First Impressions Matter
Let’s be honest—people do judge books by their covers. That’s why the publishing industry spends so much time designing them. The same idea applies to startups and their product landing pages. A landing page is like the cover of your book, and it can make or break the success of your product.
Think of your landing page as a first meeting with potential users or clients. You’ve only got a few seconds to grab their attention and convince them to take action. Getting them to stick around is tough, but there are lots of little tricks you can use to boost engagement (stay tuned for those in my next post!). But first, let’s talk about some major mistakes you should avoid at all costs.
“A New Landing Page? We Already Have One.”
Take a look at some old magazines. Notice how much they’ve changed over the years? The images, the writing style, even the layout—they all evolve over time. The same goes for your landing page, except that in the digital world, things change even faster.
Your landing page needs to stay fresh, relevant, and visually appealing. Sure, A/B testing can help fine-tune it, but eventually, a full redesign becomes necessary. If your landing page looks outdated, it’s probably hurting your conversion rates.
“What’s the Goal? It’s Just for Information, Right?”
If you don’t know the purpose of your landing page, neither will your visitors. Why are people coming to your site? What makes it worth their time? If your page doesn’t have a clear goal, your visitors will just move on.
Every element on your landing page should lead to a single action—whether that’s getting someone to sign up, click a button, or read more. If your goal is to get people to sign up, then make that the main focus. Don’t clutter the page with other links or distractions. Keep it simple and direct—one clear call to action.
“Everyone Should Help Design the Page.”
Everyone’s entitled to their opinion, but when it comes to your landing page, those opinions should be informed. Your landing page has to catch someone’s attention in seconds. This is where you need experts who understand user experience and conversion-centered design.
Let the professionals handle it. The fewer cooks in the kitchen, the better. The last thing you want is a room full of people with no design expertise weighing in on something as crucial as your landing page.
“It Needs to Be Beautiful and Modern.”
Not necessarily. Your site doesn’t need to appeal to everyone—it needs to appeal to your target audience.
If you’ve nailed down your product/market fit, you’ll know what kind of design works best for your audience. A sleek, minimalist design might work for a younger crowd, but if you’re targeting an older demographic or specific niche, a different style might be more effective. The key is to design with your audience in mind, not just what’s trendy.
“The More Info, the Better!”
Actually, less is more. The simpler your landing page, the easier it is for visitors to find what you want them to do. Too much information can be overwhelming, and that can lead to decision fatigue or, worse, visitors leaving your site altogether. Keep your message clear, concise, and focused on driving the action you want.
“Why Bother With a Mobile Version?”
Because people are visiting your site on their phones and tablets—whether you think they are or not. As of 2013, over 17% of internet traffic was from mobile devices, and that number is only growing.
If your landing page isn’t mobile-friendly, users will quickly get frustrated with zooming in and scrolling back and forth just to read your content. Make sure your page is responsive, easy to navigate on a small screen, and has a big, clear call-to-action button that’s easy to click. If you don’t, you’ll be missing out on a lot of potential conversions.
One More Thing: Avoid Cheesy Stock Photos!
Finally, please—no cheesy stock photos. They do more harm than good. Keep it authentic and true to your brand.
