Landing Page Conversion: 3 Mistakes and 3 Solutions

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By Shawna Duvall

I LIKE LISTS, and I really like short lists. So, to supplement my earlier post about favorite landing page design tools, here are three tips for landing page conversion optimization. Please put them to use … immediately. Landing page design example

Stock Photography

This poor woman works at least four jobs: a high-profile dental group, my alma mater, and two different as-seen-on-TV products. Give the woman a day off. She needs a vacation. Your landing page visitors will recognize stock photography in an instant. And they won’t be impressed. Solution #1: Put away the headset girl, the success jump photo, the multicultural handshake, and the group of suited coworkers all looking at one laptop screen. Instead, use real photos (or at least stock photos that don’t look stock).

BONUS: My favorite sites to search for photos are: Bigstock Photo, iStock, and ShutterStock Images. For Creative Commons photos, check CC Search, morgueFile, and Wikimedia Commons. Everyone has their favorite photo sites. Share yours in the comments below.

Sliders, Shakers, and Visual Clutter

I have said it before, and I will say it again: Stop making things on your page move. Just stop. If anything should move, in any fashion, it should be the call to action (CTA) —  and since that would look unprofessional (at best), just stop it with the movement. Please. Solution #2: Lots of color, movement, cramped text, and too many images give the brain way too much to process. Make it easy on your visitors; Tell them what you want them to do and why they should do it. Nothing more.

Excessive or Unclear Calls to Action (CTA)

landing page needs work Notice the calls to action on this page. There are two search buttons and a heading that looks like a call to action. It is red, so it is visually stronger than the actual CTA. Do they both do the same thing? They both say “Search,” but one also says “Receive foreclosure alerts in your inbox.” Does that mean the Search button does something else? By the time I’ve had to reason through all of that, I have more questions than answers — so I am out of there and on to the next page. Solution #3: The call to action should be clear, and it should be limited to a primary action (and occasionally a secondary action).

Why Not Do Landing Page Conversion Right?

Pinterest landing page   Check out Pinterest’s landing page. These guys have it working. The action they want you to take is obvious: Sign up! And while they do give you two options to join, it is clear what each option will do. There is a tertiary call to action (do you see it?), but it is not competing for attention. If you already have an account you can log in there. Simple. Please print this out and paste it on your bathroom mirror:

You do not need to put everything you know on your landing page. Know your audience and put everything THEY need on that page.

Best practices for landing page optimization include choosing believable photographs, reducing visual clutter, and providing clear calls to action.

Landing page conversion optimization is simple: Avoid confusion.

Find out more about how to maximize your landing page conversions. Call 888-659-2680 for a no cost, no obligation initial consultation with the Conversion Max team.

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Shawna Duvall

Shawna makes sure that landing pages speak to the audience they’re trying to convert. She identifies and defines client target markets through the use of psychology and a series of client interviews to create convincing marketing messages and communications strategies for landing pages. Her web design background helps her then create an attractive and visually appealing page that will increase conversions. Shawna has an A.S. degree in Graphic Design from Westwood College in Denver, Colorado and she's a Google AdWords Qualified Individual. She loves to travel, scuba dive, act and photograph. She is a die-hard Niner fan; a Cirque Du Soleil fanatic; and just to keep things exciting, a gamer.

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