8 Reasons Your Landing Page Isn’t Converting

Brad Bartlett
6 min readJun 7, 2022

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Is your landing page doing everything but landing? Here’s 8 reasons (and fixes) to consider.

Photo by Le Buzz on Unsplash

When the world went mobile-first, finding new ways to engage your website’s visitors became more crucial than ever before.

In addition to optimizing your site for mobile devices, you also need to make sure that your landing pages are effective to convert visitors into leads or customers.

If your landing page isn’t converting, there could be several reasons why. From the design to the copy to the call-to-action (CTA), everything on your page needs to be working together to guide visitors towards conversion.

To help you troubleshoot why your landing page isn’t converting, I’ve compiled a list of six potential reasons that I’ve found consistently across struggling clients. With a few fixes, you can improve your conversion rate and start generating more leads for your business.

8 Reasons Why Your Landing Page Isn’t Converting

1. The design is confusing or unappealing.

In today’s world, first impressions are everything, especially for your website. If a visitor landed on your page and the first thing they noticed was that it looked like it was created in the early 2000s, they would likely leave immediately.

Your landing page needs to have a modern design that is visually appealing and easy to navigate. If your page looks outdated, it will reflect poorly on your brand and turn visitors away.

For example, if the first thing a visitor sees on your landing page is a large banner with text that is difficult to read, they will leave. Similarly, if you have one photo and about 1,000 words of text below it, that’s also going to be a turnoff for visitors.

Your landing page needs to be visually appealing with a simple and clean design. Use whitespace, images, and videos to break up large chunks of text and make your page easy to scan.

2. Your copy (the text) is unoriginal or is falling flat.

Much like the design, your copy needs to be fresh, original, and attention-grabbing. If your landing page features the same generic phrases used on every other site in your industry, it’s not going to resonate with visitors.

Your goal should be to write copy unique to your brand and speaks directly to your target audience.

Take some time to research your competition and see what kind of language they are using on their landing pages. Then, avoid using the same phrases and come up with something original that will make your page stand out.

Your copy should also be clear and concise. Visitors should understand what you’re trying to say without having to read through a novel. Get to the point and make sure your message is clear.

3. The CTA is not effectively driving action.

Your CTA is one of the most essential elements on your landing page because it is what tells visitors what you want them to do. If your CTA is ineffective, getting visitors to take action will be challenging.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your CTA is compelling:

  • Use persuasive language- Your CTA should use persuasive language that tells visitors what they will get by taking action. For example, instead of saying “submit,” you could say “get your free quote.”
  • Use a strong verb- In addition to persuasive language, your CTA should also use a strong verb that encourages visitors to take action. Some examples of strong verbs include “download,” “sign up,” and “claim.”
  • Make it visible- Your CTA should be visible and easy to find on your landing page. It should stand out from the rest of the page so visitors can’t miss it.
  • Include a sense of urgency- Urgency can be a great motivator for people to take action. If you can create a sense of urgency in your CTA, it will be more effective. For example, you could say, “sign up now and get 50% off your first purchase.”

4. Your form is too long for today’s attention span.

This happens all. the. time. You have a form on your landing page that you’re hoping visitors will fill out, but it’s so long and detailed that no one ever actually does it.

If you want people to fill out your form, you need to make it as short and straightforward as possible. The more fields there are, the less likely someone is to fill it out.

Ask yourself, “Would I fill this out if I clicked on an ad while sitting on the bus?” If it’s too long or detailed, the answer is probably no.

The goal is to get just enough information from visitors so that you can follow up with them later. You can always get more information from them later down the road, but you need to start with something simple.

5. There’s no clear value proposition throughout the page.

Your landing page needs to have a clear value proposition that tells visitors what they will get by taking action.

If your page doesn’t have a value proposition, it will be tough to persuade people to take action.

Your value proposition should be clear, concise, and easy to understand. It should tell visitors what they will get by taking the desired action, and it should be relevant to their needs and interests.

6. The page is not mobile-friendly

In today’s world, it’s absolutely essential that your landing page is mobile-friendly.

With over half of all web traffic coming from mobile devices, you can’t afford to have a page that isn’t optimized for mobile.

There are a few things you can do to make sure your page is mobile-friendly:

  • Use a responsive design- A responsive design will ensure that your page looks great on all devices, no matter the size.
  • Make sure the text is easy to read- The text on your page should be easy to read on all devices. Avoid using tiny font sizes, and make sure the color contrast is high.
  • Don’t use pop-ups- Pop-ups can be very annoying on mobile devices, so it’s best to avoid them altogether. If you absolutely must use a pop-up, make sure it can be easily dismissed on mobile.

Mobile is critical, and if your page isn’t mobile-friendly, you’re likely to lose a lot of visitors.

7. There are no social proofs included on the page.

Social proof is the idea that people are more likely to take action if they see that others have already done so.

It’s a powerful psychological phenomenon, and it can be a great way to increase conversions on your landing page.

There are a few different ways you can add social proof to your page:

  • Testimonials- Testimonials from happy customers can be a great way to show that your product or service is valuable.
  • Case studies- Case studies are in-depth stories about how your product or service has helped others. They can be very persuasive, and they’re a great way to show social proof.
  • Live social proof notifications- Live social proof notifications show how many people are currently purchasing or downloading your product. This can create a sense of trust and “FOMO” — and encourage people to take action.

8. Your landing page isn’t optimized for search

If your landing page isn’t optimized for search, people will find it tough to find it. And if people can’t find it, they can’t take action.

Want to make sure your landing page is being picked up and ranked online? Watch these elements:

  • Use relevant keywords- The keywords you use on your page should be relevant to your offer and what people are searching for.
  • Use keyword-rich titles and descriptions- The title and description of your page should be keyword rich so that people can find it when they’re searching for those keywords.
  • Include social sharing buttons- Social sharing buttons will allow people to share your page with their networks, which will help you reach a wider audience.

Give Your Landing Page a Soft Landing

With the right design, your landing page can be a powerful tool for generating leads and converting visitors into customers.

However, if your landing page is poorly designed, it will do more harm than good.

Use the tips in this article to make sure your landing page is designed for success. With a little effort, you can create a page that is eye-catching, effective, and easy to use.

Want to learn more about taking your landing page or website to new heights? Contact me today to learn how I can help you reach your goals with conversion-centric copy and messaging designed to persuade and convert.

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Brad Bartlett
Brad Bartlett

Written by Brad Bartlett

Professional Freelance Copywriter. (www.bradleebartlett.co) Musings on #freelancing, #productivity, #self-development, and more!

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