Landing Page Optimization: How To Write Copy That Converts

The pages on your website that are most likely to affect your bottom line are your how to write landing page copy. These are the pages that convert the people who visit your website into leads and customers. In this post, we’re going to show you the important points to writing landing page copy that converts.

Define the Goal

Before you can write convincing copy, you must know what you want to convince people to do. There should be one goal for each of your how to write landing page copy, such as converting people into email subscribers, free trial signups, or sales.

Know Your Customer

The more you can target a specific audience with your landing page, the better your copy will be at conversions. To do this, you will need to identify your ideal customer. What does your ideal customer do? What pain points does your ideal customer experience? What does your ideal customer need from your products or services? As you answer these questions, your landing page copy will start to take shape.

Open with a Great Headline

Your headline is the thing that will make people either want to read your landing page or want to navigate away from it. Your headline should be short and sweet, letting people know why they should continue reading the copy on the page. You can use it to identify a pain point your ideal customer has, or use it to share a key benefit that your ideal customer wants.

Talk to the Reader

Employ the usage of the word you to talk directly to the reader throughout your landing page copy. As you are writing your copy, have your ideal customer in mind throughout the process and pretend that you are talking just to that one person. It will give people on your landing page the feeling that you understand their specific needs and have a solution made specifically for them.

Focus on Results, Not Features

Product creators especially fall into the habit of talking about features – our product will do A, B, and C. While features are great, your ideal customer wants to know how the features will benefit them and get them their desired results. So instead of features, talk about benefits. Our product will make you more successful with A, B, and C will be much more convincing.

A Great Example: This Landing Page From Quick Sprout

how to write landing page copy

Include Numbers

Speaking of results, numbers will help convince people that the benefits and results you promise are measurable. For example, instead of saying that people will see a boost in their website traffic, say (assuming that it is true) that customers have seen a 250% increase in their traffic as a result of using your products or services.

Format with Bullet Points

People like to scan, and many might skip right over your story to get to the information they really want, such as the benefits they can expect to receive from your products and services. Be sure that key points are formatted with bullet points, so they stand out from the rest of your landing page text.

A Great Example: This Landing Page From XERO

how to write landing page copy

Highlight Your Competitive Advantage

If you have a lot of competitors, make your business, products, and services stand out by telling people what makes you unique and what you have to offer that’s different. Maybe it’s the fact that a product that is trusted by the top brands. Or maybe it’s the fact that your customers rave about your excellent customer service. Think of what will matter most to your ideal customer and make sure you note it in your landing page copy.

Write Simply

It’s tempting to extend the length of your landing page copy by adding additional words that make the page longer without adding value. It’s phrases like an added bonus versus a bonus. Try to remove “filler” words and make sure that your landing page copy says everything it needs to in a clear, succinct manner.

Strike an Emotional Chord

When you make a person feel something, they are more likely to act. If you make them feel bad by highlighting a pain point, they will act if they believe your product or service will remedy that bad feeling. If you make them feel good by highlighting the benefits they will receive, they will act if they believe your product or service will continue to boost that good feeling.

Mix in Media

Visual content can be appealing to those who are not interested in reading long sections of text. As you are writing your landing page copy, think of images that will compliment your text or help visual learners fully understand what you are writing. Also consider whether you can take your copy and turn it into a video script.

Counter Objections

Put yourself in your ideal customer’s shoes and ask yourself – what would make you not want to complete the goal of the landing page? Jot down a few reasons, then make sure that your landing page copy includes counters to those reasons. It could be something as simple as saying that people will receive a return on investment within 30 days or less, or that people’s email addresses will not be sold.

Incorporate Testimonials

You don’t have to write everything that goes onto your landing page. Incorporate testimonials throughout your landing page copy. Preferably, as you add the benefits and results that people will get from your email list, products, or services, include a testimonial that backs up your claim. Be sure that your testimonials include photos to enhance their trustworthiness.

A Great Example: A Great Example: This Landing Page From ZenPayroll

how to write landing page copy

Boost Confidence with a Guarantee

When money is involved, a guarantee can go a long way in boosting the confidence of the buyer. Assure people that you are confident that they will receive the benefits and results highlighted in your landing page copy. In general, if you are confident about your products and services, your guarantee will reflect that.

Add Several Contact Options

Another way to boost customer confidence is by adding multiple contact options. That way, they know if they have a question about their purchase, either before or after, they can connect with you by phone, email, or live chat.

Make the Call-to-Action Exceptional

After the headline, your call-to-action is the next most important piece of copy on your landing page. Depending on your vertical and your ideal customer, something as simple as changing Buy It Now to Add to Cart can make a huge difference in conversion rates. Look at your competitors in this regard – it will show you what verbiage your ideal customers are used to seeing.

A Great Example: A Great Example: This Landing Page From When I Work

how to write landing page copy

Proofread for Perfection

While blog content tends to be more casual, and imperfections are considered conversational, landing page copy should be as perfect as possible. Run it through online proofreaders like Grammarly as well as your word processing software. Then proofread it again or have someone else proofread and edit it for you. People who are about to invest in your business want to know that your attention to detail is superb in all aspects of customer service, from start to finish.

Remove Distractions

To ensure that people on your landing page focus on nothing but your writing, it’s best to remove distractions from your landing page. This includes sidebar items, menu bars, social sharing buttons, links to social profiles, and anything else that does not relate directly to your landing page’s goal.

Perform A/B Testing

To ensure that your copy is successful, perform A/B testing on various aspects of your landing page, including the headline, call to action text, bullet points of benefits, and testimonial selections. A/B testing should be an ongoing process to ensure that you ultimately get the highest conversion rate possible.

By following these tips, you will be well on your way to creating amazing how to write landing page copy that get results for your business.

About The Author: In his more than 10 years as a marketer and entrepreneur, Sujan Patel has helped hundreds of companies boost online traffic, sales and strengthen brand reputation online. Sujan is the VP of marketing at When I Work — an employee scheduling software solution for small businesses.