Your landing pages are where the magic happens. They’re where you convince people to buy your product, sign up for your online course, or opt in to your email list. So if you’re not getting the sales or subscribers you’ve been hoping for, there could be something wrong with your landing page.
This something could be a design problem, such as a cluttered page or a hard-to-spot call to action. But it could also be a copy problem, one that makes it hard for your landing page to be the superstar virtual salesperson it needs to be. Here are 10 key landing page copy mistakes you may be making.
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1. You let the design of your landing page dictate your copy
If you’re like most people, you probably design your landing pages first and then write your copy afterward. This may seem like the best way to go because you can figure out what your page looks like and then write copy for all the spaces that need it.
But there’s a reason why marketers consider this to be a key landing page copy mistake: it makes it less likely that your copy will convert. Why? Because it forces you to fit your key messages into lorem ipsum placeholders. This constrains your copy and can keep you from saying what you really want to say. Instead of letting your design determine your copy, write your copy first and then design a landing page that accommodates it.
Related: 9 landing page design mistakes that reduce your conversions + free template and example
2. You don’t know what your goal is
This landing page copy mistake doesn’t just make it hard to get a good conversion rate. It also makes it challenging to write your copy in the first place.
Even if your landing page doesn’t need much text, identify the main goal you’re trying to achieve before you start writing. Are you trying to get people to buy a product, sign up for a webinar, or download your checklist? Once you know what you’re trying to accomplish, write copy that’s solely geared toward getting people to take this action. When your copy is strategic and focused, it has a much better chance of being persuasive and effective.
Example: See how the copy on Dropbox’s landing page is focused on one objective: getting people to see that Dropbox is the perfect way to make their life easier.
3. You don’t prove that you understand your audience
Everyone always talks about why it’s so important to understand your audience (me included!). But the truth is that it isn’t enough to understand your audience. You also need to show your audience that you understand them. The last thing you want is for people to show up on your landing page and think that you don’t understand their problem or don’t have the solution they need.
Avoid this landing page copy mistake by getting to know your audience and crafting copy accordingly. How can you do this? Hang out in social media groups and online forums that your audience is active in. If you sell products, you can also take a look at reviews of your own products or those of your competitors. Pay attention to what people say about the problems they want to solve, the features and benefits they want in a solution, and the problems they’ve had with other people’s solutions. Pay attention to the language they use too.
Armed with all of this info, you can write copy that acknowledges your audience’s concerns, frames your product or service as the perfect solution, and shows your audience that you really do understand them.
Example: Melyssa Griffin shows her audience that she gets them by incorporating their key goals into her copy.
4. Your copy is out of order
Your landing page copy may contain all the right info. But it can still be ineffective if it isn’t arranged in the right order. For example, if you outline the benefits of your product before you outline the problem it’s designed to solve, your audience may not understand that your product is designed to solve their problem. Similarly, if you introduce testimonials before you’ve explained your offer, they’ll probably be less persuasive.
Optimize your landing page copy by placing copy elements in a logical, persuasive order. Here’s a common order you’ll see on effective landing pages:
- Headline
- Key problem
- Solution + its benefits
- Proof of credibility
- Social proof
- Call to action
Need help writing and arranging the copy on your landing page so that it gets you more sales, clients, or email subscribers?
Download my free landing page copy template + full example.
5. Your headlines are weak
There’s a reason why this landing page copy mistake is especially costly. Most people will spend only a few seconds on your landing page before they decide whether they should stick around. What’s one of the key pieces of information that will factor into their decision? Your headline.
Avoid leaving money on the table by taking the time to craft solid headlines for your landing pages. Although there are lots of ways to write great headlines, your landing page headlines should convey your unique selling proposition in a clear and simple way. In other words, you want your headlines to communicate the key benefit your audience will experience if they take you up on your offer.
Need some help coming up with great headlines? Download my 72 free headline copy templates.
Example: Amy Porterfield’s landing page features a strong, benefit-focused headline.
6. You’re focusing on features instead of benefits
One of the most common landing page copy mistakes people make is writing about features instead of benefits.
