Everyone makes mistakes—it’s part of the learning process. But when it comes to designing landing pages, mistakes can cost you actual money. The good news? There are plenty of resources out there to help you avoid common pitfalls. Here’s a rundown of some of the most common landing page blunders that even the people in stock photos would steer clear of.
1. Aggressive Popups
You’ve seen this before—you land on a page, and bam—a giant popup appears before you’ve even had a chance to look around. Sure, popups can be effective when used wisely, but throwing one at visitors immediately? That’s a surefire way to frustrate them and send them running. Give people a moment to understand what your page is about before asking them to take action. Timing is everything.
2. Bad Color Choices
The colors on your landing page aren’t just for show—they send a message, and they do it quickly. Yet, many pages use colors based on personal preference or because “it worked for someone else.” While it’s great to like the design, keep in mind that colors can influence how people feel about your page. Make sure your color scheme is in line with your brand and message, and avoid universally disliked colors like brown and orange, which tend to turn people off.
3. Focusing on Features Instead of Benefits
You’ve worked hard on your product and can’t wait to tell everyone about its awesome features, right? Wrong. What customers really care about is how your product benefits them. Instead of listing all the features at the top of your page, focus on the value your product offers—how it solves problems and meets their needs. Once you’ve hooked them with the benefits, you can dive into the features further down the page.
4. Using Cliché Stock Photos
Stock photos can save you time and money, but please, for the love of all things good, avoid those cheesy images of overenthusiastic people in meetings. They scream “fake” and don’t build trust with your audience. Dig a little deeper to find images that feel authentic and reflect the tone of your brand. Your visitors will appreciate the effort.
5. Offering Too Many Choices
It might seem like giving visitors lots of options is helpful, but in reality, it can overwhelm them and lead to indecision. Studies show that fewer options actually lead to more conversions. Keep your landing page focused on one clear action and limit the distractions. A single, strong Call to Action (CTA) is often all you need.
6. Too Many Clickable Links
Ideally, your landing page should have just one clickable link—your CTA button. If you clutter your page with too many links, you risk distracting visitors from the main action you want them to take. If you need to provide more information, include it on the same page and repeat the CTA afterward. The goal is to keep them focused on that one key action.
7. Overloading with Forms
Asking for feedback is important, but don’t bombard visitors with too many forms or questions right away. Make sure any forms you include are short and to the point, and only ask for the essentials. The more engaged a visitor is, the more you can ask, but don’t hit them with too much upfront—one form is more than enough on a landing page.
8. Pointless Social Share Buttons
Social share buttons can be great, but they’re not always necessary on a landing page. If your content isn’t something people are likely to share, those buttons could do more harm than good. Worse, if your share count is low, it can give off a negative impression. If you do include them, be selective and make sure they fit with your audience and content.
9. Not Thanking Your Visitors
If someone takes the time to fill out a form or take an action on your landing page, the least you can do is say thank you. Redirect them to a thank-you page and send a follow-up email within a few minutes. It’s a small gesture, but it helps build a relationship and reminds them who you are. Waiting too long to follow up could mean losing a potential customer.
