Top 5 Landing Page Copywriting Tips for B2B Startups

Taylor Barnes
Nov 1 · 16 min read

If you’re a growing B2B startup seeking better conversions and stronger sales, a sales-optimized landing page (or several) is a no-brainer.

You may even be thinking that you should have one written up right now, even if you’re not sure how to write one.

As a busy business owner — or someone who works in the digital marketing space and knows how much work this can take — you may not have the right amount of time to squeeze in to write up a complete landing page for your next big sales launch.

While it’s true that landing pages vary in length, targets, and tone, they serve one overall purpose: to capture visitors and convert them into leads.


Why Are Landing Pages So Important?

The short answer: if you don’t have a landing page strategy, you’re wasting a very effective money-making opportunity (that isn’t too difficult to create nowadays).

Your landing page isn’t just a homepage.

It’s a homepage with a specific goal in mind.

B2B (business-to-business) companies can have landing pages as short as a simple header with a bright call-to-action, or a full website page that scrolls on for ages.

Either way, they lead to a common goal of creating a desirable offer, and experience, to the visitor.

This is where pinpointing your copywriting strategy is an absolute must before you make any hasty decisions in launching your landing page.

Clear, compelling copy that follows the correct writing mechanics for not only webpages but landing pages, creates a huge difference.

Not just for the first glimpse of the page, but for the first few steps in a prospect’s journey through your website.

Slapping a bunch of vague, scattered words will dodge those potential visitor conversions and lead to nothing but crickets.

Thankfully, this can be avoided.

You just need a few pointers to set your landing page writing plan on track.

This blog post will break down the top 5 landing page conversion copywriting tips for B2B startups, and how you can implement these strategies ASAP.

(Plus a few examples from excellent B2B landing pages that are killing it).

Let’s get started.


1. Before You Write: Nail Your Brand Identity

A landing page isn’t just any regular webpage. A stellar image and a couple lines of descriptive text with no direction, no brand identity, no clear goal and no key message may as well be tossed in the trash bin.

This is where having a solidified brand identity is absolutely essential.

You’re not just any B2B company starting off with a bang. Your services, your product, your everything — from your story, to your press, to your staff — are all unique to you.

You may be a software company or a growing technology brand, but just because you’re fluent in this type of language doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a creative, thoughtfully constructed brand identity.

It’s no secret that most spectators assume only B2C companies need to focus much more on branding.

Pepsi and Coca-Cola often come to mind as competitors in the B2C branding landscape.

So, how are you going to communicate that without covering blocks of rambling text?

How will your visitors immediately understand that when they hit your landing page, they’re not visiting a blank slate with empty promises and services they can find somewhere else?

First, let’s take a look at everyone’s favorite software giant, Adobe.

Screenshot of Adobe Creative Cloud’s website landing page.
Screenshot of Adobe Creative Cloud’s website landing page.

Even if you live under a rock and have never heard of Adobe before, you immediately get a sense of value, emotional triggers, and powerful branding on their landing page.

In this case, they’re directly advertising their Creative Cloud product — a cloud-based software platform that houses a multitude of their services, from PhotoShop to InDesign to Spark.

Layered on top of the lovely, simplistic visuals and eye-catching logo design are the true weapons of converting interest: the copy.

First, the bold text catches the eye right underneath the logo:

“Dream bigger. Creative Cloud.”

Here, the emotional triggers are instantly effective.

They’re claiming that with their product and services, they can help you, the visitor, dream bigger.

Putting those two phrases together instantly creates that correlation between dreaming bigger and their cloud software product, Creative Cloud.

That powerful intro immediately creates interest to read the bottom text.

“Get the world’s best apps and services for turning your best ideas into amazing creative work.”

Granted, Adobe has a solid reputation for providing the top dogs in creative software, so they can make claims like “get the world’s best apps” without too many complaints.

But, that confidence and type of language show a human element to their branding.

And, right beneath their copy lies a CTA that offers the visitor to schedule a free trial.

On this landing page, Adobe isn’t just offering a general message.

Instead of just stating the facts behind what their Creative Cloud product can do, they pushed the idea of the product forward instead.

They’re saying that scheduling a free trial with them won’t only give them access to a fantastic cloud software tool, but the opportunity to “dream bigger” and turn their ideas into “amazing creative work.”

It’s the idea of using the product that’s selling the content, not just the product itself.

Imagine if this was written without any emotional words or a lick of a unique brand identity.

There are thousands of software companies that provide similar services to Adobe, who become lost in the fray because they don’t know how to make themselves different.

