I probably view ~30 business website homepages per day on average and see the same growth barriers everywhere. Even on sophisticated, Series D, Bay Area startup websites. Here’s 7 of the top ones in order of most easy to rectify.
1. Competing CTAs in the hero body
Probably the most commonly misunderstood. People think it’s a good idea to have a high-intent CTA like “Book A Demo” and a low-intent CTA like “How It Works” or a lead magnet. It isn’t. It decreases conversion overall. Instead:
- Delete the secondary CTA and have only the primary journey CTA that you want.
- Integrate the secondary journey further down in the page.
2. Generic or unimaginative button text
Like “Learn More” (this should be illegal) or “Get A Demo”. Try:
- “Get a Demo” → “Get My Personalised Walkthrough”
- “Learn More” → “Full Detail on [subject]“
3. Button copy not matching the action
For example, “How It Works” or “Learn More” going to a contact form or booking page. Infuriating. Just say what happens when they click. Add microcopy underneath the button if needed.
4. Back-and-forth demo scheduling
Tools like Cal and Calendly exist, are super cheap, and very easy to implement. This will improve the number of people actually speaking to someone.
5. Too many form fields
Three ideal, four max. Name (single field), email, optional message box. At a push, maybe a product-area field if you run a complex multi-product or service-line business. Handle all the other stuff — name parting, company name, location, etc. — in the back-end with process or automation.
6. Vague headlines
Like “Powering the future of finance.” If you can’t be creative at least be clear. Mention the benefit you realise or the problem you solve. Mention how you differentiate. Mention your ICP. Weave in a credibility signal somehow. Done.
7. Wasted PLG opportunities
If you have a product people can try, rather than getting them onto a demo, try this:
- Get them into the product (leave email capture to the last technically-possible moment).
- Optimise their TTV (time to value).
- Get them to their Aha moment.
- Prompt them with an onboarding or consulting flow — in-app or email — to secure a paid plan or retention.
Take a look at your homepages and see if you’re making any of these mistakes.