Why Isn’t My Landing Page Converting?

This is a huge problem with websites, and frankly, this is why marketing agencies exist. Why isn’t my landing page converting? Your website should be getting you leads and sales, and if it’s not, something is wrong.

So, in this episode, I’m going to go through six mistakes that we see all the time and what you can do about them to optimize your landing page for more conversions.

As always, the basis for what I’m going to talk about today is the five laws of marketing and the Clear Brand marketing flywheel.

The Five Laws of Marketing Are:

Story
Design
Systems
Connection
Visibility

These are the five laws of marketing—these things never change. Any type of marketing you do needs to engage all five laws all the time; otherwise, you’re not going to gain momentum or see the success you’re after.

We’ll also touch on the marketing flywheel. Your website is at the center, and you spin the flywheel around it to build momentum over time—by increasing traffic, generating leads, and getting sales. We repeat this process to keep the momentum going.

There’s another episode on the five laws of marketing I highly recommend you check out, and another on the Clear Brand marketing flywheel. Those will be the foundation for today’s discussion.

Let’s dive into the six mistakes that destroy conversions on your website and what you can do about them.

Mistake #1: Assuming You Know Everything

Why is this a mistake?
When writing a website, we often base our content largely on our own opinions. We might do some research—usually relying on Google. But, these days, Google’s first and second pages are often full of websites and blog articles that are poorly researched, written quickly, and sometimes even copied and pasted without good grammar or accuracy.

You can tell these are just surface-level searches, and the content may look well-researched but isn’t. Sometimes, even top responses are low-quality blogs. So, when you Google something, you might think, “I’ve got it,” but in reality, you’re not doing true research.

What about your own messaging?
You’re writing based on assumptions and opinions, which might not reflect what your audience actually cares about. We set out to create a landing page that converts, but if it’s based solely on assumptions, it might not resonate.

The solution:
We need to launch fast and learn from customer data through A/B testing. You can’t learn anything if you don’t launch something first. For example, we recently worked with a client with a very unique message—hard to create messaging for. We launch a website, track conversions, behavior, and run A/B tests on different messages, colors, and layouts.

Example:
We tested different colors for a product launch. Purple was the base color, but ads testing showed that orange outperformed purple significantly—by about 24% in conversions. This demonstrates the importance of testing rather than relying on opinions or “best practices.”

Key takeaway:
Don’t assume you know everything. Test one thing at a time, track conversions, and be willing to adapt based on data. Heat maps and scroll depth are helpful, but ultimately, conversions are what matter most—money pays the bills.

Mistake #2: Poor Design

Why is this a mistake?
Trust is a key component of conversions. Research shows that 38% of people leave your website if they don’t like your design, and around 50% base their trust on your design.

Many marketing agencies claim, “Good content will outperform good design,” but I ask, why choose one over the other? Both are important. Good design builds trust, which influences buying decisions.

What if you’re not a designer?
Most people overestimate their design skills. Unless you have data or feedback from unbiased sources, assume your design isn’t optimal. Find a professional designer with good reviews, and validate designs through A/B testing.

Example:
We tested different colors for a client’s branding. Green unexpectedly outperformed other colors, leading to a 24% increase in conversions—just by changing one color in the design. We didn’t assume; we tested.

Key takeaway:
Your opinions about design matter less than data. Validate your design choices with testing to ensure they build trust and increase sales.

Mistake #3: Not Giving Customers Courage (Story & Trust)

Why is this important?
In marketing, storytelling is the first law of marketing. The customer is the hero; you are the guide. The guide provides the hero with a plan and, crucially, courage to act.

How do guides give courage?
Through stories, scenes, and testimonials. For example, in Thor: Ragnarok, Odin tells Thor, “Are you the god of hammers?”—a moment that gives Thor confidence. Similarly, in Black Panther, T’Challa’s father shares wisdom that gives him courage.

In marketing:
Testimonials serve as social proof—showing others who have taken the step and succeeded. They build trust and give potential customers the confidence to act.

Example:
A testimonial might say, “I was hesitant, but after trying this, I achieved great results.” This reassures prospects that taking action is safe and worthwhile.

Key takeaway:
Share stories and testimonials that demonstrate others’ success to give your audience the courage to buy.

Mistake #4: Unclear Story & Connection

The structure:
Your website’s headline and hero section must connect with your audience’s motivation and problem. Use three acts in storytelling:

Act 1: The Setup
Live in your customer’s world. They have a motivation (what they want) and a problem (what’s preventing them).
Example: Someone with pain wants relief but is frustrated by inflammation.
Act 2: The Transition
The hero leaves their world and enters yours. This is where your solution comes in.
Example: They learn about your product as a natural alternative.

How to connect:
Use headlines that reflect their language.
Example: “Tired of Pain? Discover Natural Relief.”
Think about what they say at home or to friends—words like “I wish I wasn’t in pain” or “I can’t do this anymore.”

Example:
For a pain relief product, focus on their experience, not just the solution. “Are you tired of constant pain?” connects directly with their feelings.

Key takeaway:
Your story must resonate with their world and language. Clarify your message so they see themselves in your story.

Mistake #5: Not Connecting with Your Target Audience

The misconception:
Many think targeting their audience involves questions like “What do they drink in the morning?” or “What hobbies do they have?”

The truth:
Your target audience is defined by their problem and motivation, not superficial demographics. If they have a problem you solve or a motivation to buy, they are your target.

Examples:

Selling a natural pain remedy? Your audience is people experiencing pain or inflammation.
Selling coffee? Focus on coffee drinkers.

How to find them:

Use organic search to identify what they search for related to their problem/motivation.
For ads, narrow down by age, income, or location to fit your budget, but remember, the core is their problem and motivation.

Tools:

SEMrush
Google Keyword Planner
Ubersuggest

Help identify high-volume, low-competition keywords.

Example:
If selling a natural alternative to ibuprofen, target people searching for “natural pain relief” or “reduce inflammation naturally.”

Key takeaway:
Focus on their problem and motivation—not just demographics—to find your true target audience.

Mistake #6: Not Optimizing for SEO

Why is this critical?
Beyond targeting intent, your content must be optimized for search engines. Google favors content that:

Is high quality and engaging
Gets shared and linked to
Keeps visitors on the page
How to optimize:
Write incredible, helpful content that solves their problem.
Use clear headings that match their search queries.
Include images—preferably custom or original—to boost ranking.
Use keywords that reflect their problem/motivation, verified with tools like SEMrush or Google Keyword Planner.

Additional tips:

Focus on low competition, high search volume keywords.
Balance keyword difficulty with search volume for best results.

Example:
For a natural pain relief product, keywords like “natural ways to reduce inflammation” or “home remedies for pain” are effective.

Key takeaway:
Create content that Google recognizes as valuable and relevant, encouraging higher rankings and more organic traffic.

Final Summary

These are the six mistakes that destroy your landing page conversions:

Assuming you know everything — test everything with data.
Poor design — build trust through validated design choices.
Not giving customers courage — use storytelling and testimonials.
Unclear story — connect with their world and language.
Not targeting the right audience — focus on their problem and motivation.
Not optimizing for SEO — create high-quality, keyword-rich content.

By addressing these, you can build a high-conversion landing page.