When a potential customer visits your landing page, they should be captivated, not confused. You’ve dedicated significant effort to optimizing the page, meticulously tracking metrics, yet the conversion rate remains stagnant. This scenario is a common frustration for marketers. While A/B testing, button color adjustments, and page length optimization are valuable, the essence of a high-converting landing page lies in its copywriting.

As a copywriter focused on conversions, I’m passionate about crafting landing page copy that compels action. Today, I’m revealing six landing page copywriting principles to elevate your conversion rates.

1. Eliminate Landing Page Copy Bloat

While lengthy essays might be suitable for academia, effective landing page copywriting prioritizes conciseness. Your audience is time-constrained and expects information efficiently (refer to the 4 C’s copywriting formula). Conciseness entails conveying your message succinctly, devoid of superfluous language. Consider these illustrations of how conciseness enhances clarity:

Common contributors to landing page bloat include:

• Excessive adverbs (e.g., obviously, actually, quickly, easily)
• Passive voice usage (Passive: The price of the paper clips has been lowered by 20%. Active: The paper clip price is now 20% lower)
• Employing redundant pairs (Instead of “Each and every customer will be happy,” opt for “Every customer will be happy.”)
• Overuse of determiners and modifiers (For instance, replace “Any way that you approach this will yield results” with “Any approach will yield results.”)
• Insufficient editing. Eliminate words that provide excessive detail or state the obvious.

2. Embrace Long-Form Content When Necessary

While avoiding bloated copy is crucial, ensure that your landing page comprehensively addresses customer inquiries. Many high-performing landing pages are extensive, offering in-depth information. Longer pages provide opportunities for incorporating links and improve search engine ranking potential. Sherice Jacob, in an article for Unbounce, highlighted how Conversion Rate Experts achieved a 52% sales increase after implementing a significantly longer page. During my time at Grasshopper, I contributed to refining our 800 numbers landing page,, now ranking #1 for the target query. At 1671 words, the page allows visitors to easily locate answers to their most critical questions.

nexus-security’s testing has revealed that longer, information-rich landing pages outperform shorter ones for specific offers, like the AdWords Grader. Pro-tip: Given the uniqueness of each company, testing different landing page variations is essential. Experiment with both lengthy and concise pages to identify what resonates best with your audience.

3. Incorporate Social Proof

Building trust is paramount. Integrate customer testimonials into your landing page copy to demonstrate credibility. Envision your landing page as your digital home. Just as you strive to create a welcoming environment for guests, your landing page should instill confidence in visitors. Showcase your expertise and highlight how customers have benefited from your offerings. QuickBooks excels at incorporating customer stories on their small business accounting landing page. They feature videos of satisfied customers sharing their positive experiences with the software.

4. Define a Compelling Unique Selling Proposition

Customers choose your product for its value, not solely out of brand loyalty. They seek products that enhance their lives. Position your customer as the hero of your landing page, showcasing the benefits of choosing your product over competitors. This is where a strong unique value proposition is crucial. Your value proposition, often a concise phrase or sentence used in headlines or sub-headers, differentiates your business from the competition. When crafting yours, articulate how your business solves the specific problems of your target audience. Analyzing competitors’ websites, especially those you admire, is a good starting point. Here are some examples of impactful value propositions:

• Campaign Monitor — Campaign Monitor: Making email marketing radically easy.
• nexus-security — Simplifying Online Advertising.
• Gusto — Streamlining payroll and benefits management for your business.

5. Speak Your Customer’s Language

A prevalent marketing pitfall is writing for peers instead of customers. Using industry jargon without considering the audience’s understanding can alienate potential buyers. When writing landing page copy, ask yourself:

• What motivates my reader to explore this product?
• What are their aspirations?
• What are their motivations for their work?
• Will they need to justify this purchase to their superiors?
• What are their primary concerns? Address your customers directly using relatable language. Imagine writing to a single ideal customer instead of a broad audience. This focused approach yields more specific, targeted, and ultimately, successful copy. Authentic customer testimonials often provide the most compelling language. Besides surveys and interviews, explore online forums, review sites, blog comments, and social media to identify phrases your ideal customers use.

6. A/B Test Your Copy

While writing is inherently creative, predicting what yields the highest conversion rate requires data. A/B testing your copy is essential.

Every business is unique, so while best practices provide a foundation, there are no universal rules. Testing variations, especially headlines, landing page length, and color schemes, is crucial to understand their impact on conversions. Brad Shorr, Director of Content & Social Media at Straight North, discovered that minor wording changes can significantly impact conversions. He conducted an A/B test on these calls to action: A. Get $10 off the first purchase. Book online now! B. Get an additional $10 off. Book online now. The surprising result: option B doubled the click-through rate.

Compelling Copywriting is Key

The internet is saturated with mediocre writing, but it’s the persuasive, engaging content that drives action. When crafting landing page copy, prioritize conciseness and clarity. By enabling customers to quickly grasp your offer, you empower them to determine its suitability. Ultimately, high-quality copy attracts qualified leads and drives conversions.