What Your Landing Page and a First Date Have In Common

First dates and landing pages have nothing in common, right? Wrong! In fact, the two have a surprising number of similarities. Both can be awkward if done wrong, and great if done correctly. A good landing page, like a good first date, can lead to amazing things. A bad date, like a bad landing page, can lead to a nasty reputation.

First Impressions are Everything

Image via Flickr by wetwebwork

Have you ever been set up on a blind date? You open the door and take a look at the other person for the first time. What do you see? Unfortunately what you see first is what is going to stick in your mind for the rest of the date, and probably for a long time afterward. First impressions are crucial. You don’t want to assault the visitors to your site with painfully bright color schemes and outdated gifs. Don’t be the guy that shows up with overly greased hair and a Hawaiian shirt to go to a fancy restaurant.

Don’t Say Something Stupid

Sticking your foot in your mouth when you are with your friends is bad enough. When you are on a first date, or when you say the wrong thing on your landing page, that can be the end of it all. Your date – or your visitors – will walk away, and you will never hear from them again. Of course, exactly what the wrong thing is depends on the person. That is the tricky part about this one. You can’t please everyone all the time. Anything you say could probably offend someone. However, it’s important to try to be as polite as possible.

Getting Too Personal is a Turn-Off

Asking questions is good. Getting to know someone is great. But asking too many questions is a little nerve-wracking. Especially if you are throwing questions at the other person without offering any information about yourself. And when the questions get extremely personal, it’s even worse. Make sure to be subtle about the questions you ask on your landing page. If you wouldn’t ask it on a first date, don’t ask it on a landing page.

Falling Asleep is the Sign of a Bad Date

Image via Flickr by Ed Yourdon

You don’t want your date to fall asleep in the middle of dinner, right? If your landing page is boring, it is just as bad. People don’t want to sit and read through extremely boring walls of text. They want something that will keep them interested. Spice things up, and you might just keep the other party interested enough for another go-around.

Honesty Pays Off

Image via Flickr by Genista

Have you ever met someone who you could tell was a complete liar? People are good at sniffing out lies, whether on a first date or on a landing page. Be honest. You are more likely to make a good impression this way. People will trust you and be more likely to want to know more. From making up stats to fibbing about your past, lying is going to just make you look like scum.

First dates and landing pages, who knew they were so similar?

By Jon Correll