101 Words You Should Never Use On Your Landing Page

I’ve compiled the 101 words you should avoid using on your landing pages so they’re not diluted. These are words that may misrepresent your business, or make it sound like every other business in your customer's mailing list. To generate increasing leads and hit higher conversion ratios from your landing pages, avoid these words at all costs!

1. Unique

The original definition of 'unique' meant 'one of a kind'. It doesn’t offer any clarity. Elaborating the benefits of your offer will be more informative than using this word.

2. Popular

If your service was popular enough, you wouldn't have to use it on your landing page.

3. 100 % guaranteed

Replace this impossible promise with customer testimonials. In any case, you're going to have a long list of exceptional situations that may prevent you from delivering services 100% of the time.

4. Innovative

Think about this word carefully. Unless you've just broken barriers to something entirely new, don’t use it.

5. State-of-the-art

This word/phrase belongs in a museum. It may have been the go-to word in 1993, but today, it just means some technology was involved, which is true in every business.

6. Cutting-edge

Unless you've employed the world's leading engineers and scientists to fashion your product, don't use this word either.

7. Revolutionary

Einstein's work was revolutionary. The e=mc² equation revolutionized physics and general sciences of the day. Is your business truly revolutionary?

8. Best/excellent customer service

Replace these bragging phrases, with real customer reviews.

9. Very

'Very' is a filler that doesn't add meaning to your service. It only means what the following word means. For example, the phrase 'very friendly' can always be re-written as 'amicable.'

10. Really

Similar to 'very,' this word is great for casual and real conversations. But it doesn't look good in text, especially on a banner on your landing page.

11. Actually (or in fact)

This word makes it sound like anything that was written before it may not entirely be true. All the features you mention on your landing page should be facts anyway, not subjective opinion.

12. Honestly

Once again, honesty is implied when you're talking about your services, don't bring this word in to make other statements questionable.

13. Just

It's a word that takes away conviction and purpose from your writing. Sentences like 'We just want to offer you.' etc. make it easier for customers to reject the offer because it doesn't give them that sense of conviction and urgency.

14. Obviously

Everything is not equally obvious to everyone. You may sound condescending to a visitor for whom the statement may not be obvious.

15. Basically

If you need this word to clarify your offer or service, whatever you mentioned before it becomes unnecessary. The only context where this is necessary is if you have to breakdown a complex theory or principle into simple language. Your landing page should already have the second part, i.e., simple language.

16. Totally/essentially

These are mere fillers that audiences don’t pay attention to. It weakens the point you're trying to make.

17. Visualize

Use the visuals and graphics on your landing page for this effect. Don’t just write the word and tell people what to think. Clever graphics can allow visitors to automatically visualize your product or service even as they read through the features and content.

18. Conceptualize

Your visitors are most probably doing this anyway (even if unconsciously). Don’t use this word to confuse them further.

19. Utilize

It's a fancy word which can always be substituted with the much simpler 'use'. Remember, when communicating with potential customers, sometimes simpler, is better!

20. Facilitate

We agree that this word can be useful in some contexts. But normally, a simpler word like 'help' can make communication faster.

21. Proximity

This word is more appropriate in an academic paper than on a landing page designed to attract sales. Words like 'near' and 'close' will get your meaning across more easily.

22. End-result

The result is the end, and whatever remains, in the end, is the result. Avoid unnecessary expressions like this one.

23. Click here

No one likes being told what to do. If your write-up was attractive enough, they would click without being asked to.

24. Cheap

To most people, this word implies a lack of value or quality. Don't use it to describe your services.

25. Spam

This word reminds readers of what spam is, and no matter how creatively you use it on your page, the word itself will turn readers off.

26. Submit

Registration forms and login forms often have this word as the action button. Research has shown that it’s not conducive to good conversion rates.

27. However

Too formal, replace with 'but.' Your landing page needs readable and cohesive content.

28. Therefore

Don’t use this unless it's a Cambridge essay.

29. Furthermore

Begin a new point. Don't continue a sentence using this word.

