7 Landing Page
Mistakes That
Repel Potential Customers
If you want your landing page to perform, it needs to tell a compelling story.
Experienced sales professionals create landing pages that narrate engaging stories seamlessly.
Every design element, copy snippet, and scoring system plays a specific role in the narrative, guiding the visitor toward your chosen goal.
But not all stories told on sales pages have a happy ending! Do you want to join the list of those disappointed by the ineffectiveness of internet marketing? Welcome aboard!
If your page contains elements that don’t contribute to the result or give your potential buyers a reason to pause and hesitate, you failed to achieve the desired effect.
During the recent “Page Fights” session we hosted, our resident experts (Oli Gardner and Peep Laja) and guest judge Ian Lurie, CEO of the internet marketing agency Portent, identified several landing page flaws that can reduce your efforts to zero.
So, here are seven lesser-known but common landing page optimization mistakes that give customers a reason to pause, cause confusion, and hinder your site's promotion.
1. Your Landing Page Content Is Disorganized
Although the banner on the Speak2Leads landing page features a great design, its placement at the top of the user’s screen does not benefit this element overall.
It would have been better for Speak2Leads to create a landing page with an introductory headline instead of a banner that requires time to comprehend.
The experts agreed that encountering complex graphics right at the start can confuse the user. Oli suggested using a headline instead of a banner. This is done to create a more logical narrative flow for the visitor.
Organize your landing page elements logically so that, by telling a story, they guide your customer toward the goal.
To make the start most effective, Oli suggested trying a headline that promises a concrete benefit, like this interesting statement: “85% of users buy from the first company whose employees call them back.”
2. Oversized Images Are Slowing Down Your Page
In the world of Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), there are no small details.
If uncompressed images cause your landing page to load slowly, you could lose a significant number of potential customers before they even see it.
Ian noted that the images on the Lonestar Premier Outdoors landing page were about 2-3 times larger than they should be (referring to file size, not dimensions).
Compressing these images, Ian explained, could lead to reduced loading times and an increase in visitors.
If you haven't compressed images on your sales page yet, here are programs recommended by Ian:+
- Google PageSpeed;
- Adobe Fireworks;
- smush.it.
Improve your page performance by compressing overly “heavy” images.
3. You Are Not Speaking Your Prospects’ Language
If you want your offer to resonate with potential customers, you need to speak their language. Ian doubted whether the target audience of Speak2Lead actually uses terminology like “Lead Response and Follow-Up Tool” found in their headline.
After a quick Google search, he discovered that “proactive management style” seems to be a preferred term.+
Ian was also unsure if the headline on the BuzzTime Business page was designed to appeal to its intended core visitors: “I’m not sure that if I were a business owner, this headline would truly hook me.”
Although the headline paints a picture of attracting loyal customers, it speaks in the third person and assumes the visitor will draw the parallel to their own business.
“Using a testimonial as a headline is a great idea, as long as you don’t sacrifice context or clarity for it,” says Oli.
In Peep’s view, the headline “Yes, I want to learn more!” is not the best way to contact visitors because it mimics false enthusiasm. Leave the enthusiasm to the users!
Have you heard that “the customer is always right”? So speak to your customers in their own language.
4. Your Form Makes Users Think Too Hard
The signup form of a high-quality landing page should never be too complicated for a visitor.
While icons used instead of text field descriptions create a pleasant impression, Oli decided that the visual solution chosen by Lonestar Premier Outdoors does not help. It cannot be called truly simple.
Oli explained that “icons instead of labels require extra interpretation and create ‘cognitive load’ in the visitor's mind.”
Furthermore, Oli concluded that placeholder text in registration form fields also causes problems because it gives the impression that the field is already filled.
One visitor asked: what could be better than placeholder text? I assume it saves space on the form #PageFights
Peep explained that placeholder text can become a source of problems if you have more than two fields on the form: some users might forget what they were filling out. And this creates unnecessary complications.
A useful simple rule: “Placeholder text works with 1-2 fields; if there are more fields, use the space above the line.”
If you still intend to use placeholder text, the experts have a couple of useful tips for you:
- “When I click in a form field, this text should disappear.” – Ian
- “If you need to keep the label inside the field, make the placeholder text fade into the background when the user clicks in the form field.” – Oli
The final verdict?
Think about how your potential customers will fill out the authorization form. And make sure it doesn't cause them any difficulties.
5. Your Call to Action Button Doesn’t Resonate
Oli believes that the CSI registration form starts with a very strong headline that tells the customer exactly what they are going to get by filling out the form.
However, he thinks it doesn't work because of such a vague call to action as “I want it!”.
To make the call to action more inspiring, Oli suggested a tactic shared by Joanna Wiebe at a recent Call to Action Conference: Place the copy of the headline on your button!
Use a CTA (Call to Action) that inspires. Match your customers' mindset.
6. Your Images Don't Show Product Context
The primitive design of the Dynamic Lifestyles landing page wasn't the only thing that repelled the experts.
The text describes the benefits of the new technology roughly like this:
- Tired of monotonous gym exercises?
- This is a simple technological achievement that many people have already tried and tested, remaining satisfied with the results.
Why should you try them?
- Workout efficiency increases – More weight.
- More repetitions.
- Hygiene – Easy-to-clean anti-bacterial rubber.
- Safety – Non-slip rubber reduces the risk of injury.
- Durability – Does not wear out quickly.
Meet GRIP ON tm (“Grip”) Revolutionary wrist trainers that are currently replacing training gloves worldwide “They look very simple, but once I tried them, I was amazed at how much my results improved. I’m going to throw away my training gloves. These trainers are definitely worth the money.” – Brad Dixon]
The judges agreed that the images do not demonstrate the product in context. As “Page Fights” moderator Tommy Walker noted, “visualizing the product's action is not easy.”
Oli recommended showing the product in action (at least in a video intro) so visitors can immediately understand what they are dealing with.
In other words – get to the point. Clearly explain what your product is and why your customer needs it. And also — use the psychology of desire.
7. You Don't Show How You Differ From Competitors
The copy on many of the criticized pages didn't explain what distinguishes their companies from competitors.
For example, the Lonestar Premier Outdoors landing page offers its customers a quail hunting trip in Texas but doesn't show what makes their hunt the best in the state.
“What makes this quail hunt the best in Texas? Do they pay cash donations to the families of dead quails?” – Ian
In Peep’s opinion, this is important because we live in a very competitive world.
Proof of uniqueness is the key – “In any market segment where money can be made, there are always several players.”
As Peep explains, it doesn't matter what niche you occupy in the market, you still have rivals. Help your customers choose you by showing them what makes you unique.
Every element of your landing page should lead to the goal
We hope these warnings help you improve the quality of your own sales sites and make them more attractive to visitors.
If there is any superfluous element on your landing page, consider whether it’s better to remove it. Each section of the landing page must justify its existence. Why is it needed? How well does it work?
Based on materials from: http://unbounce.com/landing-page-examples/7-landing-page-mistakes-stopping-prospects-dead-in-their-tracks/
