Thursday is guest post day here at Duct Tape Marketing and today’s guest is from Kristen Gramigna  – Enjoy!

When someone clicks an online ad or banner, he or she usually comes to a customized landing page — a webpage specially designed to move him or her to action. But the way things are said on that landing page — i.e., the content that is used — can make all the difference between whether a visitor becomes a customer or whether he or she clicks away. Have you thought about some of the most common content mistakes that can harm credibility and, by extension, results?

Below are a few easy mistakes copywriters can fall into, without even realizing it, when crafting content for landing pages:

1. Keywords, Keywords, Keywords: Sure, keywords are important for online content, but they are never more important than creating content that makes sense. When your writing is so hyper-stuffed with keywords that your readers get lost, you’re making a classic content mistake. Instead, to make your content powerful, stop stuffing keywords haphazardly and focus on writing content that is legitimately useful and valuable. Keep in mind that a well-written landing page should include keywords in a way that isn’t obvious. Ask yourself: Will it be obvious to my readers what keywords I’m pushing here? If so, you need to rework the page.
2. Not Delivering: It’s popular nowadays to write headlines to be clickable and easy to notice — but even if your content gets a lot of hits, those hits mean nothing if readers are frustrated once they arrive. Just as important as getting visitors to your landing page is keeping them there. That’s why your content must deliver on what your headline promises. Ask yourself: Is my landing page appropriate for my headline? Are visitors getting what I’m promising when they click over to the site? If not, rework your content.
3. Writing to the Wrong Level of Consumer: A good tip to keep in mind with all copywriting is that good content is targeted content. If you’re writing a basic cake recipe for beginner home cooks, you’re on the right track. If you’re writing a basic cake recipe for master chefs with culinary degrees, you’re not. Likewise, a lot of companies make the mistake of writing to the wrong level of consumer, whether that means beginners (when they should be writing to intermediate) or intermediate (when they should be writing to beginners). Ask yourself: Who is my audience? Who am I targeting? Then, make sure your content lines up with those answers.
4. Me, Me, Me: Your landing pages is not about you; it’s about your prospective customer. Rather than waxing eloquent about your company and its history and its products, tell the reader what you offer him or her. Ask yourself: Why should my readers care about this? Then find a way to focus on what’s in it for them.
5. Treating Content Like Ad Space: Advertising might drive readers to your landing page, but it won’t keep them there. Your landing page is not a place to be flashy and salesy; it’s a place to show the reader why they want what you offer. Ask yourself: Does my landing page sound like an advertisement? If so, rewrite it.

Your Thoughts

After going through the above list, what do you think? Are your landing pages helpful and relevant, or are they keyword-stuffed and dull? Do you speak to the reader’s desires, or are you just talking about yourself? Think about your landing pages strategically, and you’ll see better conversion rates over time.

If you liked this post, check out our Small Business Guide to Website Design.

Kristen Gramigna is Chief Marketing Officer for BluePay, a credit card processing firm, and also serves on its Board of Directors. She has more than 15 years of experience in in direct sales, sales management, and marketing.