August 29, 2022
Persuasive copy is the key to success for high-converting landing pages. Design and imagery are critical, too, but they don't mean much out of context. A recent analysis by Unbounce of 40,000 landing pages showed that copywriting was two times more effective than design, which is good news for copywriters but a bad omen for those who stuff copy in at the last moment to fill out the layout. To ensure your copy stays on point, consider the following tips.
- The headline is crucial on a landing page because 80 percent of visitors won't read the bulk of the copy. The headline should be under 14 words, intriguing, and payoff the email's subject line. For example, if the subject line is "New widget shaves minutes off exam time," the headline might be "Double patient throughput with the Acme Widget." Disconnects between the subject line and headline are among the most common reasons visitors abandon the page.
- Write in features and benefits instead of features alone. For example, "The widget's easy-to-understand control panel increases accuracy and saves time" instead of "the Widget features a newly designed control panel."
- Offer social proof like user testimonials or reviews. These items build trust and credibility. Call out social proof as a large quote or place it adjacent to the copy in a sidebar for greater visibility.
- Can the hype. If your product is the best in the world, explain why it matters and who proclaimed it. Otherwise, you risk losing readers who are skeptical of the bloated copy.
- Write simply and convincingly. Skip the big words and Latin phrases that segments of your audience may not understand, and you risk sounding haughty and unfriendly.
- Use numbers to bolster your case. For example, "Nine out of ten doctors said they realized time savings immediately. And when quoting percentages, always include the percentage of what. For example, "Only 1% of widget users required additional training. Specificity equals credibility.
- Devise a carefully worded call-to-action that explicitly tells readers what to do next, like "purchase the widget online" or "click to find your local widget representative."
- Check for grammar and spelling as if your high-school English were grading your copy.
We hope these guidelines help increase the converting power of your landing pages.
Sources: Instapage, Unbounce, Peakon