8 Key Copywriting Tips for High-Converting Landing Pages

1. Use main headline and subhead to communicate value propositions 

Software buyers find it hard to differentiate between competing products. With buyers facing a slew of products with similar features and services and short attention spans, communicating your key differentiators is more essential than ever.

Crafting the perfect headline and subheading can be your ticket to getting prospects interested in your software value propositions. Use these tips to craft a compelling heading and subheading that tell buyers why they should care about your product.

• Headline. Draw attention to the value you’re offering in one short sentence. Include a mention of your product or audience. Make it flashy.
• Subheading or a short paragraph. Provide a specific explanation of what you offer and for whom, and why it’s useful.
• (Optional) bullet points. Give more details by listing key benefits or features that set you apart.

3. Create simple, easy-to-skim landing page copy

When buyers scan a landing page, they look for information relevant to their role and situation, and not a lot of narrative about your offer. Landing page copy that’s easy to skim, read and understand is more likely to convert. Draw attention to the most important key take-aways on your landing page with:

• Concise headlines that focus on one primary idea and set learning expectations for buyers
• An opening statement to introduce the details below and support the headline
• Three to five bullet points detailing the value you are promising through the primary offer
• Bold text to emphasize the key details, sparingly, however, to avoid creating too many competing priorities

4. Include customer testimonials to earn trust

Use social proof in the form of customer ratings and reviews and video testimonials to show prospects what their peers have experienced by using your software. Customer testimonials provide potential customers with real-world evidence of how your product or service has helped businesses just like them.

Doing this will bring credibility to your landing page and make it more effective in creating an emotional connection with the reader that resonates beyond a regular promotional copy. 

5. Use visuals to tell the story

Imagery can quickly convey your story while trying to connect with buyers. As you include visuals, make sure they tell the same story as your words. Seek out images that incite a positive emotion in viewers; for instance, it’s always a good idea to opt for people with cheerful expressions in your visuals.

 To grab attention through visuals, you should consider:

• Landing page headers and banners
• Covers of downloadable materials
• Headshots showing webinar speakers

6. Write compelling CTAs

A call-to-action (CTA) is an important factor in driving conversion, including clicks and conversion from online form filling. Both the visual presentation and language used to express the CTA should appeal to the visitor of the landing page. 

Make sure your CTA copies are:

• Action-oriented. Describe the desired action and clearly articulate what content or experience will be delivered in exchange for actions such as “download white paper” or “register for webinar.”
• Eye-catching. Make your CTAs stand out from the webpage's background with contrasting colors. Avoid overwhelming prospects with multiple competing CTAs that can be distracting and confusing. Moreover, feature them in a prominent place, so the visitor doesn’t have to scroll to act.
• Convincing. Create a sense of urgency by emphasizing what is changing in the buyer's current situation and the consequences of not acting. Clearly define the value visitors will receive by acting.

7. Maintain message and visual continuity from ad to landing page copy

Make sure you maintain consistency in messaging through all elements of your digital marketing campaign, from ad impression and email opening to the landing page and lead generation form. It drives deeper engagement with buyers and compels them to move further in their buying journey. Create a cohesive experience for visitors with two simple rules:

• Focus on the right audience. While crafting your message, keep your audience persona in mind and talk to that audience throughout your campaign.
• Use common elements. Include the same graphic style, fonts and other elements, such as slogans and logos, to ensure prospects can clearly identify you wherever they engage and create an effective transition between ad copy and the landing page.

8. Run tests before the launch

Develop and test low-fidelity prototypes, which are used to test the information architecture and user flow of your landing page to gain insights into what resonates with the target audience. This will help you detect areas where improvements are recommended to optimize buyer engagement and impact campaign outcomes positively.

Some common elements to test on landing pages include:

• Audience. Align the target group choice to campaign objectives, such as targeting existing customers to cross-sell another product in the portfolio.
• CTAs. Verify CTA text with button or image links, button design (i.e., color, size and shape), prominence on the page, and copy (wording and length).
• Messaging and copy. Check the size, length and placement of content. Experiment with different headlines and subheads through different voices and styles as well as font types (bold or italicized).

Ready to build your landing page?

Landing pages are essential to the modern sales funnel. It’s often the first, and sometimes the  only, opportunity to make a good impression on a potential customer. Yet optimizing landing pages is often overlooked due to aggressive launch timelines. Ensure your campaign's success isn't hindered by poorly written landing page copy. With these copywriting best practices, you will be ready to launch your campaigns with enhanced performance that generates valuable leads.

Ensure your landing page converts with our team of conversion specialists. Use our landing page services and get the knowledge you need to succeed online. 

Natalie Boyd

Natalie Boyd is a Manager on the Marketing Services team at Gartner Digital Markets. She leads a team of CRO Designers and helps software companies fill their sales pipeline. She has over a decade of marketing experience and a passion for helping businesses succeed online. Connect with Natalie on LinkedIn.