Why Isn’t My Landing Page Converting? 6 Common Mistakes When Creating A Landing Page
Business owners who put time and effort into creating a website (or hire an agency to help) do so because they want to grow their business.
If you’ve invested significant amounts of time (and money) into a site that isn’t getting the results you want, it can be maddening. You wait anxiously for your first online customer, but they never come.
Disappointment sets in as you wonder whether the effort you spent building your site could’ve been applied to more productive work instead.
Rest assured, your work is not in vain. Your website is salvageable. Most improve drastically with a few minor changes.
ClearBrand has years of experience building websites specifically designed to get you better leads and more sales. We know exactly what it takes to create a great webpage that actually works.
Today, we’ll share what we’ve learned so that you can build a more effective website.
Mistake 1: Assuming You Know Everything
You may know your product like the back of your hand, but do you know your customers just as well? How are they going to find your website if it doesn’t contain the keywords that are relevant to their search? How can you make sure your messaging actually aligns with your customer’s needs?
For design and marketing, A/B testing is a great way to find out what content keeps visitors on your website. A/B testing (sometimes called Split Testing), involves comparing performance between two versions of the same webpage. This way, you can analyze metrics to learn which page generates more leads.
Marketing agencies use A/B testing to hone and improve different aspects of web design. They might use it to make written copy more effective or to figure out which call to action attracts the most clicks.
Split testing is useful for almost all aspects of web design. It’s one of the most reliable ways to make small changes that improve your website’s performance. This can be as simple as changing the call to action button from “Schedule a call” to “Join today”, or modifying the CTA button color. It might not sound like much, but these seemingly small changes can make a big difference in performance.
Those seeking constant growth can achieve it by regularly testing different layouts and presentations. Employing A/B testing methods on a regular basis will help you consistently gain better leads and grow the business you’ve always dreamed of.
Mistake 2: Poor Design
If you offer too much to new visitors, they can easily become overwhelmed. A simple, clean design is the best way to ensure that customers stick around to see what you have to offer.
It may be tempting to use long text boxes, flashy colors, and animations on your landing page. But for a customer’s initial visit, this is simply too much.
You only have a few seconds to catch and hold someone’s attention.
If new visitors find your website confusing for any reason, they will choose to work with your competitors instead.
To keep them from leaving your website, keep your presentation simple. Use short, catchy text to share information rather than full paragraphs. Choose a subdued color scheme to make words easier to read.
You can use A/B testing here as well to determine whether you need to rearrange or alter the content on your landing page to get better results.
And don’t provide more information than necessary. You’ll have time to discuss the fine print once people reach out.
Withholding some of the details gives qualified leads a reason to contact you directly.
When your landing page has a clean, eye-catching color scheme and simple, easy-to-read text, new clients are more likely to stay on your site. Using text that appeals directly to their needs leaves them wanting to get in touch and learn more. Remember, if you have to choose between being clear or being catchy, always choose clarity.
Mistake 3: Not Building Trust
Including a testimonial section on your website helps increase consumer confidence in the quality of your business. If a customer isn’t familiar with your company, testimonials help show them that you’re trustworthy.
One of the most difficult parts of scaling your business is finding consistent ways to build rapport with new clients.
Having your best work on display is a great start, but may not be enough to captivate your audience.
Using testimonials from satisfied customers creates a baseline of expectation that potential customers can refer to when deciding whether to stick with you or choose a competitor.
But what if your business is already relatively successful? In this case, you may wish to list several testimonials.
Ideally, your website should include a minimum of three high-quality reviews. There’s a caveat here: including too much text on your landing page will distract and confuse visitors. So how can you get incredible testimonials? These 7 questions will get you the best website testimonials you could ask for.
If you have more than three testimonials you wish to feature, we recommend using A/B testing in your marketing to potentially determine which generates new leads most effectively. Ask happy clients and customers if you can include a photo, as well. When website visitors can put a face to the name, it makes the testimonial feel more genuine.
Once you find certain testimonials that consistently lead to conversions, you can feature them on your website.
When your best clients leave testimonials for new customers to see, their positive experience encourages others to do business with you as well.
