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How to make a beautiful landing page - copywriting tip from Ashlyn Carter of Ashlyn Writes

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Date:
May 20, 2019

Author:
Ashlyn Carter

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Reading time: 6 min.

How can you build a beautiful, high-converting landing page QUICKLY? Let’s go. If there’s one thing I love about my creative community, it’s that style isn’t an afterthought. A landing page has gotta work, yeah, but it also needs to give that high-end feel and be a pretty user experience.

Today, I’m jumping into no fluff, no filler, just straight up conversion copy tips for your landing page—and how to get one hammered out in 10 minutes.

How to make a beautiful landing page - copywriting tip from Ashlyn Carter of Ashlyn Writes

Okay, first let’s get clear: when I say LANDING page, I’m talking about a stand-alone page—not your home page, not your about page, etc. … TECHNICALLY, those are sorta landing pages but I consider them part of the greater site.

In this video, I’m talking about your lead generation tool or part of a funnel that gives readers a chance to opt-in to get the goods from you via email.

If you’re familiar with me, you know I’ll go nerdy—I want this to help you if you’re making that I-haven’t-even-launched-my-business-yet-but-need-a-landing-page website, or if you’re a little more advanced and sending cold traffic to a download or video series. I’ve written more than 170 landing pages for clients and my own business and split tested loads of them along the way to see what works.

Soo … as with most copywriting-y things, I have some feelings. 😉

Keyword: how to make a beautiful landing page, landing page builder, best landing page builder

Right off the bat, you need to have in mind the tool you’re using to build this out. Is your landing page builder whatever you’re already using for your website, like Showit or Squarespace? Or, will you be using a landing page tool, like LeadPages, or ClickFunnels?

I’ve used both for high-converting pages, but if you’re going to have a lot, I really do think it’s super easy to use a tool like LeadPages—the templates are GAH-reat to start with. If you’re interested in starting a free trial of Leadpages, click below. Yup, I use ’em, and yup, I love them bc the analytics and split-testing ability is a piece o’ cake.



Landing Page Step No. 1

The first step is to brainstorm exactly who your one reader is, because now, we need to message matching with that reader.

Lemme show you an example of copy written SO well to one reader. Here’s my favorite headline I’ve seen lately—I mean, right? (p.s. I love to give credit where it’s due—it was written by a copywriter named Margo Aaron)

Lol, cue me most nights with Wes.

Just like that headline likely appeals to you too, we really need to know who that ideal reader is before we get going and where they’re coming from. That will give you the context that you need to answer with this landing page. It’s too hard to compete for people’s attention without nailing this.

To help you think about not just your audience, but help you consider if the message will match, here are a few things to think through:

Who are you talking to, and who are you not talking to?

What happened before to make them click on this?  

Will it be searched—is that how they’re landing here?

Is it paid traffic driving here?

Is it some sort of social media bit driving them here?

Is it a mix of everything above?


Landing Page Step No. 2

Voila. Now, to decide on a copywriting blueprint formula to use.

You may be interested in: 19 Copywriting Formulas to Use

Basically, I want you to use a messaging hierarchy that works, and in order to show you this, I wanted to show you a landing page for one of my clients.

Watch the video (above) to hear me walk through it, but here’s a screenshot of the page I’m talking about in the tutorial:

Again, I spill the beans and explain how there’s a copywriting formula used on this page in the video tutorial, so don’t forget to watch it!


Landing Page Step No. 3

Onward! Time to write the copy. Specifically, we need these 5 pieces to be in place:

  • Your headline
  • Your subhead
  • The body copy
  • Any call to action copy
  • Some killer microcopy (at least, I’m going to tell you that you need this)

 

One other tip—before I record videos and write blogs giving copywriting tips, I always pop around in my industry and look at actual landing pages people are using … that helps me think of tips that would actually help a sister out.

One thing I saw?

Don’t be afraid to mix up your copy by using emojis and numerals in the copy—this is just a personal opinion, but I think that it makes the copy less blocky, especially when so much of your traffic to a landing page will be mobile.

Ok. Before we move on, I’m sure you may be thinking “but, what is microcopy” … good question. 😉 Let’s talk about the microcopy—I don’t want you to waste a second of your reader’s time, so any chance where you have to have copy, make it fun to read. Think email address field copy, disclaimers (again though, trust your lawyer for stuff like this!), and other small bits of surprise and delight copy.


Landing Page Step No. 4

Time to talk pretty!

Polish it off with visuals that pop–and yes, copy dictates design, not the other way around, so do THESE STEPS IN ORDER. Don’t start pulling in images until after you’ve done the previous step, mmkay?

Mmkay.

My golden rules are 1) on-brand imagery (either hero images of what that desire would be, so your client or customer can see themselves getting whatever it is that they want), and 2) buttons that actually look clicky. I don’t even care too much about on-brand colors for that button, but more on that in a bit. If you’re giving a download, try to include mock-ups.


Landing Page Step No. 5

Test your landing page across devices and browsers in a tool like Google Chrome Developer Tools.

Consider what’s above the fold on different devices, and test longer form versus shorter form pages. I really like to use both. I’ve used more long form for masterclasses or waitlists, I’ve used short form for freebies. If you’re going more longer form, DEFINITELY give me some social proof, some testimonials, let me see the eyes and faces and feedback of people who’ve benefitted from this download, loved your workshop, worked with you and had killer results, or where you’ve been featured.


Landing Page Step No. 6

Made it this far? Sweet!

Now, you’re going to want to test it. This is your ride or die. Best practices are just pooled ignorance, so ALWAYS test things.

Test on multiple devices, test on multiple browsers. When you test, the important thing is to remember to isolate one thing at a time. The numbers DO not lie, and you want to be seeing what this page is actually doing. Don’t go crazy and test multiple things at once. I’ve done a video where I go into a bit more detail on how to test a page in LeadPages. Et voila (fast forward to 8:40ish):


Bonus tip for how to build a landing page?

Optimize that thank you page too—please, PLEASE don’t use a generic one … every chance you get to spend time on your people is a chance for you to steward their time well, so keep surprising and delighting them along the way.

It’s the 1000 true fans concept (read what I’m talking about here).

At the end of the day, if you want a landing page that converts you gotta put in that sweat equity and take time getting it right and nailing the copy, something copywriters like me spend hours and hours on.

Watch the video on YouTube for the full tutorial, and don’t forget to grab your trial of Leadpages below if you think it will help ya get started!

Reading Time: 6 Minutes Reading time: 6 min. How can you build a beautiful, high-converting landing page QUICKLY? Let’s go. If there’s one thing I love about my creative community, it’s that style isn’t an afterthought. A landing page has gotta work, yeah, but it also needs to give that high-end feel and be a pretty user experience. Today, […]

5/20/19

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