Start with the elements you know about your brand, and ask yourself these questions:

  • What are my services?
  • Why is my product different?
  • Who is my audience?

Another tip: instead of focusing on how much better your product or service could be compared to your competitors, think of how yours is different.

Once you answer these starting questions, you can begin brainstorming your unique B2B messaging.

Maybe you’re another cloud-based software company, or a growing tech startup with a twist on a service that can please one demographic over another.

The key here is, again, difference, and clarification.

A clear brand identity is a selling one.

And once you have that nailed, you can move onto the copy.


2. Track and List Out Your Top Keywords

You don’t have to be a master in SEO to craft a conversion-optimized landing page.

In fact, it might be surprising how easy it can be to implement a keyword strategy into your copywriting.

Before you start writing, you need to make a comprehensive list of your top SEO keywords.

Long-tail keywords, in particular, are where you need to focus.

If you’re completely new to SEO, long-tail keywords are three to four-word phrases that are extremely specific to what you’re selling.

It’s important to know how to implement your keywords into your copy.

But, it’s even more important to know which ones you actually need that are relevant to your company, your services, and what you’re offering on your landing page.

You want Google to track your page, but your visitors to connect with it even more so.

Long-tail keywords not only make up 70% of all web searches, but they serve a huge benefit in driving organic traffic to your website.

Long-tail keywords are used strategically in many forms of online writing, from website pages, to blog posts and articles, to white papers and journals.

Knowing your keywords takes away a lot of wasted time in crafting your landing page copy.

Why? Because you need to know how to input your keywords in your copy without sounding unnatural, robotic, and impersonal.

You want to have the opposite effect.

To do that, it’s best to know your keywords, have them written down, and then implement them into your copy.

You’re probably wondering how to figure out your long-tail keywords.

There are tons of free tools and resources on the vast expanse of the web that can help you figure out your keywords.

Google Trends is one easy method to figure out what people are searching for, and it’s easy to tailor the search engine to reflect your searched niche.

But, you may want a plan that’s more specific and guided, instead of just relying on these tools.

Take a look at your service, and think about what you offer.

Put yourself in your ideal customer’s shoes. If they were searching for your product or service in Google, what would they type in the search bar?

If you offer a type of software or app for a certain kind of customer, think of the phrase in three separate pieces, and break it down from there.

Check out the graphic below.

Graphic explaining how to create an SEO keyword list for copywriters.
Graphic explaining how to create an SEO keyword list for copywriters.

In this example, the prospect — likely a digital marketer working for a small, growing B2B startup — is seeking assistance in managing their company’s social media.

In this graphic, the breaking down of a customer’s thought process is shown in those top three parts: niche (or industry), service, and solution.

Targeting the industry is important. In this case, a prospect from a B2B company is going to look for a service (social media management) that aligns with their industry (B2B).

If you’re the social media management company, you want your website to reflect keywords that concern the customer’s specific needs.

Sticking with the B2B social media management idea, most of your keywords would require phrases similar to the following littered naturally (not robotically) all throughout your landing page copy:

  • Social media manager
  • Social media content
  • Social media content strategy
  • B2B (and) business-to-business

Depending on your industry, your short-tail keywords may change, as well as your long-tail.

After typing “b2b social media” into Google, this is what popped up as the trending searches:

Pay attention to your test searches.

If you were searching Google for your own industry offerings, what would you type in, and what would you like to see pop up?

More often than not, you may be more spot-on in your practices than you think.

Now, once you have your ideal keywords listed out on paper, you can move onto the copywriting.


3. Create a Compelling Header and CTA

This is where your copywriting requires a goal in mind, from the first call to action to the last phrase that will lead to your prospect conversions.

Now, again, it’s common knowledge that Adobe is a giant in the B2B, B2C and software industries.

As a growing B2B startup, you’re probably a little skeptical about how effective borrowing a strategy from an established company would be for your own website.

That may be your first thought.

However, creating compelling headers and a CTA that connects directly to the visitor means you need to study the masters.

From B2B, SaaS, and everything in-between according to your industry niche.

Let’s start with a landing page from another well-known SaaS giant, Klipfolio.

Screenshot of the Klipfolio website’s main landing page.
Screenshot of the Klipfolio website’s main landing page.

Klipfolio is a dashboard software that specializes in business intelligence, data and analytics.

With quite a complex product, it’s helpful to simplify their copy and presence as much as possible.

And they’ve accomplished this nicely with their landing page opener.

