landing-page-copy

name	landing-page-copy
description	Write high-converting landing page copy with proven structure and persuasion techniques. Use when creating or optimizing landing pages.
origin	ECM

Landing Page Copy

When to Activate

Use this skill when creating a new landing page, rewriting an underperforming one, or reviewing landing page copy for conversion optimization. Applies to: lead capture pages, product pages, demo request pages, free trial pages, event registration pages, and app download pages.

First Questions

1. What is the single conversion goal? (one page, one goal — always)
2. What is the traffic source? (ad, email, organic, social — message match matters)
3. Who is the audience and what's their awareness level? (cold traffic needs more education)
4. What are the top 3 objections the visitor will have before converting?
5. What proof do you have? (testimonials, case studies, data, logos, press)
6. Long-form or short-form? (depends on price, complexity, and awareness)

When to Use Long-Form vs. Short-Form

Factor	Short-Form	Long-Form
Price	Free or low (<$50)	High (>$50 or recurring)
Complexity	Simple, obvious value	Needs explanation
Awareness	Product-aware, warm traffic	Problem-aware, cold traffic
Risk	Low (free trial, no CC)	High (annual contract, big investment)
Decision maker	Individual	Committee/multiple stakeholders

---

Landing Page Anatomy (Section by Section)

1. Hero Section (Above the Fold)

The most important 600 pixels on the page. Must communicate what you do, who it's for, and why it matters — in under 5 seconds.

Elements:

• Headline: The #1 benefit or transformation (see headline-formulas skill)
• Subheadline: Supports the headline with specifics — who it's for, how it works, or a proof point
• Primary CTA: The main conversion action, visually dominant
• Hero image/video: Shows the product in action, the outcome, or the user's transformed state
• Social proof snippet: One line — "Trusted by 10,000+ teams" or a row of logos

Hero Copy Template:

[Headline: Primary benefit in 6-12 words]
[Subheadline: Who it's for + how it works or key differentiator, 15-25 words]
[CTA Button: Action verb + benefit]
[Micro-text: Objection handler — "No credit card required"]
[Trust element: Logo bar or one-line stat]

Example (SaaS):

Ship features faster with async standups. Replace your daily sync meetings with 30-second video check-ins. Built for remote engineering teams. [Start Free Trial — No Credit Card] Trusted by teams at Stripe, Notion, and Linear

Example (D2C):

Clinical-grade skincare without the clinical price. Dermatologist-formulated serums delivered to your door for $29/month. Results in 4 weeks or your money back. [Build My Custom Routine] 48,000+ five-star reviews

2. Problem Section

Immediately after the hero, agitate the problem the visitor came to solve. This validates their pain and builds emotional momentum.

Rules:

• Use the visitor's own language (pull from reviews, support tickets, surveys)
• Be specific, not generic — "You're spending 3 hours a week on reports nobody reads" beats "Reporting is time-consuming"
• 3-5 sentences maximum
• Optional: use a subheading like "Sound familiar?" or "If this is you..."

Example:

You're creating content, but it's not creating pipeline. You publish blog posts, send newsletters, and post on LinkedIn — but the leads aren't coming. Your analytics show traffic but no conversions. Your sales team says "the leads from marketing are garbage." Meanwhile, your competitor's content seems to generate demos on autopilot. What do they know that you don't?

3. Solution Section

Introduce your product/service as the answer. Bridge from the problem to the solution clearly.

Rules:

• Lead with the outcome, not the features
• Use a transitional phrase: "That's why we built..." / "Introducing..." / "There's a better way."
• Show the product — screenshot, demo GIF, or video
• Keep it benefit-first: what does the user get to do or stop doing?

Example:

Introducing ContentEngine: the system that turns your content into revenue. ContentEngine analyzes your ICP, identifies the topics that drive conversions (not just traffic), and generates a full content pipeline mapped to your sales funnel. Connect it to your CRM and see exactly which content generates pipeline — down to the dollar.

4. How It Works / 3-Step Process

Reduce perceived complexity with a simple, numbered process. Three steps is the magic number.

Template:

How It Works:
1. [Action] — [One-sentence description]
2. [Action] — [One-sentence description]
3. [Action] — [One-sentence description]

Example:

Get started in 3 steps:

1. Connect your tools — Integrate your CMS, CRM, and analytics in one click
2. Get your content plan — We analyze your data and generate a 90-day editorial calendar
3. Publish and measure — Track revenue from every piece of content you publish

5. Social Proof Section

The most persuasive section on the page after the hero. Types of social proof, in order of impact:

1. Customer testimonials — Specific results with names, photos, and titles
2. Case studies — Before/after with metrics
3. Logo bars — Recognizable company logos
4. Numbers — "10,000+ customers" / "$2B processed" / "4.9/5 average rating"
5. Press mentions — "Featured in Forbes, TechCrunch, WSJ"
6. Awards/certifications — G2 badges, SOC2, industry awards

Testimonial Formula: Include: specific result + timeframe + emotional reaction + full name + title + company + photo

"ContentEngine helped us 3x our inbound demo requests in 90 days. For the first time, our CEO sees content as a revenue channel, not a cost center. This tool changed how our entire GTM team operates." — Sarah Kim, VP Marketing, ScaleUp (Series B, 120 employees)

Rules:

• Place social proof throughout the page, not just in one section
• Match proof to the audience — enterprise buyers want enterprise logos, SMBs want SMB stories
• Specific numbers beat vague praise: "increased revenue 40%" beats "great product!"

