How to Write Landing Page Copy That Converts: 7 Research-Backed Principles

Your visitors are not reading your landing page. They are scanning it. Good copy is written for the way people actually behave on the web.

Writing sample by Maycon Nunes for this portfolio · 4-minute read

A landing page has one job: get the visitor to take a single action, whether that is booking a call, starting a trial or buying a product. Design matters, but the words do most of the persuading. And the research on how people read online is clear about what works.

In a classic study by the Nielsen Norman Group, 79% of test users always scanned any new web page they came across, and only 16% read word by word. That single finding should shape every line of your landing page copy.

1. Lead with the outcome, not the feature

Visitors decide in seconds whether a page is for them. Your headline should say what they get, in their words. "Accounting software with automated reconciliation" describes a feature. "Close your books in hours, not days" describes an outcome. Put the conclusion first, a style the Nielsen Norman Group calls the inverted pyramid, and let the details follow for those who want them.

2. Write for scanners

Because most people scan, structure is part of the copy. Nielsen Norman Group recommends highlighted keywords, meaningful subheadings (not clever ones), bulleted lists and one idea per paragraph. In their tests, a scannable layout of the same text improved measured usability by 47%. A practical check: if someone reads only your headings and bold text, do they still understand the offer?

3. Cut the word count roughly in half

The same research found that a concise version of a page, with about half the words, scored 58% better on usability. On a landing page, every sentence should either build desire or remove doubt. If a paragraph does neither, delete it. Shorter copy is not lazier copy; it is copy that respects the reader's time.

4. Drop the hype

Users in the study "detested marketese": boastful, subjective claims like "the best solution ever". Simply switching to objective language improved usability by 27%, because readers no longer had to filter out exaggeration. Replace adjectives with specifics. "Trusted by thousands" is vague; "4.8 stars from 1,200 verified reviews" is concrete, and only use numbers you can back up.

5. Build trust before you ask for anything

Credibility is a conversion factor. Baymard Institute found that 19% of online shoppers who abandoned a checkout did so because they did not trust the site with their credit card information. On a landing page, trust comes from real testimonials, recognizable client logos (with permission), clear contact details, a visible privacy policy and a consistent, professional design. Put proof near the call to action, where doubt is highest.

6. Be upfront about costs and next steps

Surprises kill conversions. In the same Baymard research, 40% of shoppers who abandoned a purchase blamed extra costs, and 12% said they could not see the total cost up front. If your landing page sells something, state the price or the starting price. If it collects leads, say exactly what happens after the form: "We'll reply within one business day with a quote." Clarity lowers the perceived risk of clicking.

7. Make the call to action specific and repeat it

"Submit" tells the visitor nothing. "Get my free quote" or "Start my 7-day trial" tells them what they get. Use one primary action across the page, repeat it after each major section, and keep forms as short as possible. Every field you remove is one less reason to give up.

A quick landing page copy checklist

• Does the headline state a clear outcome for a specific reader?
• Can the offer be understood from headings and bold text alone?
• Have you cut every sentence that neither builds desire nor removes doubt?
• Are claims specific and verifiable instead of promotional?
• Is there real social proof near the call to action?
• Are price and next steps stated plainly?
• Does the button say what the visitor gets?

Conclusion

Landing page copy that converts is not about clever wordplay. It is about respecting how people read: quickly, skeptically and with one question in mind, "is this for me?" Answer that question in the headline, make the page easy to scan, back up every claim and ask for one clear action. Then test, measure and refine.

Portfolio sample written without a real client. Need landing page copy or SEO articles in English? Contact Maycon Nunes.