Landing Page Copywriting: How To Create Copy That Converts

Did you know that the average landing page conversion rate across industries is only 2.35%? That means over 97% of people are bouncing without taking action.

Here's the thing: in the ecommerce space, simply having great products isn't enough. To transform casual browsers into confident buyers, you need landing page copy that doesn't just inform - it entices, persuades, and inspires action.

In this guide, we'll dive into the nitty-gritty of producing landing page copy that not only engages your visitors but also motivates them to take that pivotal next step. We'll explore the key ingredients that set high-converting pages apart and arm you with the strategies you need to craft copy that connects with your unique target audience and compels them to click "Add to Cart."

How Does Landing Page Copy Differ from Product Pages?

At first glance, ecommerce landing pages and product pages might seem very similar. They’re both present on your website, they both showcase your products, and they both aim to drive sales. But when it comes to their specific roles and the copy, there are some key differences to note.

Product pages 

Think of your product pages as your virtual sales floor. They're where you display your wares in all their glory, providing shoppers with every last detail they need to make an informed purchase. This includes in-depth product descriptions, high-quality images, customer reviews, sizing info, shipping details - the works. 

The goal of your product page copy is to anticipate and answer every possible question a shopper might have, giving them the confidence to click "Buy Now" without hesitation.

Landing pages

Ecommerce landing pages, on the other hand, are more like your virtual sales associates. Their job is to guide shoppers towards a specific action (usually making a purchase) as quickly and efficiently as possible. They're less about providing exhaustive product info and more about highlighting key benefits, overcoming objections, and creating a sense of urgency. If your product pages are the encyclopedia, your ecommerce landing pages are the elevator pitch.

Think of it this way: if a product page is like a Wikipedia entry, providing all the facts and details about an item, a landing page is more like a sales pitch. It's not about providing exhaustive information, but rather making a compelling case for why the visitor should take that desired action, and do it now.

When it comes to ecommerce landing pages, less is often more. Your copy should be laser-focused on the specific action you want shoppers to take, using every word to guide them towards that "Add to Cart" button.

But what exactly does that look like in practice? 

Let's break down the key components of high-converting ecommerce landing page copy.

What Makes Impactful Landing Page Copy

Creating ecommerce landing page copy that not only grabs attention but holds it long enough to inspire action is equal parts art and science. It requires a deep understanding of your target audience, their wants, needs, and motivations, paired with time-tested copywriting techniques that tap into those desires and compel clicks.

While there's no one-size-fits-all formula for the perfect ecommerce landing page (trust us, we've looked), there are certain elements that the most successful ones tend to leverage. Here are a few of the most critical:

1. A Magnetic Headline

Your headline is the gatekeeper of your landing page - if it doesn't immediately grab your visitor's attention and pique their interest, there's a good chance they'll bounce before reading a single word more.

An effective ecommerce landing page headline does three key things:

• It addresses a key pain point or desire of your target shopper
• It hints at a solution or benefit your product provides
• It creates a sense of intrigue or urgency
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Let's say you sell premium, eco-friendly yoga gear. A headline like "Elevate Your Practice with the World's Most Sustainable Yoga Mat" is infinitely more compelling than something generic like "Eco-Friendly Yoga Mats for Sale." It speaks directly to the target audience (yoga enthusiasts), addresses their desire to uplevel their practice, and positions the product as a one-of-a-kind solution.

2. Product descriptions

If your headline's job is to grab attention, your product description's role is to maintain it. This is where you have a bit more room to elaborate on your product's features and benefits, but the key is to do it in a way that feels engaging and relevant to your target buyer.

The best ecommerce product descriptions don't just list specs - they tell a story. They help shoppers visualize how your product will fit into their lives and make them better. They use sensory language to evoke the feelings and experiences your product provides. And they do it all while staying true to your brand voice and the way your customers actually speak.

For example, this description for The Sill's popular white bird of paradise plant doesn't just say "Grows up to 5 ft. tall." Instead it paints a picture:

With its broad vibrant green leaves, the Bird of Paradise brings a touch of the tropics to any room. It's named after its unique flowers, which resemble brightly colored birds in flight.

Notice how the copy helps the reader envision the plant in their space and conveys the impact it will have, rather than just rattling off dimensions. It's specific, descriptive, and benefit-focused.

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3. Scannable formatting

Here's an inconvenient truth about online shoppers: they don't read, they scan. In fact, research shows that users only read about 20% of the text on an average web page.

What does that mean for your ecommerce landing page copy? It means that no matter how brilliant your writing is, if it's presented in a dense, unbroken wall of text, it's likely to go unread (and more importantly, unacted upon).

