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You know that using landing pages is a crucial part of effective lead generation. And yet, you don’t seem to be generating leads quite as effectively as you’d like to be. So what are you doing wrong?
Here are 7 common mistakes that could be keeping your landing page conversion rates from reaching their true potential.
7 Common Landing Page Mistakes
1. The landing page doesn’t explain the value of the offer. People’s attention spans are short, especially online. This means you need to make sure your offer is as clear as possible. A good rule of thumb is to make sure your landing page passes the “blink test.” In other words, can the visitor understand the offer and what you’re asking them to do to get it in fewer than 5 seconds? In order to pass the “blink test,” you have to keep things simple and clear. Use the title, text, and images on your page to make sure your viewers get the idea right away.
2. The headers are not consistent with the calls-to-action (CTAs). An important tip when choosing your page titles and form headers is to make sure they match your copy and call-to-action text for that offer. If your visitors click on a CTA telling them to download your free guide, they are expecting to be directed to a page where they can do that. Make it clear that they’re in the right place when they get to your landing page by keeping your copy and page title consistent.
3. There are navigation links on the landing page. So you put all that work into getting someone to click on your ad or call-to-action, and now they’re actually viewing your landing page! Well, now you want to keep them there, right? The goal is to get them to fill out your form, and in order to make that more of a possibility, you need to reduce the likelihood that they will click away from the page. Eliminate distractions by removing all navigation and links to other parts of your site. Once the visitor reaches your landing page, the only action they should be able to take is filling out your form. Hiding navigation on your landing pages will help keep your conversion rates up.
4. The form is below the page fold. You should make sure that your form appears above the fold, or in other words, that the visitor doesn't have to scroll down on the page in order to see it. Immediate visibility is important, since your goal is to draw the visitor's attention to the form. You also shouldn’t need to scroll down to view the content of the page.
5. The form is too long. Another critical factor to consider is the effect of the length of your form on the prospect’s willingness to fill it out. If your form is too long, prospects are going to stop and evaluate whether it's worth their time to complete all of those fields. Too often, companies request all kinds of contact information and ask tons of questions of their visitors, neglecting to realize that their 15-field forms are significantly lowering conversion rates. That said, marketers should realize that the trade-off for using shorter forms can be lower quality leads, so use good judgment and factor in your business' leads goals when deciding on form length and the information you need to collect to appropriately qualify your leads.
6. Your landing page doesn’t redirect to a thank you page. When someone has finished filling out the form on your landing page, what do they see next? Sending them to a “thank you” page is a great opportunity to suggest next steps for your lead. This is where you bring back the navigation and direct your newly converted leads to other parts of your site to help them further connect with your company or brand and keep them engaged. This will make them stronger leads that will be more likely to convert into customers.
7. You wouldn’t fill out that form, but you think they will. After you’ve put the finishing touches on your landing page, ask yourself, “Would I fill out this form? Is it too long? Would I be willing to provide that information? Do I find this page confusing? Is the value of the offer obvious? Would I share this information with others?” If your answers don’t match up with the answers you want your visitors to have, go back and make some changes so they do. If you wouldn’t fill it out, they probably won’t either.
Are you making any of these big mistakes on your own landing pages?