6. Features/Benefits Section

List 3-6 key features, each framed as a benefit.

Template for each feature:

[Benefit-Led Heading]
[1-2 sentences explaining what the feature does and why the user cares]
[Optional: screenshot or icon]

Rule: Feature tells, benefit sells.

• Feature: "AI-powered content scoring"
• Benefit: "Know which content will drive revenue before you publish it"

7. Objection Handling

Address the top 3-5 objections directly. This can be an FAQ section or woven into the copy.

Common objections to address:

• "Is this too expensive?" — Show ROI or offer a guarantee
• "Will this work for my use case?" — Show diverse testimonials
• "Is this hard to set up?" — Emphasize onboarding support or simplicity
• "What if I don't like it?" — Money-back guarantee or free trial
• "Is my data safe?" — Security certifications and policies

FAQ Format:

Will this work for my industry? ContentEngine is used by 2,000+ companies across SaaS, eCommerce, financial services, and professional services. During onboarding, we configure the platform for your specific industry and audience.

8. Final CTA Section

Repeat the CTA with a closing argument. This is for visitors who read the entire page and need one final push.

Template:

[Restate the primary benefit or transformation]
[Reiterate the key proof point]
[CTA Button]
[Risk reversal: guarantee, free trial, no commitment]

Example:

Ready to turn your content into your #1 revenue channel? Join 2,000+ marketing teams who use ContentEngine to generate measurable pipeline from every piece of content they publish. [Start My Free 14-Day Trial] No credit card required. Set up in under 5 minutes. Cancel anytime.

---

Above-the-Fold Optimization Checklist

• Headline communicates the #1 benefit in under 8 words
• Subheadline adds specificity (who, how, proof)
• CTA button is visible without scrolling on desktop and mobile
• CTA button text is benefit-driven, not generic
• One trust element is visible (logo bar, stat, or review score)
• No navigation menu (or minimal — landing pages should minimize exits)
• Hero image/video shows the product or the outcome
• Page load time is under 3 seconds

---

Worked Example: SaaS Free Trial Landing Page

[NAV: Logo only — no navigation links]

[HERO]
Headline: "Ship 2x faster with async standups."
Subheadline: "Replace daily syncs with 30-second video check-ins.
Built for remote engineering teams of 5-500."
CTA: [Start Free Trial — No Credit Card]
Trust: Logos of Stripe, Notion, Linear, Figma
Image: Product screenshot showing the async standup interface

[PROBLEM]
"Your team spends 45 minutes every morning in a standup that could
be a 30-second update. Engineers lose their flow state. PMs spend
more time scheduling than strategizing. And half the team is in a
different timezone anyway."

[SOLUTION]
"StatusFlow replaces synchronous standups with async video check-ins.
Each team member records a 30-second update when it suits them. AI
summarizes blockers and flags risks. Everyone stays aligned — nobody
loses their morning."

[HOW IT WORKS]
1. Record — Team members record a 30-second video update
2. Summarize — AI extracts blockers, progress, and priorities
3. Act — PMs see a dashboard of team status; blockers get flagged instantly

[SOCIAL PROOF]
3 testimonials with photos, names, companies, and specific metrics
"We got back 5 hours per week per engineer." — CTO, Series B startup

[FEATURES]
- AI-powered summaries (never miss a blocker)
- Timezone-aware scheduling (works for distributed teams)
- Integrations with Slack, Jira, Linear, GitHub
- Analytics dashboard (track team health over time)

[FAQ]
5 questions addressing setup time, security, pricing, team adoption

[FINAL CTA]
"Ready to give your team their mornings back?"
[Start Free Trial — No Credit Card Required]
"Set up in 3 minutes. Works with your existing tools."

---

Worked Example: D2C Product Page

[HERO]
Headline: "Wake up with clear skin. Finally."
Subheadline: "The dermatologist-formulated acne system that works
in 4 weeks — or your money back."
CTA: [Take the Skin Quiz — 60 Seconds]
Trust: "48,000+ five-star reviews | Recommended by 500+ dermatologists"

[PROBLEM]
"You've tried everything — cleansers, serums, prescriptions, TikTok
hacks. Your skin clears up for a week, then breaks out again. You're
tired of spending hundreds on products that don't work and routines
that don't stick."

[SOLUTION]
"Clarity is a 3-step system personalized to your skin type, age, and
concerns. Formulated with proven actives (2% salicylic acid,
niacinamide, retinol) at clinical concentrations. Delivered monthly."

[HOW IT WORKS]
1. Quiz — Tell us about your skin in 60 seconds
2. Custom Kit — We formulate your personalized 3-step system
3. Results — See visible improvement in 28 days, guaranteed

[SOCIAL PROOF]
Before/after photos, video testimonials, dermatologist endorsements

[FINAL CTA]
[Take the Skin Quiz]
"Free shipping. Cancel anytime. 60-day money-back guarantee."

---

Quality Gate

• Page has ONE clear conversion goal — no competing CTAs leading to different destinations
• Hero section passes the 5-second test (benefit, audience, and CTA are immediately clear)
• Message match: headline echoes the ad or email that drove the traffic
• Social proof is specific, credible, and placed throughout — not just in one section
• Top 3 objections are addressed somewhere on the page
• CTA appears at least 3 times on a long-form page
• Risk is reversed with a guarantee, free trial, or "no credit card" language
• No navigation menu or minimal exits (landing page, not a website page)
• Mobile experience is tested — CTA is thumb-reachable, text is readable
• Page loads in under 3 seconds