By: Alex Nazarevich, VP of Growth Marketing at Unbounce
Marketers need to constantly pivot their strategies to combat declining attention spans. According to The Science Survey, attention spans have plummeted from 2.5 minutes in 2004 to just 47 seconds in 2024, highlighting just how much things have changed. You’ve probably come across the “TL;DR” acronym in countless email campaigns and social posts, and shifting buyer behavior shows that consumers are begging for brevity. (Bet you wish you could read this at 1.5 speed.)
It’s time to embrace the reality that—when it comes to engagement and conversions—less really is more. But, when you’re trying to produce compelling campaign copy, you may wonder: how much can you cut without sacrificing conversions?
New data shows conversion rates are declining with attention spans
Data analyzed in Unbounce’s 2024 Conversion Benchmark Report, reveals how readability factors—like reading level, word count, and difficult words—significantly impact landing page performance across different industries. Spoiler alert: complex copy is killing your conversions, and the problem is only getting worse. Unbounce’s data also shows that the correlation between complex copy and lower conversions is now 62% stronger than it was just four years ago in 2020, emphasizing the urgent need for marketers to adapt.
So, how can you simplify your landing page copy and create campaigns that convert?
Start by assessing your copy’s reading level
Reading level gives you a bird’s-eye view of the state of your landing page copy and its potential effectiveness. It’s determined by several factors: difficult words (typically those with three or more syllables), overall word count, and estimated reading time. However, it’s all about striking a delicate balance and being aware that certain factors can harm conversions more than others in different contexts.
There are a few things we know for sure, based on data from over 57 millions landing page conversions. Copy written at a 5th to 7th-grade reading level converts best across most industries with an 11.1% conversion rate—56% better than content written at an 8th or 9th-grade reading level (7.1%), and more than double that of professional-level writing (5.3%). Flesch scores, a common SEO tool that measures readability, indicate that a 5th to 7th-grade level translates to a readability score of 70 or higher, which means your copy should be as easy to read as a Harry Potter novel.
Let’s talk about a few different ways you can improve the reading level of your copy.
Get to the point faster with shorter word counts and reading times
Most industries perform best with concise landing pages containing under 500 words of copy. However, it’s important to note that in some industries, longer landing pages (up to 1000 words) can be effective for certain audiences, while others see declining conversion rates closer to a maximum of 700 words.
If your landing page takes more than 90 seconds to read, your page will likely underperform compared to the latest benchmarks. In most industries, you have the best shot at hitting conversion benchmarks if your page takes less than 60 seconds to read. If your word count or reading time is where it needs to be, but you’re not seeing the conversion rate you would expect, you likely have too many complex words (the top conversion killer in copy).
Regardless of what works best for your specific industry or target audience, there’s simply no excuse for bloated, overly complex copy in 2024. With advanced AI tools readily available that help you to summarize content effectively, rewrite within specific word limits, or choose simpler language, improving readability has never been easier or more accessible for marketers of all skill levels.
If you find that you’re still writing too much copy for a single landing page, you should consider whether your content should be dripped out to potential customers via a nurture campaign. This approach helps keep potential customers engaged and makes it easier for them to digest higher volumes of information over multiple touchpoints. Remember, it’s all about striking the right balance so you don’t overwhelm potential customers by overloading them with information. While more detail could make the buying decision easier for some customers it could also backfire if you give customers too much to think about, potentially stalling their decision-making process.
Cutting copy isn’t complicated, but it should be strategic
After seeing this data, you might be tempted to start hacking away at your landing pages—but it’s crucial to be patient and methodical in your approach. If you’re not careful, you might inadvertently cut out key details that convey the unique value of your product or offer, leaving you with overly generic copy that doesn’t capture your customers’ attention or drive conversions. The last thing you need is to make major changes that result in a plummeting conversion rate without any clear explanation. Instead, focus on testing small, incremental changes and keep a close eye on their impact over time. This approach minimizes risk by avoiding sudden unexplained drops in your conversion rate while giving you actionable insights about what really resonates with your audience.
Don’t overlook the significant impact complex copy can have on your overall marketing performance. If your campaign isn’t performing as well as expected, the root issue may not be too many form fields or a weak offer—it could be your landing page copy itself that needs careful reevaluation and optimization.
Best practices aren’t best in every industry
If you really want to dial in your conversion rate optimization, you need industry-specific data and insights. The Conversion Benchmark Report highlights major differences in industries like education and financial services, emphasizing the need for a customized approach.
The education sector, for example, demands simplicity and clarity. With a recommended word count of 363 (the lowest across all industries analyzed), and a strong emphasis on avoiding difficult words, clarity is key here for maximum engagement and conversions. But it’s important to note that results can vary significantly by service type—what works well for an online course may not be suitable or effective for higher education or vice versa.
Financial services is a highly diverse industry, which means some sub-sectors require simplicity while others demand authority and trust. Copy written at a 5th to 7th-grade level boasts an 18.1% conversion rate (the highest in the sector). However, professional-level copy can still drive strong results at 14.4% in certain contexts. This data suggests a varied audience with different needs–ranging from financially savvy investors who want to work with someone even savvier than themselves, to first-time loan applicants who are dealing with information overload. Knowing your specific customer segments is critical in this context, and as always, continuous testing is essential.
TL;DR: Short and simple wins
Marketers are constantly balancing shrinking attention spans with the need to inform and convert potential customers. But the data is abundantly clear: simplicity wins, especially when it comes to crafting high-converting landing page copy. By simplifying your word choice, trimming unnecessary word counts, and reducing overall reading time—while methodically testing these changes as you go—you’ll be better equipped to keep up with today’s fast-scrolling buyers and ultimately convert more customers.
About Alex
Alex is a results-driven Marketing & eCommerce leader and the Vice President of Growth at Unbounce. As a self-proclaimed data nerd, he is obsessed with digging into a company’s business model to pull out the insights that help to build a profitable marketing machine.
As well as helping to grow B2B SaaS businesses like Unbounce, Alex has extensive experience across a variety of businesses such as INDOCHINO, BestBuy and Hootsuite.
Alex loves mentoring and developing digital leaders in how they can translate data into dynamic stories that build brands and drive sales. In the past, he has leant his unique voice and insights to a host of marketing webinars and podcasts such as Metric Stack and Unprompted: AI, Marketing and you.
