One of the keys to success with just about any business is a good landing page on a website. A good landing page will help you build an email list, create leads, and build your brand in a very effective way. It’s the way to get people firmly into your sales funnel and have them come out the other end as loyal customers.

The problem is that many web designers and marketers end up discounting the importance of a landing page, and it doesn’t perform well as a result. There are many common mistakes that are the root cause. In this article, we will go over some of those common mistakes so you can avoid making them yourself.

1 - Too much text

When a visitor arrives on the landing page, it should be immediately clear what it is about and what they should do next. A mistake that is often made is that there is so much text that it is unclear what is going on, and a visitor has to read far too much to get to the point.

Instead, use a banner design online to create a smart-looking header for the page and add a few lines of pithy text. The banner should have a couple of lines of text on it as well, but only enough to quickly convey what the page is about.

The rest of the text should quickly let the reader know you have a solution to their problem. At that point, they will want the solution, so add some call-to-action buttons that direct them to the next step they should take.

2 - Unclear calls to action

The idea behind a landing page is for a visitor to take action. It could be signing up for a form to be called back later. Or to sign up to be put on an email list. A well-designed landing page makes it clear what the visitor needs to do to be able to take the next step and go through the process to get into the funnel.

A common mistake is for the call to action to be unclear. It’s either because it is hard to see or because it is in text form and blends in with the body of the text. In other cases, the call to action is under the fold, and the visitor has to scroll down to see it. Or, the button doesn’t describe what will happen when they click.

Make sure to have an easy-to-spot button with text that tells them what they are meant to do, such as fill in a form or add an item to a shopping cart.

3 - Not having a lead magnet

People are willing to take the next step and get into your funnel when they feel they are going to get something in return. If you don’t offer a lead magnet in return for their email or other information, then they aren’t likely to take action.