Matt Pyke

How to Write Landing Page Copy that Converts

April 20, 2021

Looking to write a landing page that converts into sales or leads?

This is called conversion copywriting. It’s the art (and science) of writing copy that increases conversions. The right headline can send sales through the roof. The right call-to-action button can generate more leads than you can shake a stick at.

But how do you do it?

Truth is, it can take years to master. And hiring a conversion copywriter can cost thousands. But you can utilise some of their techniques to increase the conversion rate on your landing page. Follow this guide and there’s a good chance you can increase the conversion rate of your landing page. Here’s how to do it:

#1 Do your customer research

Ask any conversion copywriter where to start and they’ll all tell you the same thing – CUSTOMER RESEARCH.

You need to understand the person visiting your website before you write to them. And if you think you know your customer pretty well, think again! There’s always something to be learned from customer research.

But how do you do customer research?

Here are three ways you can learn more about your customers:

Surveys

Got an email list? Create a survey asking your customers open-ended questions about your business. For example:

Why did they choose you over other brands?
What do they like about your product?
What could be improved about the service?

User testing

User testing tools – like Hotjar – are gold dust for marketers. They tell you exactly how people interact with your website. You can see heat maps, user recordings and instant feedback from real people. If your landing page isn’t converting, this is a crucial step.

Message mining

This method basically involves browsing the web and seeing what customers are saying about your product (or your competitors). Selling on Amazon? Read the reviews. Is your product or service talked about on forums? Check them out. You can learn a lot from being a fly on the wall.

#2 Learn how to use customer research

Now you’re armed with customer information, learn how to use it. Conversion copywriting is all about using the customer’s language. Here’s an example.

The original conversion copywriter, Joanna Weibe, wrote this headline for a rehab centre –

“If you think you need rehab, you do”

This headline generated a 400% increase in click-throughs on the website. That means a lot more business generated.

But here’s the thing – she didn’t actually write it at all. She borrowed it from an Amazon review on a book about addiction.

Use the language that your customers use. This is the most important step in writing copy that converts.

#3 Add social proof

To create a landing page that converts, you need to build trust.

Your customers need to trust you, or they’re not going to buy your product or service. How do you get them to trust you? One way is to showcase your other happy customer. This is called social proof.

Look how Airbnb uses social proof to sell its Hosting service –

According to a survey by Nielsen, 70% of people will trust a review from someone they’ve never met.

#4 Focus on benefits (not features)

One of the biggest mistakes we see on landing pages is tons of features and no benefits. Customers want to know why they should pick your product or service.

Benefits let the customer know what’s in it for them. Let’s use a health supplement as an example:

Feature: Contains Vitamin D

Benefit: Keeps your bones, teeth and muscles healthy

Feature: Contains Peppermint extract

Benefit: Improves your bowel health

Feature: Extra-large bottle

Benefit: Over 1 year’s supply

It’s good to have features on your landing page but NEVER put them above the benefits. Let the customer know what’s in it for them.

If you’re struggling, look at a feature and ask – ‘So what?’

#5 Nail the headline

The headline is the first thing people will read when they visit your landing page.

So you’ve got to get it right. Writing a perfect landing page headline isn’t easy but here are a few rules to follow:

Make it about your customer. Ask why they are coming to your landing page and attempt to answer their problem.
Make it clear. Don’t be ambiguous and don’t attempt to list everything you do.
Make it relevant. If customers aren’t reassured that you can solve their problem, they’re going to leave pretty sharpish.

#6 Make it easy to read

Landing page copy should ALWAYS be easy to read.

Noone’s expecting you to write like Hemingway. But they are expecting to be able to read the copy on your website. Use short sentences, break the copy up into small paragraphs and use bullet points.

After you’ve finished writing, read it out loud to check the grammar and spelling. And if you’re not sure if it’s easy to read, get someone else to check it.

#7 Use numbers and percentages

Everyone loves a quick stat.

A ⅓ of adults sleep with a comfort object (like a teddy).
Only 19% of people wash their hands after using the toilet.
Five nations make up 60% of the worldwide military

Numbers and percentages are powerful. Think about that second statistic – it makes you want to avoid handshakes for the rest of your life.

Your business is full of potential opportunities to use numbers and percentages. Do you have a 100% satisfaction rate with customers? Have you sold to over 1 million people? Have you been in business since 1912?

Use the numbers and percentages in your business to create high-converting copy.

#8 Give the reader something to click

You need a strong call-to-action on your landing page.

Ask yourself – What am I trying to get the reader to do with this landing page?

If you want them to contact you, add a button that says “Get in touch”. If you want them to download an app, add a button that says “Download the app”.

This isn’t rocket science but it’s amazing how many people get it wrong. Your call-to-action should be above the fold (so they don’t have to scroll down) and there should be secondary call-to-action buttons further down the page.

#9 A/B test your landing page

Now, you’ve finished writing the copy for your landing page. That’s all the hard work done, right?

Wrong.

Now you need to A/B test it. This means making small changes to your landing page and testing it against your original (or control) landing page. Run equal amounts of traffic to each and see which one converts better.