15 landing page dos & don’ts for conversions

Looking for the best way to optimize your landing page? We’ve compiled a list of our top 15 dos and don’ts to get the highest conversions.

You’ve spent hours dissecting analytics and squeezed the budget to design a landing page—but are you still wondering if it’s any good? Are you getting the conversions you deserve? What can be done to optimize it even more?

Stop worrying, friend, and feast your eyes on this easy-to-digest guide of 15 landing page dos & don’ts for boosting conversions.

What is a landing page? 

Here’s the “textbook” answer: A landing page is a mid-funnel web page designed with the goal of driving a visitor to take action. It’s usually used for making sales or generating leads, and it typically features strong imagery and persuasive copywriting.

But here’s the “real” answer: A landing page is where potential customers come when their curiosity is at its peak, and the final CTA is a mere click away. It’s where all your hard work building the sales funnel pays off (or not!)

According to WordStream, you’ve got about a 2.35% chance to convert a lead on a landing page in any given industry. The upper end of the spectrum (the top 25th percentile) is hitting a conversion rate as high as 5-plus percent—those odds are nothing to sneeze at.

Most common types of landing pages

Splash Page 

• What it is: The first page prospects see when they land on your website.

• When to use it: If you’re introducing your brand, announcing news, drops, sales, promos.

Squeeze Page

• What it is: A page designed to capture leads. For example, brands may ask visitors to sign up to join a rewards program, get a newsletter, or receive a discount in exchange for their email.

• When to use it: If you’re building email lists ahead of a new campaign or product launch.

Sales Page

• What it is: A service or product landing page designed to close the deal.

• When to use it: For getting visitors to start a free trial, subscribe to a platform, or purchase a product.

Here’s what to include on a landing page:

No matter what kind of landing page you’ve created, here are 15 landing page dos & don’ts you should follow to ensure it’s optimized for the best chance at a conversion.

1. DO prioritize clean design and UX. 

Nothing says, “Get me outta here!” quite like a bad webpage. We’ve all had sketchy internet experiences, so even the slightest hint of weirdness is going to have folks closing their tabs faster than a bar at last call.

Trustworthy landing pages are visually organized, with breathable space between segments and a simple design that loads quickly and flows intuitively, so people feel at ease. Brands should ditch things like loud background colors, hard-to-read typography, and slow-loading graphics.

2. DO design for mobile first. 

Considering 63% of all queries now occur on cell phones, your business could miss out on serious conversions if you aren’t optimizing for mobile traffic. Frankly, it’s kind of shocking how much mobile is still an afterthought.

Nearly every landing page should be designed with mobile users in mind—which means making sure things like margins, images, and buttons are appropriately formatted for all screens. No one is going to stick around if your landing page looks like a Cubist nightmare on their phone.

3. DO use concise, skimmable headlines and simple copy.

If you think people are going to read your page word for word from top to bottom, you’d be right 20% of the time. Researchers show that most internet users skip the fine print, meaning you need neatly chunked, easily digestible, logically organized headlines and text.

Additionally, your landing page copy needs to be so strong customers feel compelled to click that CTA button without another thought. That means using persuasive language, highlighting key benefits over features, and opting for shorter sentences.

4. DO create distinct landing pages for each audience segment.

If you’re trying to appeal to multiple demographics with one landing page, chances are your conversions won’t be as high as they could be. That’s because different people respond to different words, visuals, and written styles—all of which need to be considered when creating landing pages.

The key here is personalization: create landing pages tailored specifically for each segment, and make sure the landing page copy speaks directly to them. Remember: if you try to appeal to everyone, you won’t appeal to anyone.

5. DO include a single, simple, powerful call to action.

Avoid demanding more than one action from your landing page visitors. The goal of a landing page is to get someone to click, sign up, or purchase something—so include one prominent CTA that stands out and contains words like “try,” “buy,” or “free trial” to grab their attention.

