What Is Landing Page Writing?
So, what is a landing page and how does it work? Essentially, a landing page is the first page that webmasters direct visitors to for the purpose of driving conversions, gathering leads, growing email lists, etc.
Why are landing pages important? They are designed with a specific goal in mind and thus help comprehensively describe the benefits of an offer and capture the attention of potential clients.
Writing landing page content usually depends on your goal, which influences the choice of a page type. So, what are all the types of landing pages?
- Lead capture page. Such a page helps marketers get the maximum amount of information out of the visitor, such as a name, email, phone number, preferences, etc. It usually contains copy such as a headline, subhead, body copy, several images, and a form to fill out.
- Product landing page. It focuses on product or service benefits and aims to convince the reader to make a purchase. Such pages often contain long-form content and present product advantages in detail to entice the visitor to stay longer and be more likely to convert.
- Click-through landing page. Such a page aims to warm up the leads and redirect them to the purchase page. It offers more details about the offer, but isn’t too specific and contains a call-to-action inviting users to convert.
- Get Started landing page. It is designed to help new visitors navigate the site more efficiently and explain what the brand is about.
Regarding the type of a landing page, its content may vary, but there are some best practices that will help you make a masterpiece out of any page.
15 Tips to Create a Good Landing Page
To help you master this skill, we have crafted a list of the best tips to create landing page copy that can help generate sales on your website.
1. Choose one offer
What information should be on a landing page? This is what beginner landing page writers often ask. To start with, follow the “Rule-of-One.” It means that your landing page should:
- Target one reader
- Present one big idea
- Make one promise
- Display one offer
“Rule-of-One” makes it easy for copywriters to craft content for a landing page copy. Focusing on one idea and offer will help create a highly relevant copy instead of writing a bit about everything.
This rule states that your landing page should offer “One Offer” to the audience. If people have more options to choose from, they will take longer to think and convert. But one clear-cut offer will eventually push the readers to act as soon as possible.
2. Your Headline Should Be Catchy
According to copyblogger, eight out of 10 people read just the headlines of any content, and if it’s not compelling enough, you are skipping out on 80% of your potential clients. David Ogilvy, a famous advertiser and marketer, said: “On average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy.” This means that your headline should be compelling enough to hook the readers and make them read the full copy.
You must be thinking, what kind of headlines attract customers? The answer is “the one that tells them that what they are looking for is right here.”
Still, confused? Put simply, a great headline should answer the question almost all of us have in our minds: “What is in it for me?” Your heading must tell them what this copy is about and how it is a solution to their problem.
In your headline, include your most valuable proposition, think about the benefits of your offer, and craft a compelling copy headline.
3. Start with the most important information
One of the most effective landing page content writing ideas is incorporating critical and crucial information right away. Because online readers skim through web pages rapidly, you just have a few seconds and inches of grabbing their attention.
Include the most important information “above the fold” on a landing page, which is the portion of a web page visible before a user begins to scroll.
4. Clear and Simple Copy Is Best
A major mistake many copywriters make is that they go overboard by using difficult words and sentences just to attract customers. The key to a successful landing page copy lies in keeping it simple and clear so that the user focuses on what’s important.
How much content should be on a landing page? In fact, landing page writing is different from any other content writing: the fewer the words, the better. This way, visitors won’t feel bored. The goal is not to make them stay longer, but to clearly present the offer’s advantages.
That’s why it is necessary to write simple sentences and avoid any complex structures that might confuse the reader. Each and every word should describe how your product or service can help the customer. So, avoid any excessive filler content and keep it to the point and attractive.
The following tips can help you write short yet impactful copy:
- Reduce the length of your sentences
- Adverbs should be used sparingly
- Avoid using slang or technical jargon
- Filler words should be removed (e.g., just, very, etc.)
- Remove superfluous pairs (for example, “each and every”)
- Write in the present tense
5. Describe Features in Terms of Benefits
Emphasizing benefits will answer the question of the customer, “What’s in there for me?” They will have a clear idea of how your product can be beneficial for them and not just great in general.
For example, Apple introduced its iPod as “1,000 songs in your pocket!” while most other device manufacturers use phrases like “5GB of storage” or “10GB of memory.” The customer will always prefer the description of “1,000 songs in your pocket” because it is easy to understand and uses everyday language instead of industry jargon. Most importantly, it benefits them.
6. Use Social Proof and Facts in Your Copy
Using social proof and facts about your services and products will make customers more confident in your product. Social proof is a strategy that influences people’s behavior by using the reviews and statements of other people.
You can use the reviews people leave on your website to generate more leads. Aside from general reviews, you can also use testimonials that famous people give about your services.