Since we’re focusing mainly on headers right now, it’s important to see how impactful words can draw the eye even if the copy is just located in the header.

Similar to Adobe, Klipfolio capitalizes on its reputation with a powerful statement displayed clearly and proudly on their homepage.

With words like that — calling yourself the “top dashboard on Earth” is quite the statement — it’s impossible not to be interested in their product.

They chose to show some of their client logos and star ratings for added testimonial proof, and right above their calls to action.

Take a look at those CTA buttons.

You’ll notice two of their offerings for two different kinds of prospects: complete newcomers, and businesses who are seeking a dashboard and don’t need any more information.

Your goal for your CTAs is important.

For example, you’re not going to write “Build My Dashboard” and leave out the demo option if you’re marketing only to newcomers.

Plus, that little note beneath the second button adds extra value and increases a prospect’s incentive in trying out the, as quoted, “top dashboard on Earth.”

Let’s dive into two more landing page examples in B2B and SaaS.

Screenshot of the Sprout Social website’s main landing page.
Screenshot of the Sprout Social website’s main landing page.

Sprout Social is a popular social media management software platform, similar to HootSuite.

Tons of big brand names trust Sprout Social to gather social media data, analytics, and schedule posts for your favorite platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

They’re confident with their branding, but unlike Klipfolio, they rely more on their copy to sell their story and incite interest in the visitor.

With their bold header statement, they pull you in with the problem they’re promising to solve and helping their prospects do what they’re hoping for: building, growing and managing stronger social relationships.

Then, with that attention-grabbing statement, they break it down with a line of descriptive copy below.

They say that unlike their competitors, their platform is built for connection, implying a human touch that, according to them, won’t be found with other social media managers.

Finally, underneath that additional tidbit of copy is the CTA button for that final “first visitor’s look” conversion opportunity.

They start with a bold statement, break it down, then seal the deal.

All with simple, approachable copy and solid brand identity.

Makes sense.

Screenshot from the Mailchimp website’s main landing page.
Screenshot from the Mailchimp website’s main landing page.

We’ve covered examples in dashboard software, social media management, and now we’ve moved onto email marketing.

MailChimp is a popular email marketing platform for many different types of brands, from eCommerce to B2B newsletters and everything in-between.

And yes, this is great landing page copy.

Here’s why.

Unlike the previous two examples, this landing page shows a new offer.

It’s a landing page advertising not just for Mailchimp as a whole, but their brand new all-in-one marketing platform.

Their copy immediately grabs your attention with a shiny, special new feature that already adds onto an email marketing platform with plenty of positive press.

First, they hook you in with that powerful statement.

Then, they add onto it with another hook.

Notice how with their first statement, they tease the visitor a second time with the second sentence in the smaller text.

Key phrase here?

“You’re ready for what’s next.”

They already grab your attention with a solid header, and then follow it up with a one-sentence description, plus a brief breakdown of what it all means.

It’s important to remember your goal in capturing your lead’s attention.

Sometimes the header and first CTA is all a prospect needs to read before their interest pushes them to click that button and take a chance on your offer.

Now that we’ve covered the basics in crafting a header and first call to action for your landing page, it’s time to move onto the first tip in writing the body copy.

4. Simplify the Writing Language

In some cases, you need more than a few pretty pictures and a well-written header to capture leads.

In the case of working body copy, simplicity is what snags attention, and a clear message is what sells. Combining those two elements means you’ll have a great first step already in writing the body copy.

This is especially important in B2B and SaaS, since you’re marketing to prospects that can range from complete newcomers to using a product of your type, to veterans in the industry who are looking for a tool that perhaps didn’t work for them from other companies.

This is your chance to differentiate yourself and adapt to your branding.

Let’s take a look at a few body copy examples from various B2B (and more) companies.

Screenshot from Opal website landing page.
Screenshot from Opal website landing page.

Opal is an omni-channel marketing collaboration platform.

They offer all kinds of services that spread through many areas for B2B, B2C and D2C — from content marketing to campaign creation, to internal and external communications, and more.

It’s a broad SaaS, to say the least.

And yes, there’s a lot that a B2B startup can learn from this approach, especially if you offer a ton of services and need to know how to market them well.

From skimming this landing page sample alone, you can instantly tell one thing: it’s eye-catching.

Instead of lessening the impact of a potentially powerful headline, they integrated a stronger focus on what they promise.

The winning framework here begins with the top phrase of the body copy, right below the (unseen) header and CTA.

What does it mean to “work better together,” and how does Opal make their service relate to this statement?

