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Five seconds. That’s the typical amount of time you have to woo someone who’s looking at your landing page. If you can’t nudge them toward conversion within the first 5 seconds of the page load, it’s over.
Quite a challenge, eh? Don’t worry, we’ll help you make it happen. Take a deep breath and read on for proven landing page copywriting tips.
Learn from Journalists
There’s a reason traditional journalism teaches its students about the “who what when where why” approach to writing: It works. Before anyone can feel the least bit invested in what they’re reading, they need some basic questions answered.
In the internet age, this means you should cover the following info within seconds of the page load: who you are, what’s being offered, and why they should care.
Capture the Experience
Remember that for your audience, your product/service isn’t the goal – an experience for themselves is the goal. Or, to put it another way, “feeling slimmer in a bridesmaid’s dress” is what they’re hoping to achieve, not “buying Spanx.”
Every landing page should clearly answer the question “What’s in it for me?” from their point of view. Show them that you understand their experience and want to help.
Sometimes the driving motivation isn’t for themselves, but for someone else important to them. If that’s true of your target audience, speak directly to that fact:
- How will they convince their boss to consider buying it?
- Will their children think it’s a cool product?
- Is their spouse going to think it’s too expensive?
Stop Being Boring
Let’s face it: Lots of landing pages are boring. And being boring is downright insulting to the reader.
Here are a few tips to keep your audience engaged.
Keep it short. It’s too long if it’s cruising past 300 words with no end in sight.
Stay active. Use active, not passive, voice— “shoes are here” not “shoes have been introduced.”
Punch up the headlines. If you do nothing else differently, write terrific headlines.
Avoid boring words. Hint: “great” and “best” are meaningless.
Don’t rely on adverbs like “quickly” and “easily.”
Tease the details. Include just a few juicy product details and link to a specs page.
Use copy/headline analyzers. There are lots of free online tools that can help with readability and copy development.
Make it a mantra. Say it with us now: “Be less boring. Be less boring.” It sounds like a joke, but we’re serious. Stay vigilant to keep your copywriting in a non-boring territory.
Add Testimonials/Reviews
Testimonials and reviews – as long as they’re short and trustworthy – can make a big impact on a landing page. Of course, this brings up the whole notion of online trustworthiness.
Online reviews changed how people defined things like “trust,” “good reputation,” and “word of mouth.” Pre-internet, people relied on a fairly close-knit group of friends and family members for recommendations. Today there are tons of sources: Yelp reviews, Facebook comments, Instagram photos, retweets, memes, and so much more.
Most people—a whopping 88%— now trust an online stranger’s review as long as it has some identifying information available, like a digital profile. In fact, they’d trust that stranger’s opinion over a colleague (58%) or neighbor (42%).
Add a quote to your landing page and link it to the appropriate testimonial/review source. Those who care to check the facts and everyone else can see you value real customer feedback.
Talk Like Your Audience
Your audience doesn’t talk like you do. They’re probably not into tech-speak, marketing lingo, or insider terms you use with your coworkers. Talk like them, not like you.
This means listening to the actual word-by-word phrasing of your customers and using it to connect with them. Read through focus group transcripts. Watch customer interviews. Jot down phrases they use on social media.
When it comes time to write landing page copy, their phrasing should inform your word choices. If happy customers have been talking about your clothing company’s “cute retro patterns” on Facebook, use those exact words on your landing page.
Don’t Be Vague About CTAs
The days of “click here” have passed into distant history. Your calls to action (CTAs), like buttons, links, and images, must tell the viewer exactly what they’ll get by clicking.
Instead of “click for more” say “Next up: 10 SEO Tips for 2018”
Instead of “free offers” say “Send the Free Tech Tools ebook to my inbox”
Instead of “learn more” say “Save my spot at the Sales Stars conference”
Make Offers Powered by Psychology
Of course, conversion is about more than just using the all the right words. Your landing page simply won’t convert leads unless you make the right offer.
Use A/B testing to track down your most successful conversions. Ask customers why certain offers attracted them or turned them off. Follow up with people who abandon carts after viewing the landing page.
Good landing page offers are based on solid research about consumer psychology. Here are 4 takeaway facts about the psychology of writing landing page copy:
Urgency and scarcity still work as motivators. If it’s truly a limited-time offer, say so – but be honest about it. When everything you offer is always for a limited time, it comes across as fake.
Buyers generally fall into three spending categories: spendthrifts, tightwads, and average spenders who don’t feel conflicted about money. Determine which category fits your target audience and tailor your landing page to them. Tightwads are the toughest and will need an extremely compelling offer.
Standing for something meaningful is now the #1 buying decision factor for millennials. In fact, 81% expect public declarations of good citizenship from their favorite companies. Your landing page is unlikely to convert young buyers without an obvious ethical connection.
Pain points—emotional limiters —are your primary obstacles to conversion. Common pain points include price, urgency, safety, hassle, previous bad experiences, conflicted feelings, and others’ opinions. Address pain points head-on. Help them overcome their hesitation and see your offer as their perfect solution.
Crush My Market specializes in maximizing landing page conversion. Contact us to start converting more leads!
