The following is a list of things to take into account when writing copy for your website, in order to improve conversion rates.
1: Neglecting Your Hook
The hook is what makes people stop and take notice of the offer in the text. It can be a question, a shocking statement, or something relatable.
In order to keep your readers engaged, you need to start with a hook that will grab their attention. Without one, they will not continue reading. This means that they will not get to the rest of your content, no matter how important it may be.
How Do You Strengthen Your Lead?
- Anecdotes: A story will draw your reader in and make your company more relatable. Emotional anecdotes work especially well.
- Tell them what they want to hear: Your readers come to your website with a specific goal in mind. Paint a picture of them achieving this goal. Capture their imagination. They’ll keep reading to find out how you can help them do this.
- Strong verbs: Strong verbs create a sense of urgency and anticipation in your readers. They also elicit confidence in your product. Strong verbs will encourage your audience to trust in you.
1B: Writing The Wrong Headlines
This part ties in with your hooks. Here are some common headline mistakes you should avoid:
Writing Link Bait
When you click on a headline and it takes you to an article that is clearly not what you were expecting, it can be very frustrating. This is called clickbait, and it’s a type of advertising that relies on getting people to click on something that is not really what they were expecting.
Headlines that make huge promises are called link baits. Your content needs to support the headline or you run the risk of breaking your audience’s trust. This can be effective, but use it sparingly or you will end up with readers who don’t trust you.
Trying To Be Too Original
While it’s great to be original, professional headlines are usually pretty similar for a reason. The headline styles that have been around for awhile are still around because they’re effective in drawing readers in. You can be creative with the words you use within the established headlines, but don’t try to come up with an entirely new headline format. It’s unlikely to be successful.
Too Much Wit
If your headline is overly witty or pun-heavy, your message can get lost and your audience will lose interest. Save your creativity for after they click the headline.
2: Writing Copy That’s Too Long
If you want your landing page to be more effective, try using less copy. Go over your page and see where you can trim down the text.
The big chunk of text is making your audience leave.
Get rid of any extra words that aren’t necessary. Your readers don’t want to have to search for the information they need among a bunch of irrelevant words. Give them what they want. Think of it as spring cleaning: getting rid of the old stuff that’s taking up space, and making room for new customers.
3: Using An Unrefined Layout
If you’re left with a large amount of text after trimming, you need to determine what the essential points are.
Format your page by adding graphics and art between paragraphs. Use color and design elements to make your page more visually appealing.
Web design is incredibly flexible, which means you can use that to your advantage. A great landing page will keep people’s attention for longer than a few seconds.
4: Sounding Too Stuffy
We are more likely to be informal than formal when communicating through the internet, as this is generally seen as a more conversation-based medium.
It’s time to ditch the formalities.
I chose the word “ditch” instead of “discard” or “avoid” because it sounds better. It’s more relatable and more human. Try talking to your readers in a more conversational tone to express authenticity.
5: Not Listing Benefits
Your readers will be more interested in your product if you tell them how it will make their lives better rather than just highlighting the features. If you describe your bananas like this:
- Yellow
- Grows on trees
- Curved
- Fruit
- High in potassium
That’s stuff everyone already knows.
But if you say:
- Beautiful
- Delicious
- Great for moist, tasty banana bread
- You can use the peels to shine your shoes
- Potassium is good for cramps
Doesn’t that seem much more a-peel-ing? (haha)
6: Using Improper Grammar
If you do not have a strong grasp of grammar, it will negatively affect your credibility. Without clear communications, people will not trust you.
If you want to come across as professional and trustworthy, it is important to spell things correctly and use good grammar. If I made a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes, you would not think I was credible.
It is also distracting when a person has poor spelling and grammar. The audience is trying to focus on the product and not the mistakes.
7: Using Too Much Jargon
Write your copy in simple language so your reader will understand it, rather than using technical jargon which may confuse them. Your goal is to increase conversions, not to impress people with your industry knowledge.
Showing your copy to someone outside your industry can help you determine what is clear and what needs further explanation.
If you want your audience to understand what you’re saying, it’s best to keep your explanation simple.
8: Speaking Generally
If you’re not specific in your copy, your reader won’t understand what you’re trying to communicate.
You can increase your sales by explaining to your potential customers exactly how your product will make their lives better. Use statistics, testimonials, and other forms of evidence to support your claims. Be specific about the benefits your product will provide.
9: Forgetting A Call To Action
What are you trying to achieve with your copy? If you don’t have a clear goal in mind, your copy will be less effective.
A call to action (CTA) is the best way to prompt your reader to make an immediate response. CTA words include:
- contact
- click
- download
- buy
Your conversion rates will not increase unless you include a call-to-action (CTA) on your page and try to convert your visitors. It is recommended by experts that each page should only include one CTA.Make sure your CTA is clear and points your visitors in the direction you want them to go.
If you can, use your CTA to demonstrate how valuable your product is. For example, “See how much you could save” is more persuasive than “Buy now.”