They show — and tell — through simple visual graphics, and easily readable descriptions.

In short, to demonstrate their expertise in the multitude of services they offer, Opal relies on clear, concise, and simple language in their copy.

Notice how none of the copy reads as over-complicated or full of nonsensical technical jargon.

This is only the beginning of a long, well-crafted landing page with points and references made to each product, service, and differentiator that makes Opal stand out from their competition.

Here are a few screenshots from their landing page.

Notice how quickly they lay out their features, and break up the text in calculated white space (we’ll talk more about that later) and simple, short sentences.

In fact, most of their text blocks are made up of one or two sentences at most.

There’s a strategic, stylistic rhythm to where they’re placing their words on the page.

This approach makes the copy not only easily scannable to the visitor, but draws their eye naturally down the length of the page to move onto the next point.

With the above examples, you can take away some key factors:

  • They’re demonstrating expertise with showing an additional strategy they follow that leads to their proven success in their niche.
  • They’re emphasizing their main business points multiple times, but with a broken-down approach to point out the main benefits.
  • They use plenty of space to make each point stand out to the eye while allowing the points to add up to each other, instead of taking away attention.

The one underlying commonality here?

They’re all clear, easily understandable statements.

Here’s how they’re breaking it down:

  1. State what the product/feature is.
  2. Emphasize what the feature does.
  3. Explain why it’s relevant to the prospect.

If you step outside of the box for a moment and look at how they’re framing their landing page, they’re using this strategy consistently all throughout the body copy.

Take a moment to write down those three points.

If you had to start writing a landing page tomorrow for your B2B website, what key factors could you take out of your product that you know best?

Think of the following when drafting this all out:

  • What makes your product different?
  • What are its best features?
  • How does it help your customer?

Start with those three questions for your body copy.

Some of them may see familiar (unless you skipped the header copy section), but these are definitive questions that you need to know the answers to about your product and services.

Now, maybe you’ve already written your landing page copy.

You may even have an idea where it will go.

You have all the right words split up and organized the way they should, factually speaking.

But how the copy is framed is just as important — if not more — then the words themselves.

Which brings us to our last conversion copywriting tip…

| 5. Use White Space and Visual Breaks

Opal is just one example of a company that has populated their entire website with gorgeous graphics, images, and charts that flow and shift around the copy.

These details are great additions if accessible, but your landing page doesn’t need all of these extra snazzy pops of color and charts to market well and close prospects.

Yes, extravagant images and flow charts are great, and work well in tandem with website copy (when done right).

But right now, we’re going to talk about utilizing white space, simple visual breaks, and how to fine-tune your copy to fit into readable, scannable segments.

You can stand out with just following those simple principles, just by tapping into those factors that appeal to the human eye and make your most important points readable to any type of visitor.

After all, no one wants to click on a webpage and be bombarded with stacks of cluttered garble.

Even if it’s not all complete nonsense, it will read that way on first viewing, and scare away your visitors.

Since many of the examples in this blog post have been from companies with flashy graphics and extravagant images, it’s time to look at other great companies with fantastic, simple landing pages that get the job done just as well.

Screenshot from Paubox website landing page.
Screenshot from Paubox website landing page.

Paubox is a growing B2B email security solution service. Their homepage is pretty simple, using images that relate to their product idea, and allow plenty of room for simple phrases and white space.

Pages like this are easily scannable because of how the copy is framed.

Notice how the white space separates each block of text and image to create a sense of cohesion. Even with such simple images, the layout looks natural and pleasing to the eye.

Most importantly, it’s designed for easy readership.

An accessible landing page is an effective one, gorgeous over-the-top graphics or no.

Here are a few ideas on how to implement white space and breaks into your landing page:

  • Limit paragraph length (one to four sentences at most in body copy).
  • Use subheadings to break up each point with focus.
  • Utilize bullet points and numbered lists (if applicable).

A little goes a long way with those practices.

Once you have all of these steps written down, practiced, and implemented, you’ll have a much more focused, solid plan on crafting a winning landing page for your B2B startup.

At first, it will seem daunting — what part of writing any website page isn’t? But, knowing these tools and tips can make your DIY-ing process a lot easier.

Pay attention to how your strategy works after a landing page launch. If something isn’t working, tweak it.

If your prospects aren’t converting as much as you want, or in the way you expected, there’s always a way to make it better.

Taylor Barnes

Written by

Portland, Oregon-based copywriter, storyteller, content marketer and author-in-progress. Will write fiction for coffee. Work with me: www.taylordbarnes.com.

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