Mistake 4: Unclear Story (Especially In Your Headings)
One of the most consistent ways to keep visitors on your website is to use a witty heading that pertains to the product or service you provide. However, it’s never a good idea to sacrifice clarity for wit.
If you’ve crafted a heading and you’re worried that your audience might have trouble understanding what it means, the heading likely needs to be rewritten. You know more about what you have to offer than anyone else. If you’re in doubt, so are your customers!
Again, clarity is more important than cleverness. If there’s a way to integrate both into the same statement, great. If not, choose clarity. Focus on crafting a statement that clearly describes what your customer receives when they work with you.
If you can write a great website with a strong heading that ranks high in organic search results, you might even be able to save money that you’d otherwise spend on advertising!
A well-written heading can make the difference between whether or not customers can find your website with search engines. Still unsure if your heading could use some work? Watch this video to get a better understanding of the “Hero” section of your website.
Mistake 5: Lacking Connection With Your Target Audience
You could have the richest portfolio in the world, but it won’t help you find new clients if it doesn’t reach the right audience.
For example, someone searching for a videographer isn’t concerned with whether they have experience in something like still-frame photography. If they come to your website expecting one service only to find another, they’ll think you don’t offer what they’re looking for.
Effective marketing techniques give you exposure to the specific demographics you want to attract. Showing people exactly how your product or service meets their needs is a great way to convince them to work with you.
Paid advertising often leads to more conversions than organic search. For this reason, it’s recommended to perform market research before you start advertising online. Doing so will prevent you from wasting valuable resources on ineffective marketing strategies.
A/B testing is a great way to make sure you’re using time and resources effectively. In marketing, A/B testing shows which content generates more leads and lets you determine which ones to promote, alter, or remove.
Writing multiple ad groups and rotating them out over the span of a few weeks will provide a better idea of which keywords, vocabulary, and phrasing perform best when customers search for your products. With this information in mind, it’s easier to refine your landing page and advertising content to appeal to the exact audience you intend to target.
Using A/B testing in your marketing to find which ads work best helps guarantee that a website is generating as many leads as possible.
Imagine a business that earns you more money while allowing you to work fewer hours every week. In marketing, A/B testing lets you optimize your website for lead generation, making this dream a reality.
Mistake 6: No SEO Optimization
If you’ve developed several landing pages to appeal to specific audiences but still aren’t seeing the results you desire, you probably need to reconsider which keywords to use.
This is another opportunity to use A/B testing for marketing purposes.
The right content will catch a customer’s eye once they’ve arrived at your landing page. But how they find your website is also really important.
If your landing page doesn’t include strong, relevant keywords, then it won’t be listed on search engines.
You can’t attract new leads if potential customers can’t find your website.
To learn which keywords are most effective for marketing, first create a list of search terms relevant to your business. If you need help, you can use a keyword research tool like SEMRush or Google Keyword Planner.
As you write your list, put yourself in your customer’s position. What kind of language are they likely to use if they need to find your business?
Knowing this information will streamline the A/B testing process and help you craft web pages that reliably attract new visitors.
After completing your list, write several drafts for your landing page that use a variety of your keywords. You can run these pages independently and analyze their metrics to determine whether people looking for your business are using specific keywords or phrases to do so.
Once you’ve used strong keywords on your landing pages, online lead generation becomes more passive. That leaves you with more time and energy to focus on doing the best work possible. Just don’t forget to occasionally revise keywords and landing pages to account for changing trends within your business and industry.
ClearBrand Builds Websites That Tick All The Boxes
Websites with the characteristics above do a better job of engaging customers than websites without them.
That’s what makes them more effective.
But writing, designing, drafting, and testing a website is a lot of work. For some, it may be too much. That’s why ClearBrand is here to help.
With years of experience under our belt, we use proven marketing systems to build websites that get you new customers.
Every site we make accounts for all of the factors above, giving you a tested system that consistently brings you more qualified leads and helps you grow your business. For more information about what you have to gain from working with a story-based marketing agency, schedule a call with ClearBrand now. We’re ready to help you grow today.
