Creating a winning landing page is a tricky task. There are a lot of traps awaiting while you are trying to optimize your page to sell. Even experts sometimes make mistakes that are hard to fix.
Marketers have been keeping an eye on landing pages to figure out what is it specifically that makes one page better or more attractive than the other. But while watching for that they have noticed a consistent line of mistakes that business owners make with their landing pages that inevitably harm their business.
Here are some of those mistakes.
Table of Contents
Not fast enough
A landing page needs to be fast. Users don’t have a high tolerance for slow loading pace. If they have to wait any longer than a few seconds, they will likely bounce and your conversion is lost.
This is why one of the most important things about the landing page is its speed.
You should always insist on optimization.
- Resize and compress images
- Update hosting
- Minimize redirects
- Clean up the code
- Test your page speed
Messy design
This is a common mistake with designers – especially new ones. Thus believe that white space is empty space and that everything needs clutter in order to work.
This is a misconception.
When a customer lands on your page, they need to be calm, centered and focused on the main point. Keep that focus on one thing. Having a myriad of images next to that and adding visuals to avoid having blank space is wrong. The viewer needs time to rest, to comprehend and accept what you are saying.
Weak headlines
Headlines are famously important for their power of grabbing attention and explaining what the page is about. The same goes for landing pages. You can’t have weak headlines and expect to convert or even grab the attention of your users.
Create entertaining and relevant headlines that spark interest, inform or propose a question.
Weak content is another mistake, especially if sprinkled with grammar and spelling mistakes. Use tools like Academ advisor and Study demic to get tips on this.
Bad visuals
Visuals are an integral part of your landing page. Whether they are there to depict a situation, showcase a product or simply add charm, they have to be relevant and of high quality.
Stay away from using stock photos or bad illustrations even though they come off as cheaper. Bad visuals could cost you a lot more in lost conversions than a good photographer could. People are more sophisticated nowadays and they expect to see a certain level of professionalism and modernity that you have to keep up with.
Your landing page is a part of your public image, your reputation and it shouldn’t suffer from bad visuals.
No incentives
First time users or visitors are not likely to buy your product or service, sign up to your newsletter and so on. They don’t know you and they don’t trust you. This is not to say that you don’t have a shot. You do, but only if you offer something in return.
You need to be the first one to take that leap of faith and give something. Whether it’s a free trial, an ebook, white papers or something else – it should be free and available to each new visitor. Of course, you should use it as an exchange for their sign up or some kind of survey that could be useful for you.
No testing
Landing pages need to be tested. A/B testing or split testing is the most common. During split testing you create a separate landing page where you change a detail – the colour of the CTA button, the title of the page, the visuals or something else. Then you test it against the first page to compare results.
Weak CTAs
CTA is a crucial part of your page. Without it, you are just telling a story, without asking for something. Make sure that your CTAs are strong and compelling.
Use actionable language and bold colors.
Not optimizing the ‘thank you’ page
The thank you page should contain valuable information for the user. For instance, the next steps, the time it will take to deliver a product and possibly a CTA that invites them to give feedback, a review or follow you on social media. Don’t leave it blank and empty of usage.
Conclusion
You don’t have to be an expert to create a stellar landing page. You just need to understand your customers and some basic marketing tricks. Follow these tips to avoid making mistakes.
Author Bio
Freddie Tubbs is a Web Design blogger. He regularly takes part in design conferences and webinars and shares his experience and case studies with blogging and article contribution at the Vault and Boomessays blog.
