How to Write Great Landing Page Copy
If you’re not optimizing the copy on your landing pages, you’re leaving money (and momentum!) on the table.
As a hired pen, I’m approached by startups with a dollar or a billion to their name — both of whom need to crack the code of the dreaded landing page conversion rate. I’ve boiled down what makes for great landing page copy in my six years as a freelance writer, and I’m here to share my secrets with you.
When learning how to write great landing page copy, there are different formulas and fundamentals. Every landing page needs an approach tailored toward your audience. It’s not rocket science, but I can tell your rocket scientists would scratch their heads trying to write a high-converting landing page.
I often tell people that great copy is a combination of poetry and psychology, and that’s the case here. So let’s dive into what makes a landing page convert casual readers into devoted users/fans/cult followers:
What is a Landing Page?
In the most technical sense, a landing page is a part of your website that a user arrives at – or “lands” upon – after clicking a link from a search engine, social media platform, or other Internet space.
After falling like Alice through the proverbial rabbit hole that is Google, Brave, or DuckDuckGo, a landing page is the equivalent of Wonderland for your potential clients, waiting to lead them into their hero’s journey.
On a deeper level, a landing page is an artfully-curated and psychologically-driven introduction between a potential client and a product or service that you hope to sell. From a writer’s perspective, it is the linguistic equivalent of a symphony, using complex components of narrative design, copywriting, business sense, and human psychology to create an authentic connection with customers that generates sales.
Why is a Landing Page Important?
It’s all about the money, honey.
Your landing page is where potential clients ideally make their first purchase from your business. We call this a conversion.
You might have the greatest product in the world, but if your landing page can’t convert a site visitor into a customer, your company may struggle to keep the lights on. It’s no secret that great writing is good for business, so don’t make the mistake of glossing over the importance of a well-written page.
What are the Elements of a High-Conversion Landing Page?
What do a water molecule, Hamlet, and a successful landing page all have in common? They can all be divided into smaller constituent elements, such as atoms, scenes, or copywriting fundamentals.
Despite this, not every arrangement of atoms yields a water molecule, and not every collection of scenes equates to Hamlet.
In the same way, it’s not enough to present a checklist of selling points and value propositions on your landing page to generate sales. It requires artful curation of narrative alongside thoughtful consideration of psychology to convince a potential client that you and you alone have the solution to their problem.
We can start this process by identifying the fundamental components of a successful page – the atomic elements of copywriting that can be bonded and catalyzed into compelling content.
1) Craft a Memorable Tagline
A tagline is vital to a successful landing page because it summarizes the value proposition of your product or service in a few lyrical words.
Good taglines are unique and succinct, and unique + succinct = memorable.
If you were selling custom shoes, for example, a tagline like, “they fit well and look good,” while succinct, is not very unique. That tag would fit under just about any brand, and it isn’t specific to shoewear.
“Shoes that spur conversation” — a tagline I would write for a company that sells cowboy boots with spurs — is short and sweet, translating to a memorable phrase that will repeat in your client’s mind like lyrics to a catchy song when they think about your awesome custom kicks.
2) Know Your Audience and Earn their Trust
If your audience doesn’t trust you, they won’t buy from you.
Proper targeting helps your audience realize this landing page is speaking to me.
Establishing trust elevates that to: this landing page is speaking to me, and I should take action.
But how do you establish trust with a total stranger across the vast interwebs?
Research, and lots of it. No two audiences are identical, so there’s no one-size-fits-all template for this kind of culturally-conscientious and psychologically-driven writing.
For example: are you selling emo rock-inspired nostalgia fashion? Cater your copy to mosh-pit millennials who can recite lyrics from all of My Chemical Romance’s albums by heart.
Are you dropping a collection of utility-rich NFTs? Focus on appealing to the NFT crowd and web3-savvy collectors. Get more granular from there as BAYC collectors often care about different utility compared to Crypto Coven collectors.
This is time-consuming work, but it’s necessary if you want your landing page to resonate with the right people.
3) Establish and Acknowledge Your Ideal Customer’s Pain Points
Pain drives action.
So what’s causing your ideal customer’s pain? How can you bring attention to that wound so they are driven to find a painkiller — your product — that happens to be right in front of them?
Marketing is manipulative. Most marketers won’t say this, but it’s true. (You just have to use your marketing powers to improve people’s lives!)
Imagine this: you’re browsing Black Friday sales and you stumble across two landing pages:
One is selling the best face cream you’ve ever had. It’s made from shea butter, and keeps your skin soft and hydrated. Only the best for your face!
The second landing page is selling face cream that will dissolve wrinkles and bring back your youthful vibrance. Bye-bye blackheads and hello confidence!
Which is more compelling? The second, obviously. People in the market for skincare products have a pain point they’re trying to solve. If you don’t mention that pain point, they won’t feel motivated to buy… and they’ll scroll on.
4) Explain Your Value Proposition
Value prop = what you provide to your customer.
“Show, don’t tell,” is another writing adage that comes in handy here. Don’t just explain or list your product’s features. That’s the quickest way to put your audience to sleep.
Instead, show your product in action, such as through narrative-driven writing. This is an effective way to paint a picture of how your prospective client’s situation could be improved by adopting your product or engaging your services.
Get specific and focus on the outcome — and how it will change your ideal customer’s life.
5) Include a FAQ Section and Testimonials
Address your ideal customer’s fears and reduce risks.
Your ideal customers have questions, and you need to answer them. If they feel their questions piling up and can’t find answers, the friction will be too high and they’ll maybe bookmark your page, but then click away.
Having a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section is a great way to increase clarity. But this section should still be persuasive — FAQs are still selling tools! This section should reduce risk for the consumer.
Another way you can reduce risk is by showing social proof. Do this through press blurbs and/or press logos as well as customer testimonials. Any data you have showing how your product has changed people’s lives is also important to include here.
If you’re able to make any special offers, such as “try on” periods for clothing, first-time buyer discounts, or risk-free guarantees, this is where you make your pitch.
If a customer is not fully sold that your product or service meets their needs by this point, these sections can often provide the extra nudge needed to dispel any last concerns they may have.
6) Deliver a Clear Call to Action
Your Call to Action (CTA) should be direct and easy to find.
In fact, I’m a believer in multiple CTA opportunities phrased differently throughout a landing page.
CTA’s should be A/B tested if you have the capacity to do so: it may take a few iterations to see what speaks the loudest to your ideal customer.
How to Hire a Landing Page Copywriter
Need help harnessing the power of a great landing page? As a landing page copywriter, I’ve got your back.