3 Ways to Get Users to Actually Read Your Landing Page

Key Takeaways:

• Most landing pages fail to engage, not because of attention spans, but because they’re hard to scan and harder to understand.
• Plain language and buyer-focused copy give prospects a clear reason to keep scrolling and see themselves in the solution.
• Specific, credible testimonials build trust faster than feature lists or brand-driven messaging ever will.

Landing page creation requires significant time and resources from your team, including copy creation, design work, and layout optimization. However, after reviewing the heatmap results, most B2B SaaS brands quickly realize that no one reads past the first block.

While it’s easy to blame waning attention spans, other factors, such as page buildout, have a greater impact on engagement than many companies realize.

Oftentimes, pages are either hard to navigate or make it challenging for prospects to quickly understand the product. Without a clear reason to stay, many people bounce from the page within a few seconds.

Although pinpointing the exact reason people leave can be difficult, the following three strategies should help you encourage users to stop, scroll, and read your landing page content.

Write at an 8th-Grade Level

Most people scoff at the idea of writing their landing pages at an 8th-grade level, but the easier you can make it for prospects, the more likely they are to convert.

The average reading level for U.S. adults is 8th grade, which means that’s the stage they’d prefer to get and retain information without strain. So, the industry jargon and high-tech explanations may actually be hurting your ability to connect with a visitor.

When writing landing page copy, your goal should be to deliver simple, clear copy. Meaning you should avoid trying to be clever or writing something because “it sounds cool.” Instead, try to use plain language with short sentences and common words.

Make it Buyer-Centric, Not Company-Centric

While obvious, you would be surprised how many B2B SaaS brands miss the mark on buyer-centric vs. company-centric landing pages.

If your current pages are filled with items like company awards, product features, “Why we’re the best” claims, or competitor teardown content, you’re talking about yourself, not the buyer.

Each section should be tailored to the prospect so that they can envision using your product. Try touching on the following items in your copy:

• The problems they’re dealing with
• The gaps in their current process
• Why your product was built for people like them
• Results from companies they recognize

Without these key elements, a buyer won’t see themselves on the page and will likely bounce.

Use Owned and Sourced Testimonials

It’s no secret that social proof matters in conversions, but there is a difference between believable proof and generic proof.

Instead of using testimonials from your customer survey, try sourcing them from third-party sites like G2, Reddit, and forums, pretty much anywhere your buyers hang out.

The goal is to take control of the narrative around your brand by reducing friction and building trust. Your buyers are already seeing reviews about you elsewhere, so why not showcase them on your own page?

Here are a few ways you can make these testimonials even stronger:

• A screenshot of the actual review
• The title of the person (and make sure it matches your ICP)
• Company size or industry, if relevant
• A quote that is specific to a real problem, use case, or benefit
• Link to the reviewer’s LinkedIn profile to show it’s a real person

In B2B SaaS, specificity sells. And specific testimonials do more work than any tagline ever could.

Simple. Direct. Honest.

Regardless of your product, reading a landing page should feel like skimming a note from a friend, not decoding a textbook. So, when you’re deciding between a cheeky headline and one that is direct, choose the one that is simple.

Because the best landing pages aren’t built to impress. They’re built to connect.

FAQs

1. Why don’t users read most B2B landing pages?

Most users leave because the page is hard to scan, overly complex, or focused on the company instead of the buyer.

2. What reading level works best for B2B landing page copy?

B2B landing pages perform best when written in clear, plain language that reads effortlessly, often at a 3rd- to 5th-grade level.

3. How can I make my landing page more buyer-focused?

Focus on the prospect’s problems, gaps in their current process, and real outcomes rather than company achievements or feature lists.

4. Do testimonials actually help users read and engage with landing pages?

Yes, specific testimonials from real customers or third-party sources build trust and encourage users to keep scrolling.

5. Where should B2B landing page testimonials come from?

Testimonials from third-party platforms such as G2, forums, or community sites are more credible and reduce skepticism.

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