7. Improve Page Navigation
If a customer clicks on your ad after doing a generic search or perusing another website, there’s a strong possibility they’ve never heard of your firm before. As a result, they may want to learn more about you and your business before converting into customers.
This is particularly true if the request is big, such as a free demo or a purchase, instead of a simple offer like a free resource download. Even just a simple navigation bar with links to your Homepage and Contact pages can assist prospects in obtaining the information they require before deciding.
8. Minimize Friction
People who conduct a site search convert two times more frequently than those who do not. It makes sense because people who utilize search are usually looking to buy or do something. They’ll also have a better chance of finding what they’re looking for.
Make sure to create simple navigation on your website and work on search functionality.
9. Know your audience
If you ignore this first step, no other copywriting ideas will help you improve your landing page. Before writing a good copy, you must first figure out who you’re talking to. Define the demographics and features of your target audience, so you know their preferences, what they need most, and how they communicate.
Your landing page writing will be far more concentrated, clear, and direct when you have a single customer in mind rather than a wide, largely undefined population.
10. Speak directly to the users
When writing copy, employ the second person, which implies utilizing language that addresses the reader directly.
For this style of writing, use the following formula: words and phrases like “you,” “your,” and “yours” should be included. Use direct sentences like “Sign up here,” “Take the first step,” “Try this now,” and so on to inform the reader what to do. You may use the word “we” occasionally, but try to focus on the reader rather than yourself and your brand.
Also, even if you’re writing SEO material, keep in mind that the copy isn’t solely focused on keywords.
11. Use visuals
Images can make an emotional connection with individuals. Several research data has shown that 80 percent of viewers feel more attentive to the content when the landing page has attractive visuals.
Adding photos, infographics, and other types of images will make your page much more interesting for the audience, help better show product or service benefits and increase conversions.
12. Make text easy to scan
The content formatting is no less important than the text sense. It should be formatted so that readers quickly scan and get the info they need in a matter of seconds. Formatting is also useful for improving the search rankings of landing pages and blog posts.
An excellent copy can be formatted in a variety of ways, including:
- Lists with bullets
- Short sentences and paragraphs
- Bolded and underlined key data points
- Quotations
- Headings and subheadings, and more
13. Avoid passive voice
You should avoid using passive voice in your copy if you want to motivate your audience to take action.
Sentences written in the active voice are more straightforward, easier to understand, and more concise than passive voice sentences. As a result, they are more likely to strike a chord with readers and motivate them to act.
14. Add a sense of urgency
If you want to promote action, you must create a strong sense of urgency on your landing page. Users will feel that they can’t delay action for too long if they don’t want to miss the offer and should act now.
Urgency motivates your prospects to take action right now. Help them see how each and every day, without your product, harms their business, or they are missing out on the most amazing offer. They’ll feel obliged to take action as quickly as they can.
15. Improve Your CTA Copy
The call-to-action (CTA) is another important factor of landing page copywriting that requires your attention. When properly designed, a CTA button will attract visitors’ attention and entice clicks. While most websites still follow straightforward “Buy here” or “Click the link” strategies, there are many out there who are enjoying a high conversion rate just by developing creative CTA copies.
For example, when the Crazy Egg team changed the CTA button text from “Schedule a Demo Today” that was receiving a 1.71% conversion rate to “FREE 5-Min Video Demo!”, it increased the conversion to 15.33%. In the second case, the customers knew they would get benefits from this service, while in the first case, they were not very confident about whether this demo would be free or cost them.
How to Write a Landing Page That Converts?
Landing pages are used by only 48% of marketers for every venture they launch. As a result, more than half of businesses are missing out on a significant increase in conversions because they are unwilling to invest a few minutes in using a landing page to entice clients to learn more about what they have to offer.
Here are a few pointers to assist you in creating high-converting landing pages.
- Know the purpose of your landing page
- Don’t overwhelm your audience by including lots of information
- Keep it simple, clean, clear, and light
- Your CTA must be 100% clear and visible
- Visual imagery, video, and animation are best to improve engagement
- Use testimonials and reviews to build trust
- Make the content of the landing page clear and to the point
- Keep tweaking, analyzing, and improving
With so many best practices in place, one can wonder, “How long does it take to write a landing page?” Depending on how much content you can extract from your older posts, it might take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.
Try to focus on bringing value with your page instead of just counting the time needed for the work. Thus, the efforts invested will bring the desired outcome.
Bottom Line
Depending on the goal you want to achieve, there are various types of landing pages. In any case, it’s important to focus on one offer when writing landing page content to ensure easy and intuitive navigation on the page. The more benefits you can highlight, the more likely users are to relate and try your service.