30. Additionally

This word takes value away from the service, making it sound like an inferior add-on.

31. Moreover

Simply not suitable landing page language. It sounds lazy and repetitive.

32. Result-oriented

All institutions are result-oriented. What are your results? Be specific.

33. Market-leading

Give details. What kind of market do you lead? And how?

34. Word-class

This simply comes off as bragging. Has there been an international competition where your business proved itself better than every other competitor in the world? If yes, then you can use this tag.

35. Best-in-class

Don't use this unless you have unbiased research showing you're the best among similar competition.

36.  Industry-standard

If your business is legal, it has to be industry-standard anyway. No one will admit if their products don’t meet industry-standards.

37. First-rate

There's no business out there who will claim their products are second-rate.

38. Next generation

You want your products to appeal to this generation. Not just people from the future. People are regularly being made to feel like they don't belong in this generation or the next. Don't participate in this exclusion.

39. Pioneering

Unless your product is an invention that changed the whole industry, avoid this word.

40. Amazing

This word is so overused that nothing amazes us anymore. Only use this word if your product or service will leave your customers nothing short of being amazed.

41. Ultimate

This word actually means the 'last' in a series. People seem to think it means the best. Don't use it in your ads, unless your product is the last of a collection of products being released in a series.

42. Fantastic

Let your customers use this word to describe you. Using it for your own services makes it appear like you take a little bit too much pride in what you offer.

43. Stunning

Unless your visitors are going to be stunned and unable to read further, this word is excessive. The exception is if your business deals in jewelry and precious stones.

44. Fast-delivery

Delivery dates range from customer to customer. Avoid this blanket term.

45. Superior-quality

Be specific about what makes your product superior.

46. Leverage

This belongs in a high-school physics textbook.

47. Alleviate

Third-world Governments try to 'alleviate' poverty. Your landing page needn’t use this word.

48. Groundbreaking

Nobody believes phrases like this unless it's coming from a scientific journal.

49. Once-in-a-lifetime

Can you guarantee that no one else can make this offer in the customer's lifetime? Think about it.

50. Perfect

Nothing is perfect, as your customers will soon see. Discrepancies happen. Don't set yourself up for what you can’t deliver.

51. Impossible

Nike has already overused this word beyond recognition.

52. Miracle

Unless your business is about to cure cancer, don't oversell it.

53. Visionary

Excessive value to your own initiatives.

54. Transformative

Vague and unclear. Explain what it is you're transforming.

55. Once-only

Successful business plans are always replicated. Don't mention this.

56. Jaw-dropping

Your visitors aren’t cartoon characters.

57. Spell-binding

Is your business magical? Enough said.

58. Game-changer

Elaborate on what new features you’re introducing, without sounding like click-bait.

59. Armageddon

No business tries to bring about war or developments that try to end the world. Don't let this be seen in your landing page.

60. Apocalypse

Similar to the previous one, it's not suitable for sales and services.

61. Outside-the-box

Use this word in your sales meetings, not on your landing pages.

62. Synergy

This is a great word for corporate communication. But not great for visitors.

63. Profit

Stay away from this word! All businesses are trying to make a profit. Using the word makes it sound like you're only there for the profits, even if you're offering it to someone else.

64. Commission

This word reminds you of sales and profits. Your potential customers don’t need to hear it.

65. Hidden gem

Expressions like these belong in fairy-tales, not on your landing page.

66. Bandwidth

Unless you're reaching out to people specifically concerned about bandwidth, it tends to make visitors lose interest.

67. Programmatic

There’s a reason why this word sounds like 'Problematic.'

68. Quota

This is vintage sales lingo that has gone past its prime. No one uses it anymore.

69. Win-win

Don't use this phrase unless you're a Ponzi scheme trying to lure in gullible investors.

70. Opportunity

The customer is at your landing page, sensing an opportunity. Don't explain the obvious.

71. Actionable

Vague derivative of the word 'action.' What actions will you take? Specify them.

