With all conversion-focused marketing I go by the belief that the correct length is as long as it needs to be. If it’s too short to explain the offer, stoke desire, overcome obstacles, create urgency, etc., then it will lack power. But as soon as you add things that aren’t relevant, you risk losing the user’s interest.

The offer has a lot to do with how much to include. In general, the more friction an offer has, the more you’ll need to include. For example, if you’re offer is complex, you’ll need more space to explain and/or demonstrate the features and benefits. And higher price and/or bigger commitment will require more convincing and assurances than a softer offer.

The target audience makes a difference, too. Some people are more analytical and like to research before making decisions. They will respond to more information better than those who are more impulsive in their decision making. While it’s impossible to personalize to this level for every visitor, you may be able optimize for segments that are likely to have similar psychographics.

Of course the best way to determine what and how much to include is to test it.

Great question. For me personally, I always approach a new landing page project from the point of “what questions do I need this page to answer for the visitor?”

Usually, I find that there are some extremely common questions that should be “answered” on almost every page. Things like “what is this page about?” or “has it worked for others?” etc.

Then its just a matter of creating content in a way that answers those questions while reducing any friction the visitor may have, and increasing their motivation towards taking action.

I cover this approach—and give some specific examples—in this article if anyone is interested in learning more about this topic.

I love this theme of “user/offer levels” as I read your reply. I imagine a sort of scale, the higher the level of complexity, the more content there should be.

Nice!

I try to get all the essential points covered in just a few sections, all the critical benefits, the offer, the CTA, etc. Then, I may use longer content to expand the topic.

My analytics indicate that few people read longer content. But, sometimes a client insists because they think it is critical.

I don’t think long content will reduce the conversion rate. . . and it may create a slight uptick.

I think some people read the initial copy carefully, then scroll down and realize there is a lot more content and that substantiates the credibility that started at the top, but they don’t really read it.

For example, after you’ve read one or two testimonials, do you really read another ten? But seeing them on the page adds credibility.