6. DO explain what users should expect when they complete the CTA.

People are more likely to click on your landing page CTA if they know what’s in it for them. So be sure your copy clearly explains what users should expect when they complete the action—whether it’s checking their email right away for a promo code or expecting a phone call from a sales rep within 24 hours.

7. DO use data and A/B testing to optimize conversions.

It’s nearly impossible to create the perfect landing page without data. Instead of relying on guesswork, test different landing page variations and track which ones get the most conversions. With A/B testing, you can determine which elements need improvement and how else you can better optimize your landing pages for maximum conversion potential.

8. DO include testimonials and helpful user-generated content.

User-generated content (UGC) is a powerful landing page element as it encourages potential customers to trust your product or service. Additionally, including testimonials from satisfied past customers can help boost conversions, as browsers are more likely to take the plunge if they know others have already taken that leap and had success with it.

9. DO include a video of you, your product, or your service in action.

People love video—especially if it’s helpful. So, if you can include a demo of your product or service in action, this can help people visualize how it would be to use and encourage them to take the next step. Plus, videos keep people engaged longer on landing pages and time on site (TOS) helps increase conversions.

10. DO invest in creative. 

Investing in high-quality creative content allows brands to create unique and memorable experiences for their target audience, increasing the likelihood of recall, recognition, and ultimately, conversion. Whether it’s a visually stunning video, clever and witty copy, or an eye-catching graphic design, investing in high-quality creative can help brands grab consumers’ attention and stand out from their competitors. (There's an agency I know that can help here. ;))

What NOT to include on a landing page:

Fix those faux pas. If your results are lackluster, it’s likely due to one of these common landing page don'ts.

11. DON’T make visitors have to work.

Asking people to fill out lengthy forms or make a large commitment won’t get you very far. Instead, stick to short forms and only ask for information that is absolutely necessary so the conversion is lightning-fast and seamless.

12. DON’T distract users.

Eyes on the prize. Keep your landing page focused on a single action or message. Don’t include links to additional pages, additional CTA buttons, navigation bars, or other distractions that could cause people to wander off and away from your main goal.

13. DON’T bury important info.

Research says about 74% of a user's viewing time is spent in the top two screenfuls of content. So, make sure the most crucial information is prominently displayed at the top.

14. DON’T plant your only CTA at the bottom of the page.

Don’t make your landing page visitors have to assemble a search party to find your CTA. Instead, place multiple opportunities for users to convert throughout the landing page—including at least one close to the top—to ensure that landing page visitors can easily find it and complete the action.

15. DON’T get hung up on SEO for short-term campaigns (but DO for long-term campaigns).

Optimizing your page for SEO won’t be necessary if you’re running a landing page for a short-term, one-time-only PPC campaign. Instead, focus your energy on making sure the landing page content is compelling and informative without worrying too much about the technicalities of SEO. 

But if you’re creating landing pages that will last more than a few months, SEO should be taken into consideration.

What are the biggest landing page mistakes? 

• Not including a clear call-to-action (CTA). Your landing page should have an obvious CTA button to help steer your visitors in the right direction and encourage them to take action.

• Not using analytics to track landing page performance. Make sure you have analytics tracking set up so you can measure the effectiveness of your landing pages over time. This will help you identify any problems and highlight what works and what doesn’t so that you can make adjustments accordingly.

• Not testing landing page variations. Testing landing page variations is vital to landing page optimization. Try different headlines, images, colors, and CTA buttons to see what works best for your audience.

  
  

Should I use paid search to drive traffic to my landing page?

New content can take months, sometimes years, to outperform existing content in your niche. Plus, knowing which search terms you need to target is a challenge—especially if you’re not a technical paid search expert who knows how to track key analytics. 

Get creative and technical landing page expertise.

Landing pages are a critical part of any digital marketing strategy, so invest in creating one that works for your brand. The marketing experts at Hive specialize in landing pages designed to generate leads and slam dunk conversions. 

Our designers, copywriters, and website developers are here to help—reach out today so we can help you optimize your ROI with expertly crafted landing pages that create action.