Landing page for a mobile app: what to put on it (and in what order)
by Jawad Jalal5 min read
the short version
- A landing page for a mobile app needs six things, in this order: a headline that says who the app is for and what changes for them, a real visual of the app doing that, one clear action (a store badge or a waitlist form), proof that it works, a short walkthrough of how it works, and an FAQ.
- Everything else is optional.
- Your App Store page can’t rank in Google for your category, collect emails before launch or take press links, so the landing page is the home base that everything else points to.
In this post7 sections
A landing page for a mobile app needs six things, in this order: a headline that says who the app is for and what changes for them, a real visual of the app doing that, one clear action (a store badge or a waitlist form), proof that it works, a short walkthrough of how it works, and an FAQ. Everything else is optional. Your App Store page can’t rank in Google for your category, collect emails before launch or take press links, so the landing page is the home base that everything else points to.
Why your app needs a landing page at all
The App Store and Google Play are where people install. They’re not where people find out you exist. Press, creators, Reddit threads, newsletters and AI search assistants all need a URL to point at, and a store link is a poor one: it can’t hold a waitlist, it can’t explain context, and you can’t change the layout.
A landing page does three jobs a store page can’t:
- It ranks. A page on your own domain can show up for the problem your app solves, not just your app’s name.
- It captures people before launch. Before you’re live, the page collects emails. After launch, it sends people to the store.
- It’s yours. You control the copy, the order and the analytics, and you can test changes the same day.
The six sections, in order
1. The headline: who it’s for and what changes
Write one sentence that names the person and the outcome. “Budgeting for people who hate budgeting” beats “The smart finance app.” Put a one-line subhead under it that explains how. If someone reads only this part, they should know whether the app is for them.
2. The app, doing the thing
Show the single screen where the app pays off. That’s the moment after the problem gets solved, not the onboarding or the settings. A short looping video or a clean device mockup both work. Skip the collage of eight screens; one clear moment reads faster.
3. One action
Before launch, that’s an email field and a button. After launch, it’s the official App Store and Google Play badges. Use Apple’s own badge artwork and follow its marketing guidelines. Don’t put “Book a demo”, “Join Discord” and “Download” side by side. Pick one primary action and repeat it at the bottom.
4. Proof
Use what you honestly have: a quote from a beta tester (with permission), a press mention, a rating once you have one, or a short clip of a real person using it. If you have none yet, leave this section out. Made-up logos and “loved by thousands” hurt more than an empty space.
5. How it works
Three steps, one line each, with a screen next to each. This is where you can name features, as long as each one is tied to something the user gets.
6. FAQ
Answer the questions that stop people downloading: price, platforms, privacy, whether it works offline, and what happens to their data. FAQs also help with AI search. Assistants like to quote short, direct question-and-answer pairs.
How to build it, step by step
- Write the copy before you design anything. Get the headline, subhead and FAQ down in a doc first. Design follows words.
- Pick the hero moment. Choose the one screen that shows the payoff and capture it at full resolution with realistic demo data.
- Build mobile-first. Most of your traffic from social will be on a phone. Check that the headline and the action are visible without scrolling on a small screen.
- Add basic analytics. Track page views, waitlist sign-ups and store badge clicks as separate events, so you know where people drop off.
- Set the metadata. Write a title tag, a meta description and an Open Graph image, because the link preview is often the first thing people see on X, iMessage or Slack.
- Add Apple’s Smart App Banner after launch. On iOS Safari it shows a native “Open / Get” banner at the top. Apple documents it in Promoting apps with Smart App Banners.
- Ship, then cut. Watch where people stop scrolling and delete what they skip.
Common mistakes
Writing about the tech instead of the user
“AI-powered”, “built on” and “seamless” tell a visitor nothing. Describe what’s different about their day.
Hiding the action
If the badge or the form only appears at the bottom, mobile visitors never see it. Put it in the first screen.
Using the store screenshots as the page
Store screenshots are designed for a grid on a phone. On a landing page they look cramped. Use one larger visual instead.
Forgetting the page after launch
Swap the waitlist for store badges on launch day, and add real reviews as they come in.
Landing page vs App Store page
| Landing page | App Store page | |
|---|---|---|
| Ranks in Google for your problem | Yes | Rarely |
| Collects emails before launch | Yes | No |
| You control the layout | Fully | Within Apple’s template |
| Where installs happen | Via badge | Directly |
You need both. They do different jobs.
FAQ
Do I need a landing page if my app is already on the App Store?
Yes. The store page converts people who are already looking. The landing page is what press, creators and search engines link to, and it’s the only place you can collect emails or run your own tests.
What’s the minimum viable landing page for an app?
A headline, one visual of the app, a store badge or waitlist form, and a short FAQ. You can launch with that and add proof and a how-it-works section later.
Should the landing page have a video?
If you have a short, clear one, yes. Put it near the top and make it play muted with captions. A long or blurry screen recording is worse than a good still.
How long should an app landing page be?
As short as it can be while still answering the questions that stop people downloading. For most consumer apps that’s five or six sections.
Can I use a template?
Yes, a template is fine for structure. The parts that win are the headline and the hero visual, and those have to be specific to your app.
Want a hand with yours?
Ignura is a London launch studio of four people. We design landing pages, App Store screenshots, launch films and UGC for apps, and we run launch days. If you’re launching soon and want your landing page and store page to tell the same story, book a quick intro call.
