How to Build a Landing Page

What Makes a Great Landing Page

Before you start building, it helps to understand the key elements of a high-converting landing page:

Clear value proposition — Visitors should understand what you offer within seconds.
Strong call-to-action — One primary CTA that stands out and tells visitors exactly what to do.
Social proof — Testimonials, customer logos, or usage stats that build trust.
Clean design — Minimal distractions. Every element should support your conversion goal.
Fast load time — Speed matters for both user experience and SEO rankings.

How Cmssy Works

Cmssy is a headless CMS with a visual editor. You build the landing page's block components in your own Next.js (App Router) app using the @cmssy/react and @cmssy/next packages, and you deploy that app yourself (on Vercel or anywhere else). The content lives in the Cmssy admin, and the visual editor frames your deployed site so you can drag blocks and edit content live. Cmssy delivers the content; your Next.js app renders it.

Step 1: Set Up Your Next.js App

Start from a Next.js App Router project and add the Cmssy SDK, or clone the cmssy-web reference app to get a working setup out of the box. Install the packages:

npm install @cmssy/react @cmssy/next

Wrap your site in CmssyServerLayout and add a catch-all route that renders pages with createCmssyPage. This connects your app to the Cmssy delivery API so it can fetch and render whatever you publish in the admin.

Step 2: Define Your Blocks

A landing page is made of blocks. Define each one as a React component with defineBlock, declaring its editable content with fields. For a landing page you typically want a hero, a features block, and a CTA. For example, a hero block:

import { defineBlock, fields } from "@cmssy/react";

export const Hero = defineBlock({
  type: "hero",
  fields: {
    title: fields.text(),
    subtitle: fields.text(),
    ctaLabel: fields.text(),
    ctaUrl: fields.text(),
  },
  render: ({ title, subtitle, ctaLabel, ctaUrl }) => (
    <section>
      <h1>{title}</h1>
      <p>{subtitle}</p>
      <a href={ctaUrl}>{ctaLabel}</a>
    </section>
  ),
});

Register your blocks so Cmssy knows about them. The fields you declare become the editable controls in the visual editor. You own the markup and styling, so the blocks match your design system exactly. (If you cloned cmssy-web, hero, features, and CTA blocks already ship with it — reuse them instead of writing your own.)

Step 3: Create the Page in Cmssy

Open the Cmssy admin and click "New Page". Give it a name and a URL slug (e.g., /my-landing-page). The slug determines the path your Next.js app will render. The page starts empty — you'll fill it with your blocks next.

Step 4: Build the Page in the Visual Editor

Open the page in the visual editor. It frames your deployed Next.js site, so you see your real components rendering live. Drag your Hero, Features, and CTA blocks onto the canvas in order. Click any block to edit its content in the side panel — the fields you declared with fields show up as form controls. Write a compelling headline, add 3-4 key benefits, and configure your CTA button.

People trust other people. If you've defined a testimonials or logos block (or one ships with cmssy-web), drag it in to showcase reviews, client logos, or key stats. Place it early — right after the hero — to build credibility before asking for a conversion.

Step 6: Edit Content with AI (Optional)

Cmssy exposes an MCP server, so AI assistants can edit your page content directly — rewriting headlines, adjusting copy, or filling in block fields. The AI edits content in the Cmssy admin, never your code. Your block components stay exactly as you wrote them.

Step 7: Configure SEO

Go to the page settings and fill in the SEO fields:

SEO Title — Include your primary keyword. Keep it under 60 characters.
Meta Description — Summarize your page in 155 characters. Include a call to action.
Keywords — Add relevant keywords that match your audience's search intent.

Cmssy renders these into your Next.js metadata automatically, and you can run the landing page on its own custom domain.

Step 8: Publish

When you're happy with the page, click Publish. The content goes live through the delivery API, and your deployed Next.js app renders it at the slug you configured — fast, server-rendered, and on your own domain. Share it on social media, embed it in email campaigns, or link to it from your main site.

Landing Page Best Practices

Keep these tips in mind as you build and iterate:

One goal per page — Don't dilute your message. Each landing page should have a single conversion goal.
Mobile-first design — More than half of web traffic comes from mobile devices. Test on small screens.
A/B test headlines — Small changes in your headline can dramatically impact conversion rates.
Load time matters — Aim for under 3 seconds. Compress images and avoid unnecessary scripts.
Use urgency wisely — Limited-time offers or countdown timers can increase conversions when used authentically.

Next Steps

Ready to build your first landing page? Here are some resources to help you get started:

Install the Cmssy SDK in your Next.js app.
Follow the quickstart to render your first page end to end.
Read the blocks guide for everything defineBlock and fields can do.
Set up the MCP server to edit content with AI.