// guide
Landing page mistakes that kill conversions
After scoring 100+ real landing pages on a fixed rubric, the same mistakes show up again and again. They're rarely about taste; they're about specific, fixable leaks. Here are the nine we dock the most points for, and how to close each.
The hero and message mistakes
Most lost conversions die in the first screen, before the visitor scrolls.
- Headline describes the company, not the visitor's outcome.
- A clever-but-empty tagline that sounds nice but says nothing.
- Talking to 'everyone' instead of one specific audience.
The action mistakes
When the one thing you want them to do is unclear, they do nothing.
- Generic CTA labels ('Submit', 'Get started') that promise nothing.
- Multiple competing CTAs that split the decision.
- A CTA whose promise doesn't match what actually happens next.
The trust and friction mistakes
These quietly kill the visitors who almost converted.
- No proof, or only vague proof ('loved by thousands', anonymous quotes).
- Asking for too much, too soon (long forms, card before value).
- Leaving obvious objections unanswered (price, 'what next', data safety).
How to find yours
You can't see your own page like a stranger, you know it too well. Score it against a fixed rubric, or show the hero to someone cold and ask what it is, who it's for, and what to do next. Wherever they hesitate is the mistake to fix first.