If you’re one of the 39,023 people who have watched Tim Ash’s 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design on youTube, then you’re probably well on your way to improving the conversion rate on your website. If not, then this post will show you why you’re probably not enjoying the return you could be from your current website.

How many people can you afford to lose off your landing page?

If you’re like me, then the answer is 0. You’ve all heard it before – you have less than a couple of seconds to grab people’s attention and spike their interest otherwise they’ll simple leave. As Tim describes in the video below,

“Landing page design matters. Get it wrong, and you’re either losing money, or not making as much money as you should be.”

Your baby is ugly!

Your landing page has issues. In fact, every landing page has issues and can always be improved. This is why smart businesses are continually testing, tuning, and measuring the conversion rates of their websites. Just because your site is new, doesn’t mean you can afford to sit back and relax.

Understanding the problem is half the battle

You have the power to turn your website around and improve your landing page effectiveness. The first step is to understand the most common problems with typical landing page design, and the effect these problems are having on your users.

The following video is a Webinar called “The 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design with Tim Ash”. I strongly recommend that you spare the time to watch it because it will completely change the way your see your landing page, and what can be done to fix it.

Just give me the summary!

Yep, the video is quite long. If you just want a summary of Tim’s key points, then scroll down and check out the bulleted list I’ve made for you.

Summary of The 7 Deadly Sins of Landing Page Design with Tim Ash

Sin #1: Unclear Call To Action

What are you supposed to do on this page? So many landing pages are packed full of competing information. When you strip it all down, you will find that there is only one main conversion objective for the page. The question to ask is, ‘Is this conversion task the most obvious thing on the page?’

• The Fix
  • Call to action should be clear and draw the eye
  • Placement of call to action should be above the fold (scroll line)
  • Competing calls to action should be de-emphasised

Sin #2: Too Many Choices

Too many choices causes a phenomena called ‘Choice Paralysis’. People feel over-whelmed by too many options, and react by making no choices at all. In website terms, this means they use the back button and return to their search (possibly to find your competitors instead).

• The Fix
  • Don’t present detail too early in the process
  • Group choices into a small number of categories
  • Use visual shortcuts to reduce reading. For example, show a 4×4 grid of large product category images, rather than a small vertical list of text links.

Sin #3: Asking For Too Much Information

Each extra form field makes the process more imposing. People are reluctant to give away unnecessary or personal information – particularly when they haven’t yet received anything of value from you. Extracting information from your visitors should be an incremental process that is commensurate with trust.

• The Fix
  • Only ask for information which is absolutely required to complete that particular transaction
  • Collect additional information at a later date (such as ‘how did you hear about us)

Sin #4: Too Much Text

Do you really expect me to read all of this? People have a very short attention span online. If you overload them with sales information, they’ll simply use the back button and go elsewhere. Even worse is making people wade through your marketing guff. People actively tune this out, so if you overload them, they’ll leave.

• The Fix
  • Use headlines, headings, and well positioned links to help people scan the page
  • Use bulleted lists to cover the key points
  • Delete all adjectives and subjective claims that you haven’t supported with factual evidence.

Sin #5: Not Keeping Your Promises

When people read a Google Adwords ad, they form an expectation of what the destination page will contain. When they click on the ad, they are trusting you to deliver on this promise. If your landing page does not deliver exactly what the ad had promised, then people will leave angry and frustrated (which is worse than just leaving!).

• The Fix
  • Be clear in your ads or links what people will receive the destination landing page
  • Repeat ad text or link keywords on the destination landing page to reaffirm their decision
  • Don’t make false claims in ad text about what your landing page will deliver!

Sin #6: Visual Distractions

People find visual assaults annoying. Things that flicker, flash, or move without being asked to are a distraction that will hinder conversion (unless the thing that is attracting attention is the key conversion mechanism!). Even worse is a lack of separation between content images, and conversion or navigation graphics.

• The Fix
  • Don’t compete with the call to action.
  • Remove colourful page elements and animation
  • Replace generic ‘stock’ images with ones that enhance communication

Sin #7: Lack Of Credibility Or Trust

It should be obvious that building trust is one of the most difficult jobs for any landing page. Without it however, your page will fail to convert visitors into customers.

• The Fix
  • Feature well known trust symbols prominently
  • Use client logos/media coverage icons as “badges”
  • Remove anxiety by prominently displaying relevant policies and guarantees

What do you think?

If you’ve just watched Tim Ash’s video, or reviewed the summary I’ve made for you, then you should have a good idea about the sort of things which could be holding back your landing page.

Which one do you think is the most important? Are there any others which you think deserve a mention? Leave your comments below.