How To Write A Landing Page

So, how do you write a good landing page? Let’s do something different in this blog: let’s keep it simple. Because that’s what copywriting for landing pages should be: clear, simple and to the point with one main focus. It’s been a month or two since we’ve talked about landing pages, so let’s review: a landing page is a page visitors first see when they enter your website. It’s a hub of keywords that you drive visitors to. The purpose of a landing page is to gather information from visitors (such as email addresses) and turn potential leads into customers. Writing for these pages is fairly straightforward, but doing it well is another story. There are a few things you need to keep in mind: how do you capture your visitor’s attention, how do you maintain that attention, and how do you focus it? There are a couple of ways to do that! It all tends to center around the design of the page. Content-heavy landing pages

• Hook the reader instantly by telling how the product/service BENEFITS them
• Shares facts, data, and figures without going too far in the weeds
• Keep the reader’s attention
• Are informative with words AND design
• Infographics are a plus!
• Think MuckRack or Basecamp
• Easy to read

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Basecamp[/caption]Content-light landing pages

• Hook readers with design and visuals
• Eye-catching visuals that are not overwhelming!
• Think Tesla or Hello Fresh
• Little descriptions about how the product/service benefits the reader
• Simple
• Easy to navigate
• Says more with less

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Tesla Homepage[/caption]So, how do you do all that?

How to Write for Landing Pages

Like we mentioned above, you need to keep it simple and put the spotlight on one topic. Ever heard of Hick’s Law? It states that people will take longer to make a decision if they have more options to choose from. It’s like this: you’re in an ice cream shop that sells three flavors: vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. It’s quick to choose what you want, right? Now step into another ice cream shop. This one has 36 flavors and 50 toppings. Think vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, peanut butter, cookie dough, cookies and cream, sherbert, brownie, fudge swirl, black cherry, pistachio, rocky road, green tea, etc. The toppings are chocolate syrup, caramel, nuts, chocolate chips, strawberries, gummy bears; everything you can think of.So, what do you want? Stumped? That’s Hick’s Law in action. The same thing happens to your readers if you present them with too many options! So keep it simple. If you want to address three different topics/keywords, write three landing pages. But how do you choose those topics? We got you covered.

Target ONE Reader

Assuming you’ve done your keyword research, you’ll know what terms people are searching for and you should know what demographic you want to target with that specific keyword/phrase. Most importantly, write it so it’s relatable to your targeted demographic!For example, you own a women’s fashion company. You want a landing page to highlight how your cashmere sweaters are made from free-range goats in a luxury farm facility. So, what are your demographics? Probably women, ages 30-50. So write for them.For this, we would focus on a content-light page with plenty of photos (and maybe a video) of your goats and facility. Writing-wise, keep the tone light and fun, without it being too childish.

Make ONE Promise

A promise is your value proposition — why does your product/service offer the most benefit to the reader? How does your product/service change your reader’s life? Why is it better than your competition?It’s like this: your business is better because your goats are free-range. It changes their lives because your cashmere sweater is affordable, or comes in styles for everyone to enjoy. It offers the most benefit because your sweater is better.The promise is usually paired with a single irresistible offer.

Make ONE Offer

You’re only presenting one topic, so it doesn’t make sense to make more than one offer. So, what’s your one offer? What’s the reason why people should interact with your website or buy from you?Are you offering a 10% off discount code? An e-book? A free session? Whatever it is, offer it and ONLY it on the landing page.

Writing for Landing Pages: It’s That Simple

It really is that simple (on paper, at least) to write a landing page. In practice, you’re going to need a design team and content writer who can change their style to match a specific demographic. That writer and designer will want to work closely to ensure the written content isn’t lost in the design.So let’s review. A landing page should focus on one topic, make one promise, and offer one thing. It can be light or heavy on content, depending on what will appeal to your target demographic and what you’re trying to sell.And never forget Hick’s Law! While more choices in an ice cream shop may be a dream come true, it is a nightmare for online landing pages.Bottom line? Keep it simple. Your readers will thank you.