That’s where formatting comes in. By breaking your copy up into short paragraphs, using bullet points and subheadings, and leaving plenty of white space, you can make your page infinitely more scannable and engaging. The goal is to make it easy for shoppers to quickly glean the key points and benefits, even if they're just skimming.

Highlight important information like product features, social proof, and calls-to-action with bold text, color, or eye-catching visuals. Use high-quality product images and videos to break up text and showcase your items in action.

Remember, your landing page copy isn't just there to be read - it's there to be interacted with. Make it as inviting and effortless to engage with as possible.

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4. Powerful social proof

When it comes to online shopping, trust is everything. When shoppers can't physically see, touch, or test your products, they're relying on your copy (and the experiences of others) to assure them of their quality and value.

By featuring customer reviews, user-generated content, media mentions, or trust badges from reputable third parties on your landing pages, you can quell doubts and establish instant credibility with shoppers.

The key is to make your social proof specific and relevant to your target audience. A generic 5-star rating is nice, but a detailed review from a customer with similar needs and pain points is infinitely more powerful.

For instance, supplement brand Onnit features a landing page focused on their "New Mood" stress support product. Rather than generic reviews, they showcase in-depth testimonials from customers detailing their specific experiences and results with the product.

Aim to include a mix of quantitative and qualitative social proof. Impressive stats like "Over 10k customers served" or "Featured in Forbes, Fast Company, and Entrepreneur" can lend authority, while glowing quotes from real customers can create an emotional connection.

Where possible, add visuals to your social proof for even more impact. Seeing your products in action in real customer photos and videos can be incredibly persuasive.

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5. A clear call-to-action

Your calls-to-action (CTAs) are the final nudge that turns interested shoppers into actual paying customers. So it goes without saying that your CTA copy needs to be on point.

Effective ecommerce CTAs do a few key things:

• They use action-oriented language that creates a sense of urgency
• They reiterate the key benefit of taking action
• They make it crystal clear what will happen when the shopper clicks
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Instead of generic phrases like "Buy Now" or "Add to Cart," try benefit-focused CTAs like "Get Glowing Skin" or "Upgrade My Wardrobe." The more specific and outcome-oriented, the better.

Consider Brooklinen's CTA for their bedding bundles: "Start Sleeping Better." It's concise, benefit-driven, and perfectly encapsulates the result shoppers can expect from purchasing.

Also, pay attention to the design and placement of your CTAs. Make sure they stand out visually from the rest of your copy and are located in prominent, easy-to-find spots throughout your page. Many high-converting landing pages include multiple CTAs to capture shoppers at different stages of engagement.

The common thread here? Effective ecommerce landing page copy always puts the customer first. Every word, every formatting choice, every piece of social proof is carefully created  with the target shopper's needs, desires, and hesitations in mind.

Avoid vague or generic phrases like "Submit" or "Click Here." Your CTA should reinforce the specific value proposition of your offer and make it easy for visitors to say "yes."

But how do you know what those needs and desires actually are? That's where customer research comes in.

Create High-Converting Landing Page Copywriting With Your Users In Mind

Here's the thing about writing ecommerce copy that hits the mark: it's not about being clever or even conventionally "good" at writing. It's about understanding your target customer inside and out, and creating messages that speak directly to their unique wants and pain points.

And the only way to gain that deep level of customer insight? You guessed it - research.

This includes:

• Scrutinizing your analytics and ecommerce data for behavioral patterns and trends.
• Mining customer reviews and social media comments for valuable feedback and common objections
• Conducting surveys and interviews to hear directly from your target shoppers in their own words.
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The goal is to go beyond surface-level demographics and really get into the heads of your ideal customers. What motivates them? What obstacles do they face? What hesitations do they have about purchasing? 

Uncovering these insights requires a multi-faceted approach, which is where the SplitBase Testing Trifecta comes into play. This three-pronged methodology blends quantitative analysis, qualitative insights, and real-world experimentation to uncover a holistic, data-driven understanding of the customer.

Here’s how it works:

First, we analyze metrics from sources like Google Analytics to identify high-level trends and opportunities. 

But the numbers only tell part of the story.

That's why we also dive deep into qualitative research - surveying customers, conducting interviews, and performing usability tests. This human element captures the emotional drivers, pain points, and perspectives that quantitative data alone can't explain.

Finally, we put these combined learnings to the test through ongoing experiments and A/B tests. This rapid feedback loop allows us to continuously validate hypotheses, measure impact, and optimize the website and marketing.

By integrating these three research pillars, our team is able to develop a truly comprehensive understanding of customers. This data-driven, customer-centric approach uncovers the key levers to boost conversions, average order value, and overall marketing efficiency.

