From meh to magnetic: How to write a landing page in 7 steps

A compelling landing page can be the difference between someone bouncing (getting off your website) and someone saying yes. To work, it has to connect with a real person, namely, your audience or buyer persona.

And it must guide said persona toward one clear action. 

In this post, I’ll share key strategies that turn bland pages into more compelling ones. But first, let’s start with the basics.

What exactly is a landing page?

A landing page is a standalone web page where someone “lands” after clicking a link—usually from an ad, email, or social post. 

Unlike your homepage, which tries to do a bit of everything, a landing page has one clear purpose: to guide visitors toward a single action. That could be signing up for a newsletter or webinar, downloading a guide, or making a purchase.

Thus, a landing page removes distractions and makes it easier to say “yes” to the next step. It’s less about showing off everything you do and more about making it easy for someone to do the one thing you want them to do.

Remember: while home pages generally feature a smorgasbord of messages, landing pages are much simpler. Think of it as a focused conversation that you’re having with your prospective client.

More than copy: a fusion of psychology and smart design

A strong landing page pulls from more than one skill set. Yes, it’s about writing clear and persuasive words, but it’s also about understanding how people think and make decisions. Thus, an understanding of buyer psychology helps you frame the message in a way that builds trust and reduces hesitation.

This includes demonstrating that you understand your buyers’ pain points (i.e., problems or challenges) and empathize with the irritation this causes them.  

Then there's style and user experience. The best words won't help if the landing page is messy, hard to understand, or just plain bad.

If your page is hard to navigate, your prospects might take a quick peek and then run for the hills. And yes—that’s why they call it a bounce rate… 

In summary, the best landing pages come together when smart, buyer-centric copy fuses with smart design.

Steps to take to write a high-conversion landing page

1) Set one clear goal

A landing page should have one job and one job only. Do you want someone to sign up, book a call, or download a resource? Pick that goal and design every element around it. If you try to do too much, you’ll dilute your message and confuse visitors.

For example, if you’re creating a ‘lead magnet landing page’, the main goal is to have your web visitors download the lead magnet. The latter can take on multiple forms: a white paper, an eBook, a fact sheet, etc. 

Pro tip → If you don’t know what you’re promoting on your landing page, then you shouldn’t start creating one. Pause and take some time to reflect over a coffee, a matcha, or whatever your hot beverage of choice is.  

2) Know thy audience

Before you write a single word, get clear on who you’re talking to.  Who is your audience? What keeps them up at night? What are they trying to achieve? 

The more specific you are, the easier it is to speak directly to them and build trust. 

Pro tip → Use language that’s warm, authentic, and feels personal. Buyers are exhausted by the 1001 claims and offers they come across every month, many of which are sounding increasingly fake and robotic. Stand apart by investing in copywriting that is personal, real, and has the right dose of punch. 

3) Write a strong headline

Immediately engage your audience with a clear, catchy headline that captures their attention and entices further curiosity. Marketers sometimes refer to the headline as ‘the hook’ because it’s meant to rapidly generate connection and interest, as in, to ‘hook’ your audience in. 

Not to imply that they’re a fish or anything. Oh boy, this has Seinfeld-moment written all over it.

🤦🏻‍♀️ 

Er, in any case [insert awkward chuckle], you might also have copy under the headline that elaborates on what’s in it for the reader, or that simply provides more context about the page.  

Since everyone’s attention span is incredibly short these days—can’t say I blame ‘em—a strong headline can go a long way in sparking interest.

Pro tip → Don’t be scared of thinking outside the box here. Brainstorm ideas and consider infusing your headline with a touch of humour or something a bit different than “Get our guide on fly fishing” or “5 hot real estate tips.” 

Remember: you only have a few seconds to make an impression, so make it count! 

4) Address pain points and benefits

Good landing page copywriting means communicating with empathy. Your audience wants to feel that you get them and understand their problems or challenges—what marketers refer to as pain points. As such, they want to feel that there’s a real human behind the words and visuals on the page. 

The landing page offers a golden opportunity to showcase that human touch.

What does this entail? It’s about creating copy that acknowledges and underscores what those pains are, as they pertain to the subject of your lead magnet or whatever you’re promoting on that page specifically. Importantly, you must explicitly take the time to show how you can help.

Go further than just listing features or what’s in your lead magnet. Although those are important, you’ll need to also outline how your offer solves a real problem that they’re facing. Explicitly highlight what’s frustrating your audience and explain how your offering or resource makes their life easier, better, or simpler. Make it human and relatable.

Pro tip → Please avoid stale, robotic language that feels hollow and is void of empathy. You won’t achieve resonance and connection that way.

5) Cut out the clutter: Use simple, persuasive design

Keep your landing page clean and organized. Use visuals that support your message, guide the eye, and remove anything that distracts from the main goal. 

This means using an attractive-enough layout and white space to guide attention toward the call-to-action.

Work with your graphic designer or web developer to create something high-quality and professional. If you don’t have an in-house person, there are an abundance of great folks you can hire via LinkedIn, Fiverr, or Upwork.

Pro tip → Want to really irritate the web developer or designer? Deliver an abundance of copy—the kind that sure as heck won’t fit into a content module that only looks good with 250 characters, max… The takeaway? Inquire about character/word constraints before you even put pen to paper. 

6) Tastefully build trust

It’s natural for people to hesitate before committing, and every marketer knows this. Therefore, it’s part of a skillful copywriter’s job to intentionally (and ethically) help the reader feel safe and confident enough to take the next step.

That’s where social proof comes in—testimonials (written or video), case studies, or recognizable logos. Social proof is the stuff of trust-building, primarily because it visibly shows that others have had a positive experience with your product(s) or service(s).

Ultimately, trust is the bridge between someone reading your page and actually clicking on your big call-to-action (CTA) button. Without it, even the best offer can fall flat.

Pro tip → If you don’t have testimonials yet, don’t panic. You can build trust in other ways, such as clear explanations of your process, transparency about what they’ll get, or even addressing common objections directly on the page. If this is you, I recommend doing 5-7 FAQs at the end of the page. 

7) End with a clear and compelling CTA

Your CTA is one of the most important parts of your page—it tells people exactly what to do next. Make it obvious, direct, and impossible to miss. Use strong, action-oriented language that leaves no doubt about the next step.

Pro tip → If your page is long, don’t rely on a single CTA at the bottom. Sprinkle a couple throughout so visitors can act whenever they’re ready. Think of it as guiding someone down a path: each CTA is a signpost pointing them toward the next move.

Could your landing page use a little more love?

I’m going to invoke my inner Forrest Gump here and exclaim:

“And that’s all I have to say about that.”

If your landing page is still stuck in the meh zone, let’s fix it. Shoot us an email at info@simileagency.com, and we’ll help you turn it into something that resonates with your audience.

Thanks for reading, and be well!