10: Unconsciously Using Boring Words
If you find yourself using the words outlined in this section, your copy runs the risk of being dull. If you’re looking to liven up your copy, try eliminating the following words:
- Just
- Very
- Really
- Amazing
- Absolutely
- Completely
- Actual
- Literally
- Totally
- Quite
- Suddenly
- In order to
- Like
These words take up space and bore readers. Get rid of them and use other words that will invoke excitement.
11: Believing All The Advice You Get
There exist thousands of supposed “best practices” for improving your online conversion rates. Many of these claims are generalizations and should be taken with a grain of salt. When it comes to copywriting, it is best to be cautious of any advice given.
You may have heard that readers never read below the fold, or that you need to reach a certain word count to get a certain number of sales.
The bottom line is that it varies depending on the specific case. Try following some general guidelines, but in the end, go with what you think will work best since you understand your audience the best.
12: Forgetting Your Audience
There will be times when you think you are writing something that appeals to you, but your audience may not feel the same way.
Avoid this.
Your copy should address your reader on a personal level so they will feel a connection to your brand. This will increase customer loyalty.
Making assumptions about your audience can be a costly mistake. For example, if you’re selling a family car, you shouldn’t assume that fathers will be the ones making the decisions. In many cases, it’s actually mothers who have the final say when it comes to buying a family car.
Make sure you know who your audience is before you start writing.
13: Talking About Yourself Too Much
When you write about your features, you’re writing about your product, your service. Your copy may look like this:
- Great customer service
- Best closing rates
- Lowest interest
After reading your text, your reader may wonder what the significance of it is.
You need to be careful when you are talking about your company so that you do not turn off your target audience. This is especially important for your About page.
Look at your text carefully. How often do you use the words “I”, “We”, and “Our” in comparison to the words “You” and “Your”? If you use “I” and “We” more often, it means you need to change your text to be more aware of your reader.
E-books, Articles, Infographics, and Guides to Get You Started with Web Copywriting
- Copywriting 101 by Copyblogger – This 10-lesson e-book will teach you the fundamentals of how to excel at direct-response copywriting, which is, as Copyblogger tells us, one of the most essential elements of effective online marketing.
- Copyblogger’s Copywriting Library – Did you like Copyblogger’s Copywriting 101 e-book above? You can find more free material in the copywriting section of their Marketing Library. These e-books will show you how to use great copy in your content marketing, email marketing, landing pages, and more.
- The Definitive Guide to Copywriting – This 30,000-plus-word guide from Quick Sprout teaches you how to optimize your copy to increase website conversions. It leads you from gathering the information necessary to write great copy all the way to understanding how copy and design complement each other on your webpage.
- Free Copywriting Worksheets by Copy Hackers – These 16 worksheets will help you get started applying everything you’re learning about copywriting to your business and website.
- The Ultimate 101 List of Copywriting Awesomeness: For Startups & Small Bizzes That Want to Write Sweet Web Copy… Sans Pain – Take your time reading through this list of 101 Do’s and Don’ts for startups that want to improve their web copy. Think about how you can apply each one to your site.
- 20 Killer Web Copywriting Tips – Internalize these 20 web copywriting tips and you’ll be well on your way to writing great copy for your website.
- Introducing The 6 + 1 Model For Effective Copywriting (Better Than AIDA!) – AIDA, the popular acronym used in marketing and advertising, left out a few key ingredients for getting people to read your copy and take action. Find out which ones.
- 20 Websites With Carefully Crafted and Convincing Copy – Learn copywriting tricks from 20 websites that are doing it right.
- Copywriting Cheat Sheet [Infographic] – Using the same tone, style, and length won’t cut it when you’re writing copy for various online platforms. Learn how writing web copy differs from copywriting for social media and from email marketing.
- How People Read Online [Infographic] – Understand how people read online. For example, “Eye-tracking studies have shown that when looking at text-based webpages, the eye gaze commonly follows an F-shaped pattern and that users spend 80% of their time looking at content above the fold.”
- Grammar Girl – Now that you’re writing all that copy, you might need to brush up on your grammar. Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing.
Must-Read Books on Direct Response Marketing and Copywriting
- Tested Advertising Methods – A classic book on how to write effective copy, from the headline formulas that really work to the secrets behind ad copy that sells.
- Scientific Advertising – A quick read by advertising legend Claude Hopkins that will bring you up to speed on the psychology behind great advertising; namely, why certain types of advertising work while others don’t.
- How to Write a Good Advertisement – Another classic on the core elements of effective copywriting.
- The Copywriter’s Handbook: A Step-By-Step Guide To Writing Copy That Sells – David Ogilvy has said, “I don’t know a single copywriter whose work would not be improved by reading this book.” So what are you waiting for?
- The Art of Explanation: Making your Ideas, Products, and Services Easier to Understand – Breaking down your product or idea into words that are easy for everyone to understand is almost always a challenge, especially if you work in technology. This book teaches you how to communicate clearly and effectively with your audience.
Copywriting Courses
- Copy Hackers – Copy Hackers is a set of e-books rather than a course, but once you’ve finished going through the set, you’ll feel like you’ve just been through copywriting boot camp. What makes the Copy Hackers e-books so effective is that they are jam-packed with exercises you can apply to your website immediately.
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