Studies have shown that one in five people who find a Web site through a search engine spend 60 seconds or less on the site. Some visitors determine that the content doesn’t suit their needs, but a large percentage flee because the Web site is confusing or difficult to navigate. Other irritants include:

• Slow loading time. Remember, everything must be faster on the Internet.
• Broken links and graphics. If a visitor clicks on a dead link, your credibility will be called into question.
• Carnival graphics. Visitors don’t want Web pages blaring at them like a carnival at night. Avoid excessive animated graphics, busy backgrounds, multicolored text, and blaring music. Equally important, resist using Macromedia Flash unless you have a product that needs to be described visually.
• Multiple banners and buttons. Too much choice leads to paralysis by analysis.
• Large fonts and hard-to-read text. Attract people with your information, products, and offers — not with glitz.

To improve your landing page, consider these tips:

• Have elementary school students view your site. If it’s too complicated for them, go back to the drawing board.
• Be clear. Providing information in a straightforward way leads to sales. Describe your guarantee and return policies in unambiguous language.
• Stay focused. Marketing consultant Anna Talerico describes landing pages as “conversion-focused experiences.”
• Check out the competition. Don’t just evaluate the content and design of your competitors’ Web sites; look at their guarantee policy and sales offers. It’s even a good idea to assess Web sites outside your industry.
• Do an “eyesight” check. Different Web browsers (such as Internet Explorer, Safari, and Firefox) will display different views of your site. To see how visitors are viewing your site, test different browsers by visiting BrowserCam.com.

Finally, to help visitors move seamlessly through your site, include strong calls to action — something as simple as “Click Here to Learn More” is fine. Think in terms of “microconversions” and “full conversions.” A microconversion is a step that moves a visitor closer to the ultimate goal — e.g., “Click for a Chance to Win a Free Consultation.” A full conversion is when a visitor takes the desired action you seek, such as registering to win a consultation, subscribing to a newsletter, or buying a product.

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