Landing pages are powerful. They can convert a casual browser into a buyer in a matter of seconds. Literally. Since a landing page isn’t riddled with other texts or navigation options, users who stumble upon these pages are forced to read your sales message and only your sales message.
Sales Intent of a Killer Landing Page
You have a message embedded within your landing page, whether it is to buy, sign up, subscribe, etc. Your landing page is important, but if it’s poorly written, people who stumble upon it will quickly pick up and move on, leaving your landing page in the dust.
It takes skilled copy to convert readers to buyers. Your landing page’s copywriting needs to go beyond “sell, sell, sell” and find a way to market to customers without annoying them. Today’s internet reader isn’t easily fooled by text or flash images and promises of success. You have to write something that reaches deep within them, gets them excited and makes them ready to jump on any action you request of them.
Promise, Then Follow Through
Landing pages are designed to tell the reader what they’ve found and they should be able to instantly understand how this page will benefit them. Since a reader doesn’t have time to read your entire copy to determine this, you must catch them with your headers.
Promise Something ASAP!
Your reader needs to know what you’re offering. Don’t just spout out what the product is, make a promise with your header that intrigues the reader. For example:
- Beat Debt, Avoid Bankruptcy
- Lose Weight Now
- Work-from-Home Today
These headers promise something for reading. Now the reader is compelled to continue on to see how you will deliver on these promises. But, before you dive into the content, you need to follow up with a sub header that delivers even more. Using the same headers above, we can add:
- With Just a Spreadsheet and Book
- Working Out 15 Minutes Per day
- With These Guaranteed Opportunities
You have followed through by telling the reader a little bit about how you will fulfill that promise.
You need to be clear with what you’re promising readers, and you need to push the limits without sacrificing your integrity. Never lie to the reader or misrepresent what you can do. If you cannot fulfill your promise, don’t make that promise. You do, however, need to make a promise that entices the reader to keep going.
Sell to the Reader Not Yourself
Landing page copywriting should be written for the reader, not yourself. No one cares about you, your company or even what you’re offering. They care about themselves; therefore, you need to tell them how YOU can help THEM. Write in the second person, which means using “you” and “your” in your content. Tell the reader how you can help and avoid saying “I can” or “We can” because, again, they don’t care.
Persuade, But Don’t Be Obnoxious
Have you ever seen a landing page riddled with exclamations and overly sales-like copywriting? It’s obnoxious, and you can’t wait to get off the page. Quality landing page copywriting should not showcase or hound the customer about your product. Instead, it should be clear and persuading.
You should tell the reader what to expect when they continue to read, how your product benefits them and ask a few direct questions that can spark their interest. For example, you’re selling a weight loss program that offers weight loss solutions in just 15 minutes per day. You could tell the reader how you can save them time, save them money and help them lose weight without wasting their days at the gym or with useless diets. Your benefits are simple, so keep them simple in the content.
The reader should walk away from your landing page knowing how the product will benefit her and not be filled up with useless questions or content that confuses them.
Write as Much as You Need, but Not Too Much
Landing pages are notorious for going on and on, and eventually they repeat themselves. Your copywriting should be as long as it needs to be to sell the product, but it shouldn’t drag on. Readers will continue to read a long landing page as long as it is motivating and the message stays strong. If you’re selling a product or service, your copy will be longer than someone selling a subscription or sign-up.
When you devise your copy, remember that readers skim through it first. So, your most important points should be at the start of each paragraph. Critical points should also be at the beginning. Don’t be afraid of bullet points — they can help break up your content and give the reader an instant answer to the question, “How will this help me?”
Clearly State Your Goals
People reading your landing page are not mind readers. If you don’t tell them what you want from them, they aren’t going to guess. Have a clear goal in mind when you develop a landing page. It should progress smoothly from your header and promise down to the benefits and finally down to the offer.
Don’t digress or fluff the content with information not pertinent to what you’re selling right then and there. According to Marketing Sherpa, 48 percent of landing pages contain multiple offers, which distract readers. Also, provide a clear call to action so your readers know what you need from them. Tell them directly what to do, don’t just place a signup form at the bottom and hope they’ll fill it out.
A landing page should (ideally) have two calls to action or up to five if your content is long.
When you combine a clear call to action, sell in a clear way, and avoid the overly sales-like content, you’ll notice your landing pages provide you with better conversion rates. Landing pages are designed specifically to make a reader take action. So next time you’re developing a landing page, ask yourself:
- Am I answering the reader’s question?
- Do I provide the reader with a reason to click through?
- Does the reader learn enough about my product or service to entice them?
