
• Growing your email list with a free resource
• Running a specific promotion or campaign
• Testing a new offer before a full launch

The beauty of landing pages is their singular focus—everything on the page guides visitors toward taking one specific action, whether that’s signing up for your email list or purchasing your latest offer.

When to Build a Full Website

Websites work best when you need to provide more context or content. Think about building a full site when you want to:

• Share your full brand story and services
• Showcase a portfolio of work
• Host a blog or resource library
• Provide detailed information about your business

Planning Your High-Converting Landing Page

Even simple landing pages need a bit of planning. Before jumping into design, get clear on two things: your lead magnet (or offer) and your calls-to-action.

Choosing the Right Lead Magnet

Your lead magnet should solve a specific, relevant problem your audience cares about. Not sure what to create? Faith Lee’s course, “Grow Your Business with Lead Magnets” is a great place to start. Faith shares how she grew her 6-figure business with fewer than 5,000 subscribers, and it all started with effective lead magnets.

Writing Strong CTAs

The difference between a landing page that works and one that flops often comes down to your calls-to-action (CTAs). You need to make it crystal clear what action you want visitors to take—and why they should take it.

One of my business mentors Sage Grayson has a fantastic free workshop called “Never Leave ’em Hanging” where she shares how to write CTAs that guide your audience to take action. She’ll show you how to avoid the common mistakes that leave your visitors confused or clicking away.

Building Your Landing Page with WordPress

Here’s the good news: if you’re using WordPress, you already have everything you need to create an effective landing page. You don’t need expensive landing page builders or separate software. (Time to let out a big sigh of tech relief!!)

Getting Started with Kadence

If you’re using WordPress, Kadence is my go-to free theme for creating clean, flexible layouts. (I created this site with the free version of Kadence!)

And if you’re starting from scratch, my free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge will walk you through how to get everything set up correctly, including installing Kadence.

Take the Free 30-Day WordPress Website Challenge

First Name*

Email Address*

Email

I’m Up for the Challenge

Structuring Your Page

The key to a converting landing page is a clean, focused layout. Yolande from FeatheredVine Studio created an amazing resource called “Landing Pages Made Easy” that includes Kadence-specific templates and tutorials. Her step-by-step approach takes the guesswork out of structuring your landing page for maximum impact.

Making Your Design Convert

A well-designed landing page draws visitors in and guides them toward action. If you’re using Kadence, check out Restored316’s stunning landing page templates. They’ve created complete sales funnels you can set up in WordPress in a jiffy. Their designs are beautiful AND strategically crafted to turn visitors into subscribers and customers.

Optimizing for Conversions

A well-designed landing page draws visitors in, but design alone isn’t what drives conversions. Strategy matters just as much (if not more). If you’re not sure how to position your offer or what to say above the fold, this post on what makes a website work for your business is a great primer on why design should support strategy—not replace it.

For a deeper dive into the anatomy of a high-converting landing page, the Landing Page Toolkit from Can Do Content is packed with real examples, frameworks, and checklists. Nadine walks you through how to structure your page to guide visitors naturally from interest to action, with conversion rates that far outperform industry averages.

Two Key Factors That Affect Your Conversion Rate:

Above-the-Fold Optimization

What visitors see before they scroll should answer three questions:

1. What is this?
2. Is it for me?
3. What do I do next?

Your headline, benefits, and CTA should be visible without requiring any clicks or scrolling.

Email Delivery & Follow-Up

Once someone opts in, make sure your email platform delivers the lead magnet reliably and starts a welcome sequence. I use and recommend MailerLite for my lead magnet delivery and all the emails I send to my audience. With the MailerLite free plan, you get landing pages, automation, and everything you need to get going with email marketing.

Speaking of welcome sequences… Faith’s course breaks down exactly what emails to include and when to send them to nurture new subscribers into loyal fans. (I’m such a superfan of Faith from Faith’s Biz Academy, and I open every single one of her emails!)

Keeping Your Landing Page Legal

Collecting email addresses? You’ll need:

• A linked Privacy Policy
• A Cookie Notice (especially if you serve visitors in the EU)
• A checkbox (not pre-checked!) to confirm consent

Check out Termageddon: they keep your policies current as laws change—and automatically at that!

Using Elementor? Here Are Some Extra Options

While I recommend Kadence for its simplicity and speed, you might already be using Elementor on your WordPress site. If so, BluChic and Davey & Krista both offer beautiful landing page templates designed specifically for Elementor:

• BluChic’s conversion-focused landing page templates include everything you need for a complete sales funnel—from opt-in pages to sales pages
• Davey & Krista’s templates are perfect for service-based businesses, with options for pricing pages, lead magnets, and client guides

Need Help With Your Landing Page?

If you’ve read this far and feel a little overwhelmed—that’s totally normal. Creating a landing page that looks good and converts well takes a mix of design, tech, and strategy. If you’d like to skip the guesswork, let’s chat.

I can help you implement everything we’ve covered here and make sure your landing page is working hard for your business. Send me a message and we’ll get started!

“I have been working with Liz for six months, and I could not have made the progress in my online business without her knowledge and assistance. She is reliable, whip-smart, conscientious, and an idea machine. Her skill base is wide and consistently expanding, which has made her an indispensable asset to me and my business.”

Dr. Roberta Ballard

Creative Ease

Frequently Asked Questions