How to write Website Copy And Landing Pages That Convert
Do you want to write website copy and landing pages for your online business and avoid being sleazy? Here is how to do it in a simple and proven way to put your conversions on auto-pilot:
Why your website copy and landing pages matter? 75% of your audience admits this...
Have you felt that familiar pressure when creating your website copy or landing pages to get them spot on because is sooooo important? Almost to the point that it creates paralysis.
You want it to be great.
You want to a website copy and landing pages that convert to sell your online course, digital products or affiliate products.
You know it matters to get them right... So many statistics that say so:
75% of consumers admit to making judgements on a company’s credibility based on the website design (according to Kinesisinc).
It takes 2.6 seconds for eyes to settle on key areas of your website page (Conversionxl).
The average time on a webpage across industries is 62 seconds (Contentsquare 2021 Digital Experience Benchmarks).
The average time on a landing page is 2min (Trewmarketing).
But how to achieve a website copy and landing pages that convert?
These components are the key to success:
Clarity
Value & connection
Action
Let’s look at each of them to see what will make your website copy and landing pages make money online.
1. In 50 milliseconds it can be over... Provide clarity in your website copy and landing pages doing this
Before you get to sell anything in your website or your landing page, you have an important objective: attract your page visitors to stay.
While it takes 2.6 seconds for eyes to settle on key areas of your website page, it only takes 50 milliseconds for your audience to decide whether they stay or go! That is 0.05 seconds!!!!! Whaaaat???!!!!
Step 1 is to provide clarity, both through your copy and visual appeal.
I know, some will consider your website copy or landing page copy only the written text. I take a wider concept here. The copy is what our eyes consume when looking at the content, both words and visuals. Why?
65% people are visual learners. So when consuming content they haven’t seen before, their brains go through a discovery process that comprises both the written copy (words) and the visuals (photos, videos, graphics).
Ok, once that is cleared up, let’s look at how to deliver clarity in your website copy and landing pages.
Make the first impression a great one
I have a few more eye-opening statistics for you to come, but let’s just look first at our own behaviour with website copy or landing pages.
Scientific analysis of eyes movements showed that when people land for the first time on your website, they spend on average (ConversionXL):
6.48 seconds looking at the logo.
6.44 seconds viewing the main menu.
5.94 seconds looking at the site’s main image.
5.59 seconds reading the written content.
The better the first impression is, the longer people stay on the page. Obviously, staying on a page does not mean that it is going to convert, I get it, but it is your first step in the conversion process.
So how to achieve that first great impression?
Simplicity always wins, specially above the fold
As a blogger or a course creator, you always have plenty to say about your product or service.
When it comes to your website copy and landing pages, simple is always best.
This does not meant that there is no place in your website copy and landing pages for more detailed information. However, the top of your page visible without scrolling (called “above the fold”) needs to get the message across in just a few seconds.
The shorter and simpler you can cover this, the more impactful your website copy and landing page become.
Have a look at Liz main page below and spot the three elements: for who, why and what.
Importantly, have you noticed how the only image in the page conveys a great first impression even before you start reading?
The Stranger-in-the-Street Test about your product
You need to consider some of the most common mistakes related to the “What”, what you are selling, to deliver clarity in your website copy and landing pages.
Interestingly enough, you are so close to your products that you are convinced you know what to say about them.
Think again.
It is precisely because you are so familiar and passionate about your product that you may forget to explain some key elements that are not as evident to your customer.
The opposite situation is also relevant for your landing page to convert.
Let’s look at two ways to show the same content from one of my own landing pages for my course workbook template:
Can you see how one provides more clarity and projects the customer into how the product is used?
In fact, I used both graphics, but the one with the mock-ups truly communicates with clarity what the template is for, so I use it first in my copy.
For a complex products, the best is to create clarity with a mini demo video.
What I call The Stranger-in-the-Street Test about your product is to imagine that you stop a complete stranger in the street to show him or her your copy and ask them to explain back to you what you sell.
If they aren’t able to explain it back, reconsider how you explain your product. Peal it back. Simplify.
Obviously you don’t need to do this in reality, just imagine it.
You can be great to try the test with a friend or your mum, for instance, a few times to open your eyes to what clarity and simplicity really takes.
In summary, make very easy and simple to understand what they will get and, more importantly, the outcome they will achieve.
