So, your landing page isn’t converting, and you don’t know why. Don’t panic, I’m here to help you figure it out.
There are lots of different types of landing page, the most obvious one is your homepage. But if you run an e-commerce store then most likely your product listing pages (collection pages) and product pages are also landing pages.
They’re not the kind of pages we are going to be talking about today. No, today we will be focusing on dedicated landing pages from marketing campaigns, be this social media or ads. So, if that’s the kind of page you are having trouble with then you’re in the right place.
Your landing page may not be converting because:
- Your messaging is misaligned with your ads and doesn’t convey value.
- You don’t have trust factors above the fold and throughout your page.
- Your messaging isn’t persuasive, and your CTAs are not impactful.
- Your layout or the options you are presenting is confusing.
- You are not incentivising fast action.
1. Look at your scroll map for obvious drop off points
Users will often drop off just below the fold (the last point on the page visible on page load before a user has to scroll). This is because many of those visitors are bouncing from your site, they are not sicking round long enough to pay attention to anything lower down.
If the drop off at the fold is apparent but not drastic (drastic would mean going from red to blue very quickly) then you don’t have too much to worry about. But as you’re here, I’m going to assume that you will be seeing at least a pretty sharp drop off. A sharp drop off can be the result of traffic not being your target audience, which means you should check the way your campaigns are coming across. However, a sharp drop off can also be the result of the content above the fold not being persuasive enough.
Another thing you want to look out for on your scroll map is if key information or engagement points (think call to action buttons and forms) are being seen by most users. If you have a contact form but it’s way down at the bottom of your page, chances are that users are not going to even see it. Make sure anything important is being seen by at least 50% of your users. If it’s appropriate, getting your key CTA above the fold is a great way to encourage engagement.
2. Review your click map for engagement areas and engagement drop offs
Click maps are a great addition to scroll maps in that they can show you which areas of your page are getting interaction from users. Something I particularly like to look out for is if an element is being clicked a lot, but few users are scrolling to it. This tells me it is important to users and should feature higher up.
Click maps are great for looking at forms as you can see which fields users are engaging with and which ones they are not. Lots of clicks in the email field but hardly any in the phone number field? Maybe consider removing the phone number field or making it optional. Clicks on the submit CTA far exceeding clicks in the fields? Maybe your fields are too difficult to complete and are throwing error messages.
Click maps can also show you if users are clicking on areas of your page that are not interactive such as icons and images. Clicks in these areas can demonstrate users are struggling to get all the information they need and require more information or a way to make images larger.
3. Check your heading matches your marketing and conveys value
If you ran an ad that focused on software which makes product management more efficient generally and then had a landing page that focused only on efficiencies gained through AI, then there would be a mismatch between what users expected to see and what they actually see.
Similarly, if your ads talk about the value of improved efficiencies but then the landing page has dry messaging above the fold which focuses on what you can do rather than the benefits of using the software, it isn’t tapping into the motivation the users had for visiting the site.
4. Make sure you have trust factors above the fold
Industry awards, recognition from authoritative bodies, and customer ratings are all examples of trust factors you can easily add above the fold on your landing page. It is important these are easily visible as one of the main reasons users don’t convert is through a lack of trust.
You need to give users enough confidence that your site is safe and secure as well as the product or service you are selling will deliver on the value you say it will. If users don’t see this above the fold they may bounce from your site or not scroll further down to explore more.
5. Ensure you have social proof peppered throughout the page
Proof isn’t just for above the fold, it should be visible throughout your landing page. Testimonials (written and video), case studies, and before and after photos are great examples of social proof.
Why is social proof particularly important? Well because people tend to follow the crowd. We seek safety in numbers and safety in those we recognise as similar to ourselves. We are social creatures, so it makes sense the most powerful form of ‘proof’ you can use is social proof.
6. Question if your CTA is compelling enough
First off, your CTA needs to be visually compelling, it needs to stand out from the background and grab users’ attention. For this it should be big, look like a button, and have contrast to both the background and the content around it.
Secondly you need to think about the micro-copy on and around it. Micro-copy (small pieces of text) can have a big impact. Instead of using something passive like ‘Get in touch’ or ‘Download’, aim to use something benefit driven and compelling like ‘Get your free consultation’, or ‘Get your e-book now’.
7. Re-read your copy to check you are speaking persuasively and plainly
The average reading age of someone in the UK is 9 to 11 years old. So, using overly complex language is a bad idea if you want users to read what you are saying. Similarly, complex sentence structures are also difficult to understand, even if the words themselves are not.
Whilst writing plainly, you should also aim to write persuasively. Use an active voice rather than a passive one and focus the attention on the user rather than your company or offering. This can mean a subtle but impactful switch for example, ‘ACME software improves your efficiency by harnessing the power of AI’ could be changed to ‘Boost your productivity with inbuilt AI technology’.
Your messaging should also aim to address anxieties and questions users may have. It’s great to do this in a FAQ at the bottom of your page, but even better if you can work the most common FAQ answers into your body copy too. This way you will leave users feeling reassured rather than concerned or unsure.
8. Get an outsider to see if you are using headings, media, and white space properly
Because you know what you want to say, it may feel obvious that everything is in the right place and given the right about of space. But from an outside perspective it could be difficult to scan read, seem overly difficult to read, or just too messy and overwhelming.
Ideally, there should be no more than three paragraphs before there is a subheading to help users know if what they are about to read is going to be valuable to them. Subheadings, like media, also provide contrast that breaks up long sections of text, giving the brain something to bring focus back to.
9. Question if you are presenting too many options
Landing pages are supposed to be simple. They drive users towards a single or small number of conversion points. If you have too many options, you risk creating what we call a ‘paradox of choice’ where users become paralysed by indecision and choose not to convert at all rather than make a decision.
So, if you have multiple packages users can choose from, try just highlighting your three most popular packages. If you have lots of products, make sure you are supplying effective filters and sorting options.
10. Make sure you are creating a sense of urgency or demonstrating scarcity
Using urgency (“Hurry, sale ends at midnight!”) and scarcity (“Only 5 rooms left”) is a widely used trick for encouraging sales because it works. Although it may seem a little ingenuine sometimes, it does help get users who are on the fence over it.
This is especially true if what you are selling is something that typically requires a big commitment. Users going away to think about your offering often results in a lost sale. Creating a sense that they would be losing out unless they decide now makes them less likely to go away and think.
You can use urgency even if you are not running a sale or offering a discount. Simply not having the thing the user wants already can create a sense of urgency. For example, not using an anti-aging product now means you will have an appearance you are unhappy with for longer, or not buying travel insurance when you book your holiday means you run the risk of something happening before you go away and you losing money.
Need help making your landing page convert?
Hi, I’m Charlotte. I love writing about user psychology and tips I’ve picked up from leading user research and CRO projects. Get in touch if you’d like to work with me to improve the user experience on your site or click here to learn more about your future CRO team.