Website copy is the key to getting better results from search engines and better returns on your advertising dollars. So, If you’re spending money to drive prospects to your website and… you’re not seeing the ROI on ad spend that you’d like, STOP!
Start using powerful, persuasive website copy to convert more visitor into buyers.
The truth is, it’s not enough anymore to just send people to your company website and hope they make a purchase or contact you.
Today’s buyers are looking for more. And with competition at an all-time high, you better know what that “more” is, and how to give it to them. The most successful companies today use effective conversion copywriting for a better return on their marketing efforts.
When you invest money on ads to drive traffic to your site, that site needs to make you money in return. simple, right?
Well, If you were to take an honest look at your website’s analytics, here’s what you’d likely to find…
90% of website visitors will leave a site without ever filling out a form, contacting the company, or making a purchase.
Today I’m going to show you how to fix that with …
3 of my favorite must haves for content that turns more readers into buyers
In any buying decision process there are 3 levels of information gathering consumers go through.
Rarely do we see a product for the first time and buy it. There is an information gathering process that we go through when looking for a solution. The buying journey applies equally to the B2C and B2B buyer.
At each level of the buyer’s journey the prospect has questions rolling around in his or hers head. Their brain is on auto pilot desperately seeking answers to those questions. And to gain and keep your reader’s attention you need to speak to those questions in the right order and in the right way. So, we’ll look at each of the 3 levels of the buyers journey and how to speak to your reader at the right point along the way. Ultimately resulting in your prospect taking a positive action.
3 levels of the buyer’s journey
Today we’re going focus on levels 2 and 3. So, in the rest of this post we’ll assume our prospect knows that she has a problem, and she knows what she wants. She’s just not sure who to turn to for help. For this illustration I’ll call our prospective client Cindy.
Cindy is the office manager in a financial services firm. Cindy, her coworkers, and boss were taking a fresh look at their office as they were preparing to welcome the rest of the team back form a long absence due to the COVID pandemic.
They all noticed how bland and lifeless the office looked and felt.
“We want everyone returning to the office to feel this is a healthy, happy, and safe place to work.” Cindy’s boss exclaimed.
Someone suggested getting plants in the office to add some life to the space so…
Cindy was tasked with finding a way to bring plants into the office and a way to keep them alive. So, what does Cindy do? She searches the web of course. And if your lucky enough or you paid for an ad your company showed up on the first page of the search engine and Cindy clicks on it. And what does she find?
- Your company and/or product name
- Something about your company and what you offer
- A list of product features
- Contact information
So, what’s wrong with that? Nothing really, as long as you do it right. Of course you need to list the basics of who you are and what you do. But, is there more you can do to take your visitor by the hand (virtually speaking) and lead them to make a purchase, get more information, or contact you?
The answer of course is yes.
the better experience Cindy has when she lands on your site the better your chance she’ll become a customer.
The only elements you have to create a good user experience aside from how it performs technically is:
how your site looks, and the effectiveness of the words you use
When you understand how copy and design contribute to a better experience for your prospect the greater your chance of converting that prospect to a client.
I’ll talk about the importance of website design and how to use it in another post. Today’s post is all about the power of words to turn your site visitors into buyers. Ready?
how to Use Website Copy for Greater Conversions
4.3 seconds.
That’s it!
That’s how long you have to grab and keep Cindy’s attention. And if she is the least bit confused about your offering in those 4.3 seconds she gone. likely forever. So…
The fist step in creating a website that spits out money like an ATM machine gone bonkers – is to understand your visitor’s intent.
Before Cindy lands on your site how do you know what questions she has rolling around in her head?
If you answered ‘by guessing.’ Sorry, wrong answer. The real answer is research. If you get the research right your half-way there. Here are 3 research methods that I use to understand a site visitor’s intent.
2
3
The second step to a high converting website is to use words that instantly, clearly, and compellingly give Cindy the answer(s) she is looking for.
And to be effective at this you need to create a hierarchy of information in the order that Cindy needs to receive it. Starting with answers to the most basic questions going through her head and drilling down to more specific information as she needs or wants it.
In other words, give her just enough information to read the next line or take the next step. No more. No less.
Your hierarchy of information starts with your site’s headline.
The #1 most important words you will write:
The first words you see at the top your site deserve a ton of time and attention to create. Why? Simply because, If you don’t capture the readers attention with your headline they’re more likely to leave your site. Conversely, if you create a clear and compelling headline your visitor is more likely to stick around to learn more about your offerings.
The same can be said for the visual aspects of your site
The visual include graphics and photos, fonts and colors, as well as placement of common elements like logo, buttons, menus, etc.
The rule of thumb when it comes to the layout of your website is: Always fallow best practices. Don’t try and get clever here. People expect to find certain elements of your site in a particular order and location. That familiarity makes it easy for them to navigate the site with less distraction and find what they are looking for. Fortunately, if you’re using a modern website template it probably follows these best practices for each element.
But, the content you place in each element is up to you. And how you fill those template spaces can make or break the effectiveness of your site. Including how your website copy looks. (more on that in a minute.)
What does above the fold mean, and why does it matter?