To digest this mistake, we need to talk about the difference between features and benefits. Features are the characteristics of a product or service. For example, the features of an iPhone are its technical specifications, such as how large the screen is and what the resolution of the camera is. People who are really interested in mobile phone technology may base their purchase decisions on the technical specifications of an iPhone. But most people buy iPhones because of the benefits these features provide, such as being able to watch Netflix on a larger screen or take better photos.
The fact that most people place more emphasis on benefits than features makes sense. After all, people ultimately want to know how a product, service, or resource will benefit them or solve their problem. Copy that describes the features of your offer doesn’t address this. But copy that outlines the main benefits people will experience does. That’s why you can strengthen your landing page copy by placing benefits front and centre.
Related: 11 tips for writing landing page copy that converts + free template
Example: See how Todd Herman emphasizes benefits in the bullet points on this landing page.
7. Your call to action is generic
When you’re writing landing page copy, you may tend to use generic words for your call-to-action buttons, such as “buy now,” “sign up,” and “submit.” What’s the problem with these calls to action? They’re vague, and they don’t convey what your audience will get if they take the plunge.
Tackle this landing page copy mistake by making your calls to action specific to your offer. For example, use “send me the template” instead of “download” and “help me master Pinterest” instead of “sign up.” When you make the copy on your call-to-action buttons more specific, it makes your offer seem more relevant to your audience.
Related: How to write a strong call to action for your website + free cheat sheet
Example: Check out the specific call-to-action button copy on Crazy Egg’s landing page.
8. Your copy is too wordy
Remember your high school days when you would write long, complex sentences just for the sake of making your essay longer? That’s not what you want to do with your landing page copy.
Although landing pages with lots of copy can be effective, you never want individual sentences to be wordy. Wordy copy doesn’t just take up more space than it needs to. It also makes your copy dense and difficult to read. So replace sentences like “Get the opportunity to learn a systematic process for filling up your calendar with more clients this year” with sentences like “Book more clients this year.” Swap unnecessary prepositions and adjectives with clear and concise copy.
Example: Melissa Carter uses simple language on this landing page.
9. You haven’t optimized for readability
People may read novels by processing every word from beginning to end. But this isn’t how they read webpages. When people read online, they don’t read copy from the top of a page to the bottom. Instead, they scan a page for key information. How do you ensure your copy is optimized for scanners? Make your copy scannable.
Here are some tips for writing scannable copy:
- Keep paragraphs short
- Use bullets and lists
- Create lots of white space
- Use a font that’s easy to read
- Separate sections of copy with subheadings
Related: How to write scannable blog posts people actually read + free checklist
Example: See how Nesha Woolery uses short paragraphs, bullets, and lots of white space to make her landing page copy readable.
10. Your copy is inconsistent
There’s a reason why legal witnesses who change their story over time aren’t very credible. When you get inconsistent information from someone, it’s hard to trust them. The same goes for your copy.
If your landing page copy doesn’t match the copy in the ad or social media post that directed people to your landing page, you’ve got a problem on your hands. Not only could you end up directing the wrong people to your landing page, but you could be seen as unreliable and untrustworthy. Show your audience that you can follow through on a promise by keeping your landing page copy consistent with your ad, social media, and thank you page copy.
Related: How to write compelling social media posts + 7 free social media copy templates
Example: See how OptinMonster’s Facebook ad and landing page both focus on converting abandoning website visitors.
Steer clear of these 10 landing page copy mistakes
Having a good landing page isn’t just about coming up with a design that’s visually appealing. If you truly want to optimize your conversions, you have to put just as much work into your copy. After all, your copy is your virtual salesperson. If it’s hard to understand, too generic, or low in credibility, it’s not going to help you sell products, book clients, or gain email subscribers.
Steer clear of common pitfalls by checking your landing page copy for the 10 mistakes I’ve described above. If you find any, carve out time to fix them so you can boost your conversions and stop leaving money on the table.
Get more sales, clients, or email subscribers by learning the formula that makes landing pages convert.
Download my free landing page copy template + full example.