The more you can understand your customers’ real lived experiences and the exact language they use to describe them, the more effectively you can tailor your copy to resonate.

For example, let's say you're an online boutique specializing in sustainable fashion. Your target customer is a socially conscious millennial woman who wants to look stylish while minimizing her environmental impact.

As you dig into your customer research, you notice some recurring themes:

• Many of these shoppers feel overwhelmed by the thought of overhauling their entire wardrobe to be more eco-friendly - they want to make incremental changes without sacrificing their personal style
• They're willing to invest in high-quality, ethically made pieces, but worry about the financial burden of a complete closet overhaul
• Words and phrases like "effortless," "versatile," "guilt-free," and "investment pieces" come up often in their feedback and discussions around sustainable fashion
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Armed with that insight, you might create landing page copy that speaks directly to those concerns and desires:
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"Effortless, Ethical Style for the Modern Woman

Building a more sustainable wardrobe doesn't have to mean starting from scratch. Our collection of versatile, high-quality pieces makes it easy to invest in your personal style and the planet, one guilt-free purchase at a time. Discover the timeless staples you'll reach for again and again."

See how that copy addresses the target shopper's specific pain points around the overwhelming nature of going green and the cost of ethical fashion, while highlighting the benefits of ease and versatility? 

But your research shouldn't stop once you've written your landing page copy. The most successful ecommerce brands are constantly testing, iterating, and refining their messaging based on real shopper data and feedback.

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Why and How to Prioritize Data

Here's the hard truth: even the most beautifully written, customer-centric landing page copy won't convert every single visitor. And that's okay! The key is to continuously track, analyze, and optimize your copy based on how it's actually performing with real shoppers.

This is where tools like A/B testing, heat mapping, and analytics come into play.

A/B Testing

A/B testing allows you to compare different versions of your copy and see which one performs better with your audience. Here's how it works:

• Create two versions of your landing page, each with a different variable you want to test (like a headline, CTA, or lead image)
• Split your incoming traffic evenly between the two versions
• Track key metrics like conversion rates, time on page, and bounce rates
• Identify the winning version and implement it on your main page
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Heat Mapping and Scroll Tracking

Heat mapping and scroll tracking tools provide a visual representation of how visitors are interacting with your landing page. By seeing where people click, hover, and scroll, you can gain valuable insights into what's working and what's not.

For example:

• If visitors are dropping off halfway through your copy, it might be too long or not compelling enough
• If people are skipping over your CTA, it may need to be more prominent or action-oriented
• If a particular section is getting a lot of attention, consider expanding on that topic or using similar messaging elsewhere
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The key is to approach your landing page copy not as a static asset, but as a living, breathing thing that you can continuously tweak and improve based on real user data. 

The more you test and optimize, the better you'll be able to create copy that resonates with your specific audience and drives meaningful business results.

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Conclusion: Invest in Landing Page Copywriting That Delivers

Creating  high-converting ecommerce landing page copy is not easy. It requires deep customer insights, persuasive storytelling, and a whole lot of testing and iteration.

But when you get it right, the results can be game-changing for your online store. 

Compelling, customer-centric copy can easily turn casual browsers into loyal buyers, boost your conversion rates, and seriously grow your bottom line.

The key is to always keep your target shopper at the heart of your copywriting process. Every headline, every product description, every CTA should be written with their unique needs, desires, and hesitations in mind. Use their own language and experiences to guide your messaging, and lean on data and testing to continually refine it.

Of course, writing copy that sells is easier said than done. It takes time, skill, and a deep understanding of both ecommerce best practices and your specific audience. That's where partnering with a skilled conversion optimization agency can be invaluable.

Partner With SplitBase to Create High-Converting Landing Pages

Our team at SplitBase takes the guesswork out of the process by gathering in-depth insights directly from your customers, analyzing your website data to identify key opportunities, and continuously testing and refining our strategies to ensure the best possible results.

How do we do it? Our comprehensive CRO services are tailored to the unique needs of ecommerce businesses like yours:

• In-depth data analysis and customer research to pinpoint your biggest conversion opportunities and roadblocks
• Expert landing page design and copywriting to create post-click experiences that engage and convert
• Strategic A/B testing and site-wide optimization to continually refine and improve your store's performance
• Conversion-focused Shopify design and development to build online stores that are engineered to sell
• And so much more
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We don't just throw spaghetti at the wall and hope something sticks. Our approach is rooted in data, shaped by a deep understanding of ecommerce user behavior, and relentlessly focused on driving measurable results.

We're not just another agency looking to pad our portfolio. We're your partner in ecommerce success. We win when you win, and we're as invested in your growth as you are.

Reach out to us today to learn more about how we can support your conversion goals and set your brand up for long-term success.

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