We all know that first impressions matter, whether it’s a first date or the first time someone lands on your website. And when it comes to your landing page – that make-it-or-break-it one-page gateway to your product or service –
Headlines and subheadings play a leading role in making key introductions.
Think about the last time you browsed through a website or scrolled through social media. Chances are your eyes were drawn to headlines scattered throughout the content to get the gist before deciding whether to click and continue reading. The same concept applies to landing pages, where clear and compelling headlines can be the difference between sparking interest or losing visitors.
But writing effective headlines and supporting subheads is part science, part art. While visual design plays a role, the words you choose influence people’s perceptions and determine if they’ll become leads. Add in the technical considerations around optimizing for search engines, and landing page headlines and subheads get tricky!
So if you’re struggling to come up with the perfect headline formula to capture attention and convert visitors, you’re not alone. By understanding the ingredients of high-performing landing page headlines and sprinkling in proven best practices though, you can engage visitors and transform them into leads. This guide takes the guesswork out of writing headlines that work and provides actionable tips to improve your landing page persuasiveness. Let’s dive in!
Before we dive into how to craft landing page headlines and subheads that convert, let’s make sure we’re on the same page about what they are.
The headline is the title of your content and main message you want to get across. It appears at the top of your landing page in large, bold font – think newspaper headlines or magazine covers. The goal is to summarize what the page is about and compel people to read further.
Subheadings support the headline by breaking up text into scannable sections. They act like mini-headlines sprinkling throughout content to communicate key points and help visitors quickly grasp information. Subheadings also make text less intimidating and more readable online.
Landing page headlines and subheadings work as a dynamic duo – the headline reels people in while subheads provide added reinforcement. Without compelling headlines, visitors won’t have a reason to stay on your page. Without strong subheads though, they might lose interest in dense blocks of copy.
When writing landing page headlines and subheads, you essentially wear the hat of an editor. And editors know readers tend to scan first before deciding if content seems relevant. Your words determine whether people will invest time to convert into leads. No pressure right? The good news is there’s proven frameworks anyone can use to craft headlines and supporting subheads that get results.
We know headlines and subheadings break up content, but why are landing page headlines so important in the first place? Because your headline is likely the first thing visitors read to determine if your offer aligns with what they’re searching for.
Some reports show that visitors will make a decision about your entire business within just .05 milliseconds of landing on a page – that’s 50 times faster than the blink of an eye!
The headline you choose could make or break this first impression that influences people to explore or abandon your site.
Even though headlines only take up a small portion of real estate, they pull an outsized weight in accomplishing three crucial goals:
Visitors aren’t loyal fans yet – you’re competing for their attention against a sea of digital noise. A generic “Welcome to our website” headline communicates little relevance. But intriguing, benefit-driven headlines entice the desired action.
Your headline should reflect the core purpose of the entire landing page and clarify what visitors can expect to get from you. If mismatched with the rest of the content, visitors might leave confused.
Compelling headlines boost click-through rates to the rest of your site. One of the most important landing page elements, headlines warrant extensive testing and optimization.
While visuals do their fair share, words make a memorable first connection with visitors that lead them through your sales funnel. Spend time crafting headlines tailored to your audience, or watch potential leads swiftly click away.
Now that we’ve covered why main headlines are so vital, let’s look at how subheadings back them up to create stickier landing pages.
Think of subheadings almost like “mini-headlines” layered throughout copy. They build on your title to communicate supporting details and value propositions. Even the longest webpage becomes skimmable with the visual breaks subheads provide.
Headlines reel visitors in, but that curiosity quickly fades without substantiated proof that sticking around will pay off. Subheadings satisfy visitors’ need for easily digestible chunks by:
While your title makes a big promise to capture attention, subheads follow through by explaining how you deliver that headline benefit. They translate your offering into tangible takeaways.
Subheadings give structure that funnels visitors from high-level topics down to specific solutions. Strategic subheads guide readers in logical next steps.
Let’s face it – long blocks of unbroken copy looks boring and intimidating, causing visitors to disengage. Subheads make content consumable for scanners seeking relevancy.
Your headline and subheadings work synergistically to convince visitors your landing page merits more consideration. Neglect either one, and readability suffers along with conversion rates. Craft both purposefully to provide consistent breadcrumbs that compel visitors down the trail to conversion.
We’ve covered how compelling headlines and subheadings engage visitors. But ensuring those components also contain relevant keywords compounds their influence.
While humans are the ones that ultimately click, computers still heavily mediate the journey that brings visitors to your site. Before convincing leads, you must first convince search engines that your page offers valuable content worthy of surface visibility.
Optimizing landing page headlines and subheads with keywords signals relevancy to search bots so they will rank you higher in results for related queries. This helps attract visitors more inclined to convert because they’re already searching for those specific topics.
Sprinkling keywords accordingly also informs the right visitors what solutions you provide. And it paves SEO inroads for your other inbound marketing efforts to drive targeted traffic. Specifically, keyword optimization in headlines and subheads impacts:
Balancing keywords with compelling copy is an art but pays dividends through increased qualified traffic. Treat headlines and subheads as VIP real estate for keywords when designing pages search engines love.
We’ve covered the strategic importance of optimized keywords and magnetic messaging in headlines and subheads. But how they visually appear as the first thing people see is arguably just as vital.
