May 15, 2009

Write Clear, Concise Landing Page Copy

By:

Hostway Team

The clock starts the instant people click to your landing page — they're skimming your page, your images and more importantly, your words to make the snap decision whether to do business with you.

Headline: Get Right to the Point

Don't waste time. Sum up your offer in a short, action-packed headline for the billboard. Immediately tell visitors they've landed on the correct page by using the same keywords you used in the ad or email message.

And, like any marketing pieces you write, make sure your headline demonstrates the main benefit to the visitor, not your business. Think "you", not "we". For example, don't write "We're Having a Sale!", write "Save Money at the 50% Off Sale!"

Body: Stay on Message

The body copy needs to convince visitors that it's in their best interest to convert. Every word on the page should work toward this goal and nothing else. This isn't the place to offer a biography of the CEO or a detailed account of the company's history.

Remember that your visitors will be reading the landing page on a computer monitor. They won't read every word; they'll skim and skip to get a sense of your message. Make sure your message comes across by:

  • Breaking up large paragraphs into smaller ones. Also, remember that people are more unlikely to read the middle than the beginning, so keep the important words in front.
  • Placing the heart of your message above the fold. Most people will not scroll down your page.
  • Using bullet points whenever possible.Bullet points are easy to skim and can help you get your best features or benefits across quickly.

Wondering how long your page should be? Even long landing pages can be focused and on-message. A general rule of thumb is to consider the conversion goal. If you're trying to make a sale, more copy is usually needed to help overcome any objections and establish trust before a visitor makes the commitment to purchase. If you're just asking visitors to sign up for a newsletter, short copy is better. You aren't asking for a big commitment.

Call to Action: Make It Obvious

The call to action is not the place to test your vocabulary skills. Use the simplest language to get your point across quickly and create a sense of urgency.

Landing page text and design work together to get visitors to convert. Find out what makes a good landing page design.

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