72. Viral

In today's world of social media and connectivity, everyone wants their content to be viral. Too bad the word itself doesn’t make it viral. It acts more like a virus killing potential leads.

73. Holistic

This word is overused in the corporate world. Expand it to include what you mean.

74. Robust

If we had a penny for every time we saw this word on a sales ad, we wouldn't need more sales.

75. Seamless

This word is so overused its meaning is no longer as desirable as it used to be.

76. Paradigm

Majority of your visitors may not even know what this word means.

77. Customer-oriented

This phrase is vintage sales talk. Sales-savvy customers will immediately find it suspicious.

78. Buy now

It makes your page look lazy.

79. Huge

Specify the quantity, size, or amount you mean.

80. Deal

This word immediately implies 'profit' for businesses and can seem unreliable to consumers.

81. Special

When everything is special, you'll find that nothing actually is.

82. Connectivity

Seen everywhere on social-based businesses. It repels more sales than it attracts.

83. Massive

Similar to 'huge', you can shed more clarity by specifying how massive your offer or service is.

84. Fam

A slang term that means 'close friends' or 'family'; businesses need to stay clear of this word.

85. Bae

Another slang word popular among millennials; if misused it will bring more embarrassment than sales.

86. Dab

Another slang word that could mean anything from a dance move to a move you'd make on a bike. There may be other areas where you need to reach out to teens or millennials specifically, but your landing page should avoid misusing these tricky words.

87. Yeet

This slang word is used in a variety of expressions that makes it inappropriate for your page.

88. LOL

An acronym that supposedly means Laugh Out Loud, although no one seems to be doing it when using this slang. Using it in the wrong context will make your page look dumb.

89. GOAT

Another acronym that’s supposed to mean 'Greatest Of All Time.' It's a superlative expression that businesses will be tempted to use, but you need to steer clear of this slippery slope.

90. Lit

Another popular slang that may look like it will sound good in writing. But your landing page is not the right location.

91. Instantly

Whether you're promising service or delivery, sometimes things don't happen instantly.

92. Immediately

Another word like 'instantly'. These words set you up for deadlines and speed of services that you may not live up to. Attracting new customers is one thing, but coaxing them into building unrealistic expectations will definitely hurt you in the long run.

93. Exclusive

A word that makes it sound like your other services are below par.

94. Limited

Not the worst word on this list. You can definitely use it in offers that have an expiry date. But the danger is in overusing it.

95. Verified

Everything you offer or sell should be products that are verified to be real, true, and in working condition. Using this word make it sound more suspicious.

96. Revenue

No one likes to hear this word (except economists, maybe). It reminds you of business parameters that can bore the life out of customers.

97. No-obligation

This expression is an attempt at clever advertising that doesn't work too well, especially on observant customers. Business transactions usually involve obligations. Customers who ordered are obligated to purchase (unless it's a defective product). Your business is obligated to fulfill the promises made on a landing page. Business is largely about honoring obligations.

98. No-strings-attached

Don't use this expression unless you are a puppeteer who has invented a mysterious way of controlling your puppets without strings (in which case, you can also use words like 'revolutionary,' 'groundbreaking' 'world-class').

99. Magical

Employing magicians and wizards are we? Stick to real life possibilities.

100. No-questions-asked

In the course of closing your sale, there are always questioned exchanged between customers and business owners. These questions range from basic stuff like a customer’s email or identification, to more detailed stuff like exact features of the product or service, etc.

101. Confidential

If it were truly confidential, it wouldn't be on your landing page.

Last Words

So there you have it, one hundred and one words that simply don’t go well with the content and intention of a landing page. Remember, some of these words are ideal for other areas of communication, or in reaching out to specific business communities or niches. I leave it to you to decide where else they can be useful (an article for another day).

The bottom line is, your landing page serves a particular purpose. And it’s clear today that customers' perceptions of businesses and services are evolving with changing trends and tastes. This means that all marketing tactics don’t work as well as they did a decade back. The intelligent marketer will avoid pitfalls that can turn your landing page into an avoid-at-all-cost page for consumers.