How to Write Landing Page Copy That Converts

So you’ve got your leads to your landing page. They’ve responded to whatever marketing breadcrumbs that you’ve left for them, and now is the moment it should pay off. Then something terrible happens. They simply turn around and leave. It’s called landing page abandonment.

I liken this feeling to your date walking out on you. You got this far, so what gives? Everything seemed to be going well, so why did they suddenly decide to call it quits? You ponder these questions as you eat a carton of ice cream in your sweatpants, watching a romantic comedy with increasing bitterness. How did you get here?

Ok, so maybe landing page abandonment isn’t quite as dramatic as a date gone wrong. However, it’s crucial to figure out how to keep your leads captivated enough with your landing page to convert. Let’s look at some ways that your landing page copy can take your conversions to the next level.

Single Offer

Remember going to the circus as a kid? There was so much to see: trapeze artists, clowns, a strongman, ringmaster, etc. The cotton candy wasn’t bad either.

Unfortunately, this circus-y mentality seeps into a lot of landing page copy these days. The idea is to cram in as many attractive offers as possible, in hopes that they will dazzle a lead into a conversion. But more often than not, this strategy backfires. Did you know that landing pages with multiple offers get 266% fewer leads than single offer pages?

Now that’s a scary statistic. It’s also very eye-opening. When writing landing page copy, avoid the temptation to include more than a single offer. One clear, concise offer keeps your reader focused and interested.

Be Short

The average reader only spends 37 seconds reading an article or blog post. For a landing page, it’s probably a third of that. Hey Shakespeare, people don’t have time to read your latest work of genius on a landing page. In fact, many of you are probably skimming this blog right now because you’re pressed for time, and that’s ok.

As marketers we should empathize with this mentality when we write our landing page copy. One way to make sure that your reader will get the point quickly is to make sure your headline succinctly delivers the message. If your lead can’t figure out what your landing page has to say in a few seconds, then you’ll need to rethink your copy strategy.

Bullet Value Statements

Bearing in mind the necessity to keep your landing page copy concise, you’ll also need to create content that is skimmable, digestible and visually interesting.

• One way to accomplish this is by creating bulleted value statements.
• Visually, it stands out by breaking the monotony of paragraphs and catches the reader’s attention.
• It also helps for anyone who’s skimming to quickly get the point of what you’re trying to say.
• ^^^ See? You just read those. : )

So bulleting part of your copy is good, but you also need to say something with them. You need to make value statements with your bullets. What do you want your readers to take away from your copy? What’s in it for them? If you can provide something of value in your bullets, chances are that you’ll push your lead that much closer to conversion.

Effective Calls to Action

To get more leads to convert, you’ll need a kickass call to action (CTA). If your readers have made it to the landing page and you’ve communicated the value of your offer, then they’re on board. But without a strong CTA, they’ll be like lost sheep, unsure about their next step.

Here are some best practices for crafting clear and effective CTAs:

1. Use first person.

Generally, speaking, using the first person in a CTA is more likely to convert. According to one study, switching the button text from second person (“your”) to first person (“my”) resulted in a 90% increase in clicks (e.g. Get My Report, Download My White Paper, Save My Spot).

2. Avoid passive language.

Your English teacher was right: Action verbs are your friends. Supercharge your CTA with verbs like register, download and create.

3. Create a sense of urgency.

Encouraging your lead to act right away helps strengthen your CTA. Here are some examples:

• “Offer ends soon – sign up today!”
• “Download now”
• “Create my account now”

These simple tips will help push your CTA to the next level, and your conversions will follow suit.

Simple Form

This idea of the simple form is reinforced by an age-old piece of advice: K.I.S.S., or “Keep It Simple, Stupid.” Granted, the “stupid” part of this is a little harsh, but the message is sound. And it definitely applies to landing page forms.

Think about it – if your lead is considering converting, why not make it as easy as possible? The instructions and explanations should be crystal clear. Sadly, there are lots of elaborate and complicated forms out there that unwittingly push conversions away. But taking the step to simplify your form can have a huge impact.

One company found that its conversions increased by 120% after it reduced its form from 11 fields down to four. Don’t let your form be the deal breaker. Create intuitive and simple forms, and you’ll reap the benefits.

Dynamic Content

So writing successful copy is all well and good, but what if you could take it one step further? What if you could write a landing page that resonated personally with each reader? Here are some interesting statistics:

74% of consumers get frustrated when website content appears that has nothing to do with their interests.

Leads who are nurtured with personalized content produce a 20% increase in sales opportunities.

78% of CMOs think custom content is the future of marketing.

Pretty revealing, right? People want to hear messaging that is relevant to them. Good news: You’re able to meet this demand with dynamic landing page content. You can build a single page that resonates with multiple audiences based on who they are, what they like, and their behaviors. Address them by name, and provide content based on past page visits/downloads so you know it’s on target. Start engaging your visitors with content written just for them. That sounds like a recipe for success to me!

Now Go Get Started on That Landing Page Content…

You now have all that you need to write some killer landing page copy. Remember, you’re writing to serve the reader, so make certain that you craft copy that communicates value, simplicity and relevance. Do that, and you’ll see those conversions skyrocket.