Writing killer landing page copy that converts

November 10, 2015

FantasyMeter

According to IBISWorld, a global business intelligence leader, the fantasy sports world is a $2 billion industry. And despite some recent shakeups, it’s still growing exponentially. With almost 60 million people playing fantasy sports in the U.S. and Canada, there’s a huge market share for fantasy sports businesses to capture. So as a business in this flourishing arena, how do you actively capture the interest of these enthusiasts? The answer lies in well-developed, compelling landing pages.

Creating powerful landing pages doesn’t come naturally for most people. It takes training and a lot of trial and error. But for those that write copy for landing pages (also known as conversion copywriters), there are specific goals they should always keep in mind: converting readers into loyal followers, or converting prospects into paying customers. In other words, at the end of the day, it’s all about conversions.

Here are five ways to create killer landing page copy that will increase your chance of conversions.

Craft kickass headlines

Seems like a no-brainer, right? According to the Nielsen Norman Group, a user has time to read 28 percent of the words on an average Web page. However, 20 percent is more likely. So, those bold words at the top of your landing page? Take advantage of them. In reality, you should spend as much time crafting the headline of your landing page as you do writing the rest of the copy. Headlines could be the only words your visitor reads.

Write for your audience

Quick demographic overview of a fantasy sports enthusiast (courtesy of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association):

Average age: 34

Gender: 80 percent are men

Education level: 78.1 percent have a college degree or higher

Average time spent consuming fantasy sports: 8.67 hours per week

Average fantasy sports experience: 9.51 years

Average annual household income: $92,750

Look, your audience is looking for anything that will help them win. Yes, they are smart, young and likely experienced at playing fantasy sports. But you have to connect with them using everyday language, not “marketing-speak.” Your landing page copy should speak to them in a voice they are familiar with. For instance:

Use short sentences.
Make your copy sound natural. Don’t focus on the rules of grammar. Don’t sound ignorant, but it’s okay to sounds conversational.
Use terminology they’re familiar with. No need to define acronyms (DFS, GPP, etc.) if they’re terms the players would already be familiar with.
Use colloquial language (“seriously,” “hold up,” “just a sec,” “freeroll”)

Focus on the benefits, not your product or service

In all honesty, the majority of landing page visitors do not care how good your product or service is. They only care about the benefits the product or service can provide. In other words, how can your product or service help them win at fantasy sports. That’s what your copy should focus on, first and foremost. Quickly tell your visitors how your product or service (or website), can help them bank. If you focus on your product without benefits, you most definitely will lose the conversion.

Testimonials are powerful

The best way to tell your benefit story is through testimonials. Compelling testimonials show landing page visitors (i.e. potential customers), what they can expect when doing business with you. Got a quote from someone who won hundreds of dollars in a DraftKings tournament by using your data? Use it. Have a tenured customer that uses your lineup generator every week to compete in a Millionaire Maker? Quote them. Testimonials also cut down significantly on the amount of work you have to do to come up with the right copy on your landing pages.

Call-to-action is critical

You’ve done all this work creating killer content for your landing pages. Don’t get lazy when it comes to your call-to-action. This is the single most important factor to conversion and the true measurement of success for any landing page.

Your call-to-action should use words that encourage visitors to take action. Here are some examples: