A landing page is built to encourage visitors to take a specific action. Whether it’s opting in to a lead magnet, resource, or newsletter, purchasing a product or service, or filling out a form, every good landing page requires two things: a great offer and a great audience. (Not sure how to build a lead magnet, check here for our step-by-step guide. And just in case, we made one for building landing pages too!). They’ll be critical to the success of your campaigns and converting visitors into customers. Avoid these 10 common mistakes to create a better experience and convert more of your traffic into sales.

1. Too Many Calls-to-Action (CTA)

Landing pages should be built with one specific action in mind. When there are too many CTAs and paths for your visitor to take, you may not have them complete the action you want them to. If you include one personalized CTA, supported by great copy, the path is clear and intuitive.

2. Bad Copy

You won’t have much time to grab the attention of your visitors, so having well-written copy is essential. Your content should be broken up into short paragraphs, or bullet points. Keep language simple and concise – just enough words to grab your reader’s attention, provide them with the benefits, and tell them what to do next. Focus on your unique selling proposition and steer clear of using too much, or too little information.

Take a look at your headlines. Make sure they’re powerful and that you’re delivering on what they promise. This is the first impression people will get of your business so make sure it packs a punch and tells the benefits of your offer.

3. Poor Design Choices

From bad font choices to clashing colors, a badly constructed landing page can be a turnoff. The best landing pages are not cluttered or complex. They’re clear, concise, and easy on the eyes. A landing page has a natural flow – an attention-grabbing headline, subheader for context, and a combination of short paragraphs and bullet points that sell your offer, followed by a form.

Here are some options to build out your landing page:

• Outline your page and then outsource the building.
• Send your web developer the design on a piece of paper, or an online document, and have them create the page for you.
• Build it yourself, but this will mean you need coding experience and will be timely.

4. Low-Quality Images or None at All

A great image can speak a thousand words. It can help provide context and convey your message to your visitors. Low-quality images, including generic or stock photography, can reflect poorly on your brand. Instead, opt for a high-quality image and place it as your hero shot. An image or graphical representation of your product or service can help boost conversions because visitors can visualize using it themselves.

5. Slow Loading Speed

53% of consumers expect a page to load in two seconds or less, and 40% will leave a page if it takes more than three seconds to load. Avoid excessive use of features that could slow load time down.

There are tools available online like Google’s PageSpeed Insights to get a sense of how quickly your pages are loading on desktop and mobile. They will also offer recommendations for some fixes.

6. Not Mobile-Friendly

Not only will you want to think about how your page will render on mobile devices, but also about the mobile experience of filling out the form.

7. Too Many Steps

This could include a lengthy lead capture form. Don’t ask for information you don’t need. Too many form fields can have cautious visitors abandon your site quickly.Make sure that the content you’re offering is of proportional value to the information you’re asking them to share.

8. Includes Navigation

Your landing page has one goal and that’s not to have your visitor go to another page. Keep your visitor’s focus on the offer at hand by removing navigation and other distractions – that also includes menus. Having multiple options to navigate will lower the conversion rate for your intended action.

9. Lack of Social Proof

Social proof – endorsements by others – is a great way to show you’re trustworthy. It shows the value of the product or service you’re offering and can often help influence visitors to convert.

10. Using Gimmicky Marketing Tactics

Avoid using ploys like aggressive pop-ups, preloaders, and push notifications. It can be overwhelming leading to your visitor bouncing from your site.

Having the most irresistible offer on the planet won’t convert people if they don’t stick around long enough to check it out. So, make sure you’re not guilty of these common mistakes and optimize your landing pages today! If you need help figuring out what next steps to take, we are here to help. The Rockstarr Sound Check will give you the tools to tune-up your site to optimize conversion, drive engagement, and make your audience go wild.