Information details, yes, but balanced
Once you have covered the basics about your product in your website copy or landing page, there is often a need for more detail.
This can be achieved very easily, as Pat Flynn has done for his Email Marketing Magic course here (I am a true fan of his courses or, as he would say, a super fan!):
Clarity on what the customer will get after buying increases the value and conversion rates. Don’t hesitate to provide it both in your website copy and your landing pages to convert but… don’t over complicated.
While it is important to provide clarity on what your landing page is selling, to include too much unnecessary details can have an adverse impact on your conversion rates.
Specially on technical product or services, you can go on and on, using jargon that your customers don’t understand. It is a copy trap far more easily done than you think. You are so used and familiar with your product that you may be doing it without even noticing!
I absolutely love how Paige Brunton manages this beautifully. She is a great online educator helping businesses build their business online with Squarespace. Look at landing page examples from here website. She first ensures that she segments her audience, not depending on her products / services, but based on the customer needs (masterful!):
And then, even when you go into the section for the advanced web designers, this is the outline of her course, straight forward and with no jargon. No lengthy unnecessary detail. Just what really matters as an outcome for the customer.
Too much, too little… it is a balancing act in your product landing page. One that you can test overtime.
Up level your visuals for your website copy and landing pages conversions
Do you remember this astonishing fact?
“It takes about 50 milliseconds (that’s 0.05 seconds) for users to form an opinion about your website that determines whether they like your site or not, whether they’ll stay or leave.”
In 0.05 seconds there isn’t much time to read the copy! Your visuals (photos, videos and graphics) will create that first impression.
But are visuals and overall design just a matter of first impressions?
Not really. Their impact continues throughout the rest of the exploration of your website copy and landing pages:
“If given 15 minutes to consume content, two-thirds of people would rather read something beautifully designed than something plain.”
So visuals and design matter a lot.
A common mistake in websites and landing pages is brand inconsistency. It affects unconsciously your customer when navigating your page and importantly reduces conversions.
Other important design basics to drive your conversion rates in your product landing page and website copy are:
Are the images that you use impactful?
Have you included video?
If you have, have you designed you video thumbnail (or is your video thumbnail automatically selected from the video)?
Are your photos and videos files too big and therefore your page takes too long to load?
The visuals (photos, video, graphics, animations, fonts) play a really important role in subconsciously move your audience from discovering you to understanding and liking you.
It is easy to concentrate on the sales copy, the words, and disregard the visuals. Remember your visuals are as important as what you write in your landing page.
If you have not yet my FREE Visuals collection, don’t forget to get them now to up level your content:
So let’s recap before moving to the next section.
Clarity is a fundamental element for your website copy and landing pages. You can achieve easily by applying these principles:
Make the first impression a great one.
Simplicity always wins, specially above the fold.
Create your website copy and landing pages with The Stranger-in-the-Street Test in mind.
Information details yes, but balanced.
Up-level your visuals.
2. Provide value & connection in your website copy and landing pages but how?
The key to conversions is that magical journey:
from discovery
through like & trust
to buy
To achieve this, you could think, as many excellent website designers think, that in order to optimise the experience in your pages for conversion you need to:
understand your buyers’ intentions
design the journey in your website copy and landing pages to match their intentions
create throughout attention grabbers
All of this is absolutely right to do but….
I start at a different level.
I don’t consider a page visitor a prospect or a potential buyer. I consider it a person.
From that point, I apply the values I have taught my son since he was born.
Before you ask, give. Give and give. Give without the intention of asking for something in return.
Create your network by connecting with people, listening to them, understanding their challenges and helping them.
Only then, you may ask for something in return.
Customers are not avatars.
Page visitors are just not a bunch of numbers in Google Analytics.
Approach your website copy and landing pages talking to a person, to a friend. That will establish a relationship and higher chances of conversion.
Give before you sell
You might be tempted to go into you sales pitch in your website copy.
Think about giving first.
Understand what your audience needs and give, give, give.
It is important not to hold back. Generosity is very powerful.
Only when you have given much more than what people expect from you, you can move through that dream funnel of discovery, trust, sale.
And what is the best approach for course creators and blogger? Content.
Content marketing.
I can hear you saying… “Wait a second! I need to create website copy and landing pages to sale now. I haven’t got months in front of me to build up a whole content strategy!”
I get you! I have been there too. Content takes time.
