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5 landing page mistakes to avoid

You need to avoid these common landing page mistakes to create an effective landing page with a high conversion rate and positive user experience.

In this article, we’ll look at five common landing page mistakes that could damage your conversion rate (the number of people that buy, sign-up, download…whatever your call to action is), so you can create a landing page that works. 

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5 Landing Page Mistakes to Avoid

  1. Not having a clear value proposition
  2. Too many distractions
  3. Weak call-to-action
  4. Poor visual hierarchy
  5. Not optimising for mobile devices

1. Not having a clear value proposition

Your value proposition is the core message that communicates the unique benefits of your product or service to your target audience. It should be clear, concise, and easy to understand.

Your landing page should quickly, clearly and succinctly explain what problem you solve, how you solve it, and what benefits you provide. You need to speak directly to your target audience and address their needs and pain points. If visitors can’t quickly understand what you offer and how it benefits them, they will leave.

Identify your unique selling proposition (USP) to create a compelling value proposition. Your USP is what sets you apart from your competitors and makes you stand out in the market. Use this to craft a message that resonates with your target audience and highlights the benefits of your product or service.

Your value proposition should be prominently displayed on your landing page, preferably above the fold. This means that visitors should be able to see it without having to scroll down. Use clear and concise language and make sure your value proposition is easy to read and understand.

In addition to your value proposition, you should also include supporting content on your landing page that reinforces your message. This could include customer testimonials, case studies, product demonstrations, or any other relevant information that helps to build trust and credibility with your target audience.

Avoid too many distractions on your landing page. (Photo by Nubelson Fernandes on Unsplash)

2. Too many distractions

When creating a landing page, it’s important to remember that visitors are coming to your page with a specific purpose in mind. They want to learn more about your product or service and know how it can help them solve a problem or fulfil a need. Therefore, your landing page should be designed with the goal of making it easy for them to find the information they need and take action.

One of the most common mistakes people make when creating landing pages is including too many distractions. This can include things like unnecessary graphics, videos, or links that don’t add value to the page. These distractions can take the visitor’s attention away from your value proposition and CTA, reducing the chances of conversion.

To avoid this mistake, keep your landing page simple and focused. Use a clean and uncluttered design that highlights your value proposition and CTA. Use a clear and concise headline that clearly communicates what you’re offering and the benefits it provides. Use short paragraphs and bullet points to break up the content and make it easier to read.

If you want to include graphics or videos on your landing page, make sure they are relevant to the content and add value to the visitor’s experience. Use high-quality images and videos that are optimized for fast loading times. Don’t include too many of them; make sure they don’t distract from your main message.

Remember, the goal of your landing page is to convert visitors into customers. To achieve this goal, you need to keep your landing page simple and focused, with a clear value proposition and CTA. By avoiding the mistake of including too many distractions, you can create a landing page that engages visitors and encourages them to take action.


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3. Weak call-to-action

Your landing page’s call-to-action (CTA) is perhaps the most important element of your page. The part of your landing page tells the visitor what action you want them to take and how to take it. A weak or unclear CTA can significantly reduce the chances of conversion.

To create a strong CTA, you need to use clear and action-oriented language that tells the visitor exactly what you want them to do. Avoid using generic phrases like “click here” or “submit” as they don’t convey what the visitor will get by taking that action. Instead, use specific, persuasive language that aligns with your value proposition and speaks directly to your target audience.

For example, instead of using a generic CTA like “submit,” use a more specific and persuasive CTA like “Get Your Free Trial Now” or “Download Your Ebook Today.” These CTAs not only tell the visitor what action to take but also provide them with a clear benefit for taking that action.

When designing your CTA, it’s important to make it stand out visually from the rest of the page. Use a contrasting colour, bold text, or a button to make it clear that the CTA is the next step the visitor should take.

Finally, test different versions of your CTA to see which one performs better. You can experiment with different languages, colours, and placements to optimise your CTA’s effectiveness.

Make sure you’re optimising for desktop and mobile (Photo by Maxim Ilyahov on Unsplash)

4. Poor visual hierarchy

Visual hierarchy refers to arranging and prioritising visual elements on your landing page. The goal of visual hierarchy is to guide the visitor’s eye towards the most important elements of your page, such as your value proposition and CTA.

Poor visual hierarchy can make it difficult for visitors to navigate your page and understand what action you want them to take. To create a strong visual hierarchy, you should use typography, colour, and spacing to make the most important elements stand out.

One way to create a strong visual hierarchy is to use typography to emphasise the most important elements of your page. For example, you could use a larger font size or bold text to draw attention to your value proposition or CTA. Similarly, you could use different font styles or colours to visually contrast your headline, subheadings, and body text.

Colour is another powerful tool for creating a visual hierarchy. Using a contrasting colour for your CTA button can make it stand out and draw the visitor’s eye towards it. You can also use colour to highlight other important elements of your page, such as your value proposition or testimonials.

Spacing is another important aspect of visual hierarchy. Proper spacing can help break up your content into digestible chunks and make it easier for visitors to scan your page. Use whitespace around your CTA to make it stand out and make sure there is enough space between different sections of your page.


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5. Not optimising for mobile devices

With mobile devices accounting for over half of all internet traffic, ensuring that your landing page is optimised for mobile devices is essential. Failure to do so could result in a significant loss of potential customers.

Optimising for mobile devices means ensuring that your landing page is mobile-responsive, which means that it is designed to adapt to the screen size of different devices. This ensures that your landing page is easily accessible and readable on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets.

In addition to being mobile-responsive, your landing page should also load quickly on all devices. Slow loading times can result in high bounce rates, where visitors leave your page before it has fully loaded. This is especially true on mobile devices, where users are often on the go and have less patience for slow-loading pages.

To optimise your landing page for mobile devices, you should keep your design simple and focused, with clear and easy-to-read text and a prominent CTA button. You should also ensure that your page is optimised for fast loading times by minimising image and video file sizes and reducing the number of HTTP requests.

Still worried about landing page mistakes? Let me help you write the most effective landing page

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