Typography is how font styles are utilized to convey visual hierarchy and influence interpretation. Seemingly small typography choices in headlines and subheads drastically sway outcomes by:
Remember those blink-of-an-eye first impressions? Typography choices either grab attention or let it slip away in that instant. While classic typefaces like Arial may seem safe, more distinctive font pairings prove more magnetic for landing pages.
So put just as much strategic consideration into how you present text visually. Because compelling words lose potency displayed blandly. Great copywriting merges with thoughtful typographic design to create sticky first impressions.
We’ve covered the integral roles headlines and subheadings play in engaging visitors and guiding them through organized content. But what ingredients actually make landing page headlines effective at capturing attention and converting traffic?
The perfect headline formula blends compelling copywriting with technical optimization. While endlessly testing permutations will better tailor headlines to each audience, effective headlines commonly share these core attributes:
While subheads allow elaborating details, headlines must distill your entire offering into a succinct sales pitch. Get headlines right, and the rest of the content just needs to back up what you’ve already hooked them with.
Creating compelling headlines that check all the boxes we just covered is no easy feat. Turning blank space into bold, clickable copy can intimidate any writer.
But just like a captivating movie title sets up the plot to follow, an engaging headline sets the stage for what’s to come on your landing page. Think of yourself as a movie producer tasked with cramming your entire story into a few words.
The good news is you can rely on a proven creative process to methodically turn vague ideas into winning headlines tailored to your goals. Follow these steps to develop headlines that deliver results:
Copywriting headlines feels like unlocking a code to build hype and deliver enticing offers. But sticking to an optimized process removes guesswork so you can write with purpose. Now put on your movie producer hat and get ready to bring your story to life!
We’ve gone through an in-depth process for crafting optimized headlines. But what about some proven insider tips to push headlines from good to high-converting?
Sprinkling these persuasive elements into your headline copy has shown repeatedly to lift conversions:
While core benefits should still anchor copy, these templates grab attention in proven ways. The more intriguing, scannable and clickable your phrasing seems, the more leads stay to convert.
Remember, visitors decide if they will stay or leave within milliseconds. So polish headline copy with these amplifying tips to guide more visitors more firmly down the conversion path.
You’ve optimized your headline and subheads based on best practices for your goals and audience. But how do you actually know if they drive conversions? Through continuous testing.
There’s no universal blueprint guaranteeing headline success across contexts. The best headlines come from iterating and improving based on performance data. Testing reveals what resonates most with your specific market.
Set up split testing tools for easy A/B headline testing to uncover which versions convert best. Common metrics to assess variants include:
Pinpoint patterns linking higher conversions to specific phrasing choices and keywords. Testing also prevents assumptions. An unusual headline you least expect might become your new control against competitors.
So don’t settle on the first seemingly-solid headline you create. Champion a culture of ongoing experimentation and optimization. Because the headlines working today may not be the same ones working tomorrow.
We’ve covered meticulous tips for crafting optimized headlines. But it’s equally important to know what pitfalls to avoid when writing landing page headlines.
Just a few small missteps in your headline copy can misrepresent your offering, confuse visitors and tank conversion rates. Steer clear of these common headline blunders:
We know writing succinct, benefit-rich headlines is easier said than done. But avoiding common mistakes that readers instantly tune out keeps your messaging polished and effective. Remember – the headline makes the critical first impression. Don’t undermine it with easily fixable errors!
We’ve covered a ton of tips for optimizing landing page headlines and subheadings. But a few additional considerations can take them to the next level.
Make sure your headline and subhead copy aligns with other elements across your landing page and website. A few key areas to evaluate integration with include:
Fine-tuning alignment across mediums and contexts cements messaging. The last thing you want is disjointed experiences where headlines over-promise or clash with surrounding elements. Think holistically, because every component plays a supporting role reinforcing your headline’s starring message.
We’ve covered a lot of ground when it comes to writing effective landing page headlines and subheadings. Let’s recap responses to some common questions that may come up:
Keep headlines under 60 characters so they scan easily. Longer headlines often get cut off on search engines.
Title case capitalizes the first letter of each word which works best for scanning. Sentence cases are harder to quickly parse.
Absolutely – numbers and symbols like # can boost clicks by creating intrigue.
Stirring some emotion can connect with readers, but focus mainly on communicating functional benefits.
Headlines guide visitors into content, but compelling images also capture initial attention – optimize both.
A/B test different headline versions against each other to see which convert more visitors.
Refine and expand this section further with any other frequent questions you tend to receive around headlines or subheads. Addressing common pain points gives readers helpful takeaways to immediately apply.
We’ve covered a lot of ground about the integral role landing page headlines and subheadings play in converting visitors. Let’s recap the main takeaways:
The headline introduces your offering and subheads provide the plotline that follows. Approach crafting both elements thoughtfully,creatively and strategically – the devil is in the details.
Your landing page headline deserves extensive fine-tuning through testing because small tweaks drive big traffic differences. Treat it as the leading role captivating interest rather than the unsung supporting part. Get your headline right, then ensure the rest of your content delivers on promises through seamless alignment.
Remember, magnetizing messaging makes memorable first impressions. And memorable first impressions make more leads stay to convert.
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