Think about creating a lead magnet or content upgrades to lead your audience to your sales funnel in a way where they discover your value before you ask for the sale.
There is plenty more to say about content marketing… so check my other blogs for more about it below:
Inspire before you sell
There is plenty of information out there.
Information for information sake isn’t worth that much in your website copy and landing pages. The value for your audience is:
believing they can reach their dreams, and
taking action to make it happen
So the true purpose of your content is not to list information. It is to inspire.
The customer mindset is the one thing that your page needs to address. The Why. Once you successfully do that, driving action to buy is so much easier.
For more about the mindset in your website copy and landing pages, check out my blog: #1 Reason Why Your Landing Page Is Not Converting (…And Landing Page Examples To Make Money Online Like A Boss).
Connect before you sell
As you know with food recipes, there is always that one special thing that makes your mum’s or your dad’s recipe much better that any others, isn’t it?
With website copy and landing pages to convert that special thing is CONNECTION.
Clarity is a must have.
Value too.
But sales will be difficult if you haven’t been successful with that one thing, and that one thing only…
Connecting to your audience.
Don't destroy the credibility you have built
How many times have you seen this?
I am conscious it is a very widely used tactic to create the fear of missing out. So I am conscious this might be controversial…
I find it, when used at such extremes, a cheap selling technique for your website copy and landing pages. Either you are discrediting your course by selling it too heavily discounted, or you’re misleading your customers by over-inflating the value of the course package.
Either way, in the long run you will lose credibility and trust.
A similar example is overpricing bonuses for the sake of it. Just don’t. Your positioning will suffer:
You will create future expectations of heavily discounted products.
It will trigger customer dissatisfaction once they realise the overinflated value was a made up number.
And worst of all, you can generate distrust.
A far more professional approach is to create urgency and scarcity by:
including exclusive bonuses
offering a reasonable and still attractive limited time discount (e.g. price reduced from $499 to $399)
providing reach to you
including a community aspect to the offer (private group)
No need for cheap sales techniques.
Before moving on the third key element to write website copy and landing pages to convert, let’s sum up this one:
Give before you sell, provide plenty of value.
Inspire before you sell, to encourage and empower your audience to take action.
Connect before you sell, as your personal touch is what will make the difference.
But don't destroy the credibility you have built with cheap sales techniques.
3. Drive action with your website copy & landing page
Very well done for making it to here!!!
You have what it takes, motivation to drive your business forward.
Now that you know exactly what to do to create clarity, deliver value and establish the connection with your page visitor, the next important piece of the jigsaw for your website copy and landing pages to convert is this: driving action.
Did you know?….
“70% of small business websites lack a Call to Action (CTA) on their homepage”
The Call To Action (CTA) is the mechanism to convert your page visitors into customers, telling them what to do to buy.
Include clear calls to action & create urgency through scarcity
You want your website copy or your landing page to convert. So don’t forget to ask for the sale!
It might sound incredible and still, sooooo many business don’t do it right:
the call to action appears too late.
it is too impersonal.
there is no clear urgency or incentive for the person to buy now.
or does not appear at all!
Avoid this.
Instead, this is a good example of how to do it. In the following landing page examples from Kate Kordsmeier 21 Days to Impact course , you see how the Buy-now button appears in different places and is labelled differently to incite to buy the more you scroll down.
Another mistake in sales pages is to create a false sense of urgency, pretending a false scarcity in price. Customers spot these things very quickly and it will make you lose their trust.
For your website copy, include a CTA over the fold (first page before scrolling down) in your main page and one towards the bottom, as a minimum.
Test and test to see what works best for your audience as there is a fine line between creating the fear of missing out (FOMO) and becoming too pushy selling.
Remove the risk of buying
Not all products are equal, hence why not everyone can offer a refund guarantee.
However, think how your page removes risk. You could offer:
a time limited refund or you provide plenty of visibility of your product
plenty of testimonials to give social proof
free access to a limited section of your online course
time limited trial for apps
Lastly, lack of clarity on your terms of sale can be a real killer.
Here is a great example of how Jenna Kutcher removes the risk from the buy:
Part of selling in your landing page is your ability to create the confidence in the customer to buy with piece of mind.
Explain simply what happens after they purchase
Lastly, don’t forget to cover what happens after the customer buys.
Again, it might feel obvious to you…
It is not for the customer.