The most import section of any page is the top portion that people see without scrolling down. this area is referred to as “Above the Fold”. This term came from the idea of what you’d see on the top half of a sheet of paper if you folded it in half and opened back up.
Follow the 4 “Above the Fold” best practices:
The goal for the above the fold information is to immediately communicate to your reader that you have just what she is looking for, she can trust you, and she can get in touch with you now. And the more clearly and compelling you do this the greater the chance of conversion.
Include these four Above the Fold elements for a greater user experience
- Site Identity
- Keep your site identity, contact info or button, and menu in the header (very top section) of each page. Starting with your logo in the upper left hand corner, your tagline below that, and progressing to the right with phone number, contact info or button, and menu. The header is also a good place to insert a search bar.
2. Benefit Focused Headline
- Use a benefit rich, SEO optimized headline that speaks directly to your prospects intent and desires to keep them reading. Don’t wast their time with words like Welcome to my site or meaningless statements about your company and how great your service is. Your prospect only wants to know two things… “Do you have what I’m looking for and are you the best person or company to help me get it?”
- Keep your copy “other” focused rather than self or company focused. To do this continually answer the question your reader is asking herself. which is … WIIFM “What’s In It For Me?” If you can’t answer that questions with every sentence you write keep work on it until you can.
3. Hero Image
- Your Hero Image or graphic that accurately and clearly depicts what you offer and preferably how my life will be better with your solution.
4. Contact Info
- Include a contact form or contact button.
If done well, these above the fold best practices are often enough for your prospect to contact you without ever reading the rest of your site!
[If you would like a free copy of my 23 point checklist for website copy best practices that convert get on the waiting list here]
The design tips listed above will get you started with a site that is more likely to convert.
But there’s more…
What I’m about to share with you next has the power to dramatically increase conversions and transform your business for the better.
This is were you’ll get a better return on your advertising investment. In fact, big businesses invest millions of dollars each year on what I’m sharing with today. Whether you want to scale your business to the next level or just make more sales, you need to understand what’s in this next section.
Best Practices for Website Copy That Converts
In this post I’ve been using the word copy, or copywriting. And unless you’re a professional marketer the word copy as I’m using here might not be familiar to you. In fact the word “Copy” is probably a bit confusing. And that’s because it’s a word used in the advertising and marketing community but so much elsewhere.
Copy, or copywriting are the words or text on a page. But not just any words!
Copywriting is a specific type of writing that speaks directly to your prospects desires and intent in such a ways as to get them to take an action. Such as click on a button, contact you, or make a purchase.
And isn’t that what you want your visitor to do? After all, you spent money and time on advertising and developing your website to get more customers, right? Okay then, don’t drop the ball here.
Your website copy is were you can dramatically increase your conversion of prospects to clients.
How do I know? Because I started, ran, and grew my own service business for 20 years. There was a time when that business was just breaking even every month. But once I discovered and apply persuasive website copy practices my conversions began to jump. We went from breaking even to a 30% net profit!
If you’re a small business owner you know how it is. You need to learn and do everything from understanding the financials, to delivering your goods or service, HR, marketing, sales, operations etc. So, even as a business owner or manager you need to be involved in many aspects of the business, I bet there is an aspect of the business you enjoy the most.
If you are more analytical in nature perhaps you enjoy the financials, operations, or the technical aspect of what you sell. Or you might be more inclined to get satisfaction from developing a team, or the sales aspect of the business.
For me, I’ve spent most of my career related to sales and marketing in the horticulture industry. So, as a small business owner when I discovered the power of copywriting and how dramatically it grew my business I was hooked.
I love helping people and business make more money with my writing. So, I invested years in learning and practicing the skill and science of persuasive website copy.
Today I have the privilege (and fun) of helping other people grow there business with words that convert prospects to clients.
And in this section I’m going to show you how you can write better copy for your website.
A quick and easy way you can start writing better copy for your website today.
Start with a plan.
Don’t just start writing and telling people about your company and product or service.
You need to understand the readers intent when they land on your site.
This is were extensive research comes in. The better your know your prospect, their problems, and what they’re looking for the better you can speak to their needs and convert them to paying customers.
And you need to communicate it immediately and convey how your offering benefits the reader. In other words tell your reader what they want to hear. Which is… “What’s in it for me!”
Otherwise all they’ll hear in their head is Blah, Blah, Blah.
Oh, and by the way, that’s what your competitor’s site sounds like. So, guess what? When all the other sites in your industry look and sound the same none of them are memorable. I don’t share that to hurt your feelings. I share it to give you hope.
the truth is very few companies in your industry understand and use the power of persevere copywriting. So, when you join the few companies in your industry that are “killing it” with a strong brand message, top ranking SEO, and copy that converts, your biggest problem will be keeping up with the new sales. You can get better results by implementing these best copywriting practices today…
By investing just a few minutes in understanding the 4 P’s of persuasive website copy you’ll instantly be miles ahead of the competition. And you’ll see a better return on your ad spend.
Your Content Goals
To get started writing better content that converts it’s helpful to keep these 4 goals in mind.
- Grab your readers attention.
- Promise them a big benefit
- Prove you can deliver on your promise
- Invite them to take an action.
Here’s how to do it following the 4 P’s of persuasive website copy.