Optimize Your Landing Page's Body Text to Boost Conversions

Some landing pages work best with nothing but a headline, a subhead, and a
submit box.

Then again, some offerings require the in-depth explanation that only body
text can provide. And in such cases, you need to make sure your words are
pulling their weight.

To optimize your landing page's body text, try adjusting and testing these
elements.

Long vs. Short Copy

If your offering is low-risk (or even better, free), short copy will likely
test better.

But if it requires a serious investment, a proportionate amount of copy is in
order. The more someone has to spend, the more convincing they'll need.

That's the standard rule, but there's a deeper angle: You should also
consider the source of a prospect's motivation.

If your offering is something they need (meaning it's a rational
choice), long copy may convert more effectively—even if it's a low-risk
situation.

And if it's something they simply want (meaning it's an impulse), short
copy could be your best bet.

Naturally, the only way to know what works for your offering is to
test both options.

Column Construction

Too often, designers try to eliminate scrolling by keeping everything above
the fold.

But if you crowd a single page with too many columns to keep everything up
top, your visitors will likely look elsewhere for a page that doesn't force
them to pick out what's important.

So as a general rule, use one column and keep it to between 40 and 60
characters wide. And if your prospect is interested in what you're saying,
they'll be happy to scroll for more.

Blocks vs. Bullets

On the web, readers tend to shy away from long paragraphs and bulky blocks of
text.

So if anything you're explaining can be broken down into a series of bullet
points or a numbered list, give it a try. You might also test checkmarks in
place of the bullets.

Font and Size

Web designers who use huge, high-resolution monitors sometimes forget that
most people read the web on dingy cube monitors or dim, battery-conserving
laptops.

To make sure everyone can read your landing page with minimal friction, use a
screen-friendly, sans serif typeface like Arial or Veranda, and choose a point
size of 10 or larger.

And stick to black on white. Shades of gray—or worse, white text on a black
background—will irritate your audience.

Once you've tested every angle to find the body text that works best, you'll
need to tweak another essential ingredient—your submit box.

So next week's post will be chock full of tips to make sure your lead-capture
lives up to its name.