Online educators do this beautifully when running webinars, when they open their cart at the end of the webinar and explain what will happen once they purchase.
A landing page or your website copy should be treated in the same way. Here is my own example for my webinar templates:
In a similar bucket falls the need to explain what is your support after the sales. This and other additional answers to objections and frequently asked question is often covered in accordion-type of sections in your website copy and landing pages:
In summary, include enough information to remove questions and objections from your audience.
So there you have it! Your 3 components to create website copy and landing pages that convert:
Clarity (to inform and attract)
Value and connection (to create trust)
Action (to convert)
Simple, isn’t it, now that you know how to make it happen! Time to put it into practice but before, don’t miss my bonus tip!
Your BONUS tip: Check, check, check
So after you have achieved all of this… is there anything, anything else that you have missed?
What do I mean?
With website copy and landing pages, so, so much effort goes on the content creation: what to write, what language to use, what visuals to include, what structure to follow…
However, an element that is often forgotten for successful conversion is one that may seem unimportant…
Testing that all works.
Have you tested that your pages are mobile friendly?
Have you tested your whole checkout & payment process?
Have you checked that your landing pages open correctly in different browsers?
Have you minimised the amount of information you ask for at checkout to minimise your abandoned cart rates?
Are your automations working end to end in your sales funnel?
You would be surprised how tech issues can happen. After all your hard work with the website copy and landing page to convert, the sale does not happen because of:
a tech issue in the checkout or payment process
too many clicks are needed before the payment is made and your customer leaves.
It sounds horrible… but true. So test, test, test end to end. Make your check out process simple, as every new window, new click needed is a potential moment for your customer to stop and leave.
So that’s it! Apply these elements to write website copy and landing pages and your conversion rates will rock:
clarity
value and connection
call to action
testing
If you only have 5min, read this!
Why does your website copy and landing pages matter?
75% of consumers admit to making judgements on a company’s credibility based on the website design (according to Kinesisinc).
The average time on a webpage across industries is 62 seconds (Contentsquare 2021 Digital Experience Benchmarks) and 2min for landing pages.
You haven’t got much time to demonstrate credibility, build trust and connection to drive positive action to buy.
These elements are key for conversions with website copy and landing page:
clarity
value and connection
action
1. Provide clarity in your website copy and landing pages
Make the first impression a great one.
Simplicity always wins, specially above the fold.
Apply the Stranger-in-the-Street Test to your website copy and landing pages.
Information details, yes, but balanced.
Up level your visuals for your website copy and landing pages conversions.
2. Provide value & connection in your website copy and landing pages
Give before you sell.
Inspire before you sell.
Connect before you sell.
Don't destroy the credibility you have built.
3. Drive action with your website copy & landing page
Include clear calls to action & create urgency through scarcity.
Remove the risk of buying.
Explain simply what happens after they purchase.
Your BONUS tip: Check, check, check
Test your pages for all device formats, specially to be mobile friendly.
Test end-to-end your checkout process to avoid tech issues.
Design your check-out process to be quick and easy.
Provide a range of paying options (e.g. Paypal, Stripe).
Depending on the product, consider payment plans.
What next?
You have now a collection of simple actions to make your website copy and landing pages super impactful!
So where to start? Make it simple for you.
Next week, implement something else and your pages will drive you results in no time !
And before you go, your comments are a great way of knowing why this content is useful to you and what other subjects you want me to cover.
So please comment below and tell me:
I love hanging with you!
It is an absolute pleasure to know that I can help you in your journey as an online entrepreneur, a course creator or a blogger.
Don’t forget to get your Free Visuals Collection to help you with free Canva templates as well as styled photos and video for business use*.
Hi! I’m Isabel
Visual content creation is my passion
The sea is my happy place!
For years and years I have created and produced content, in particular visual content. You can find me very often with my cameras and tripod out and about!
My passion: to help you with your online presence and drive business growth through my blog and visuals collections (marketing templates, styled photos & video).
Ah, I have also worked for 24+ in the corporate world, leading quite a mix: transformation, marketing, coaching, sales, productivity, programme management, investments and product management.
I love sharing all these skills with you in my blog.
I am also founder of Agavea Properties, our family holiday rental business. My husband and I lead it with the passion with one goal in mind: serving our customers to create a memorable holiday experience for them.
So there you have it, that’s me! Ah... I almost forgot, my happy place is by the sea.
Thanks for being here with me!
