5 Common Landing Page Mistakes (And How to Fix Them) | Web Design Devon & Cornwall

Landing pages are one of the most powerful tools in your digital marketing arsenal. Whether you're a boutique brand in Cornwall or a digital start-up in Devon, your landing page is often your first and most important impression, a well-crafted landing page can mean the difference between a bounce and a conversion. But too often, brands unknowingly sabotage their own success with avoidable mistakes. Here are five of the most common pitfalls, and how to fix them.

1. Unclear or Weak Value Proposition

Many landing pages fall short because they don't immediately communicate what makes their product or service valuable or unique. When someone lands on your page, they should instantly understand what you're offering and why it matters to them. If that message isn’t clear within the first few seconds, the likelihood of them clicking away increases dramatically. People won’t spend time trying to figure out your value, they’ll simply move on to a competitor who spells it out.

You only have a brief window to make a lasting impression. Without a strong, clearly stated value proposition, visitors are left to guess, and that uncertainty is a major conversion killer. Guesswork rarely leads to action. Instead, clarity builds confidence and confident users convert.

How to Fix It:

• Craft a clear headline that states exactly what the user gets and why it matters.

• Use supporting subheadings to explain the offer in more detail.

• List the key benefits in bullet points for quick scanning.

Remember: clarity beats cleverness. Make your offer obvious, valuable, and compelling.

2. Overwhelming or Confusing Design

A cluttered landing page can overwhelm users before they’ve even had a chance to understand your offer. Too much text, poorly aligned visuals, or competing calls to action all contribute to a sense of confusion. Rather than guiding the visitor toward a specific goal, a chaotic layout creates friction, making it harder for them to decide what to do next. Simplicity isn’t about removing content - it’s about making the important parts shine.

A clean, intentional design keeps visitors focused and engaged. Employing a clear visual hierarchy helps users naturally navigate the page from headline to call to action. Visual hierarchy refers to the arrangement of elements so that the eye is drawn to them in order of importance, think bold headlines, contrasting buttons, and logical section breaks. The more effortless the journey, the more likely a conversion becomes.

How to Fix It:

• Embrace minimalism. Use whitespace generously to let content breathe.

• Create a clear visual hierarchy. This means structuring elements so the eye naturally flows from the most important to the least. Start with your headline, then supporting visuals, benefits, testimonials, and finally your footer.

• Highlight the essentials. Your core message and CTA should stand out at a glance.

A simple, streamlined design keeps the user focused and improves the likelihood of conversion.

3. Ineffective Call-to-Action (CTA)

Too many landing pages hide their call-to-action or present it in a way that’s vague and uninspiring. A button labelled “Submit” or “Click Here” gives no sense of urgency or reward, leaving users uncertain about what will happen next. Worse still, if the CTA is buried at the bottom of a cluttered page or lacks visual contrast, visitors may miss it entirely. In those moments of indecision, they’re far more likely to bounce than convert.

To boost conversions, your call-to-action must be impossible to miss and compelling to click. That means using strong, action-oriented language, phrases like “Get My Free Guide” or “Start Saving Today” work far better than generic terms. The button should be prominent, both in design and placement, ideally visible without scrolling. Experimenting with different wording, colours, and positions through A/B testing can help uncover what drives the most clicks for your audience.

How to Fix It:

• Use action-driven language like “Download Your Guide,” “Get Started Today,” or “Claim Your Discount.”

• Design for prominence. Your CTA button should be bold, clear, and easy to find above and below the fold (the fold is the line where your web page ends on your screen before scrolling).

• Test variations. A/B test your CTA wording, size, and placement to discover what gets the best results.

  
  

Always remember: you’re guiding the user to one specific action. Make it irresistible.

4. Neglecting Mobile Optimisation

In today’s mobile-first world, designing landing pages with only desktop users in mind is a costly mistake. A page that looks beautiful on a large screen might be frustrating or even unusable on a mobile device, think tiny text, slow load times, or buttons too small to tap. According to Forbes, 91% of people now use their smartphones to make online purchases. With Cropink projecting that 75% of all e-commerce transactions will happen on mobile by the end of 2025, failing to cater to this audience means alienating the majority of your potential customers.

Ensuring your landing page performs flawlessly on mobile devices is non-negotiable. Responsive design allows content to adapt seamlessly to different screen sizes, while fast-loading elements reduce bounce rates on slower networks. Simplifying navigation and reducing form fields makes it easier for mobile users to take action without friction. Optimising for mobile isn’t just a nice-to-have, it’s critical for maximising reach and revenue in the digital age.

How to Fix It:

• Use responsive design to ensure your page adapts beautifully to any screen size.

• Optimise page speed, especially for mobile networks, by compressing images and streamlining code.

• Simplify navigation and forms, use larger buttons, fewer fields, and single-column layouts for ease of use on smaller screens.

Mobile optimisation isn’t optional, it’s essential for performance.

5. Lack of Trust Signals

Landing pages that fail to build trust leave users hesitant and unlikely to convert. If a visitor doesn’t feel confident in your credibility, whether due to a lack of visible reviews, vague brand messaging, or missing contact information they’re unlikely to hand over their details or make a purchase. This is especially true for first-time visitors who don’t yet have a relationship with your brand. Without reassurance, even the most persuasive offer can fall flat.

To create confidence, your landing page needs to showcase trust signals that reassure and validate. These can include customer testimonials, client logos, case studies, or verified reviews - anything that shows others have had a positive experience. Trust badges (like secure payment icons or industry accreditations) also help, as does transparent contact information and a clearly accessible privacy policy.

Furthermore, if we look to the previous point, slow load times hurt your trust with users. Seen as unprofessional and poorly built, the longer a page takes to load the higher your bounce rates.

When visitors feel safe and supported, they’re far more likely to take the next step.

How to Fix It:

• Showcase testimonials and case studies. Real-world results and happy clients build social proof.

• Add trust badges. Include security certificates, SSL seals, and partner logos to build confidence.

• Make it easy to reach you. Display clear contact details, privacy policies, and guarantees.

• Trust is the bedrock of conversions, earn it with transparency and authority.

Conclusion

Poorly designed landing pages can quietly undermine even the most well-funded digital campaigns. By avoiding these five mistakes, unclear messaging, chaotic design, ineffective CTAs, mobile neglect, and missing trust elements. You can drastically improve your conversion rates and return on investment.

Ready to Fix Your Landing Pages?

If you’d like a second pair of eyes or hands-on help to optimise your current pages, The Ocean Agency offers expert landing page design and teardown services. Get in touch, or subscribe to our upcoming video series to see how we turn broken pages into high-performing machines.