Why does a website selling the same product or service attract more followers and generate more business than another? Simple, with compelling copy of course! Nearly all good, persuasive content contains these 10 basic elements and if you get these right, you are onto being a winner. You do not necessarily have to implement them all in equal proportions, this depends on the products and services on your website. So, let’s dive in to examine the steps you need right now to convert more users on your website…

Table of Contents

Content Writing Checklist:

Demand attention
Connect with customers
Make engaging content
Create a sense of urgency
Stand out from the rest
Support claims with evidence
Show that your company is reliable and trustworthy
Close with a strong call to action
Be concise and relevant
Proofread and edit

1. Compelling copy demands attention

If the copy on your website does not grab your readers’ attention, then, it means you need to put a lot more energy in this area. It is vital that your website content draws people in. There are tons of ways to achieve this. One of the best ways is to be specific in your website content. In fact, many company descriptions of services, history and values paints too vague a picture for website visitors to appreciate it. Take the illustration below for example, it tells a prospective user exactly what to do and what to expect.

(Picture source: hosting.co.uk)

To make an impact you must hit customers with interesting points straight away, do not give them a reason to click away.

2. Connect on a personal level with customers

What’s in it for me? That is the question in your prospective client’s mind. All good online copy should start with the prospect, not the product or service. Show customers that you have something that they want and exploit the need for individuality. The better you understand your target audience, the more you will understand how they think and feel.

Let customers and prospects know that they are winners: everyone got a chance to participate but you won.

Create custom messages to make your customers feel hand picked and exclusive. People love to feel important – so, treat your customers like the kings and queens they are. The best part is with Social media marketing, websites have a greater chance of connecting on a personal level to engage and entice prospects. Once you understand this, your website content will be well on its way to being a success.

3. Make engaging content

Your copy must grab your readers by the balls; they should be so gripped that they cannot stop reading. Write attention-grabbing headlines and relevant blog articles to inspire the consumer. Adopt the right tone of voice for your brand and consider your target audience. Oh, and do not shy away from using questions, humor, or sarcasm to appeal to your readers and make your brand more memorable. Making someone laugh can create a positive feeling about your brand. Focus on content that resonates with your target audience, and while your at it, couple your message with stunning visual content to instantly grab attention.

4. Create a sense of urgency

Good content writing heightens the level of urgency, highlights the main product features and then discusses the benefits of these features. For every feature of your product or service, you must always link it to a customer focused benefit. One without the other will reduce your chances of grabbing the customer attention. In fact, the more relaxed you are, the more you have a sense of comfort and the less inclined you are to make a purchase. Compelling text, tugs your emotions, and provokes this calm, leading to higher conversion rates.

5. Stand out from the rest

There are so many products and services for your customers to choose from. The job is to ensure that your e-business stands out from your competitors. For this, you will need to decide what is your unique selling point and then, make this clear in your online copy. You should make sure your customers know what makes you different from other companies and why your products and services are beneficial to them.

6. Backup claims with evidence

Your copy should tell your customer what marks you out from your competitors and what benefits you can bring to them, but you also need to prove this. You need to make your claims credible. One of the best ways of doing this is to present your customer with a successful track record in your industry. Show them that you have carried out this service successfully a number of times or that your product has been beneficial for a number of previous customers. Detailed case studies or a number of varied testimonials are fantastic ways of proving your claims. According to a 2018 article posted on Pymnts.com, “88% of customers pre-research a product or service before making an online or in-store purchase.” With that said, adding substantial information, that’s informative and factual, will score you some new customers.

7. Show how reliable and trustworthy your company is

Besides the benefits that your service or product will bring, your potential customers will always want to know who you are. You need to remember though, that customer interest stems from wanting to find out whether you are reliable; that you can deliver your goods on time; that if they have any complaints then, they will be handled promptly etc.

Many people who write their own online copy focus on their company (including the ‘corporate’ story) rather than showing examples of reliability and trustworthiness which is what customers are interested in. The best way to establish credibility is to extract and showcase various parts of your company’s story which will interest and reassure your customers. Include facts such as, how long you have been in the industry, membership with any professional or governing bodies and number of customer subscription for example. This might not all be evident for new website businesses but be sure to include these steps as your business grows.

8. Close with a strong call to action

Your online copy should foster a reaction in your customers. You need to tell the customer, very clearly, exactly what they need to do to purchase your product or use your service. This is why you need strong call to actions. Make sure you put call to actions on all of your web pages. That way, if the customer has not yet made up his or her mind up, they will want to find a quick way to order the goods and services when they are ready. Include copy such as ‘For Top level domain names, Register Here’. Do not give the customer a chance to get confused, direct them to do exactly what you want them to do.

9. Be concise and relevant

It is very easy to ramble when writing about your own business. Your copy needs to be concise, relevant, and have a clear objective. If confronted with a long page of text on screens, most of us cannot be bothered to even start reading.

On screen, people tend to skim-read (also called speed reading), so try breaking down the copy’s structure into headings and bullet-points to make it more digestible. Think about the BBC website: just one sentence per paragraph is enough to keep the reading appealing.

10. Proofread and edit

All of your copy should be grammatically correct, well written and spelt correctly. Your website’s copy represents your business and one simple typo can put your company’s reputation in jeopardy. If you struggle, get a professional copywriter to do it for you – a fresh eye can really help.

Conclusion

Finally, with these tips, you can now write a compelling website copy that will be appealing to your clients. But wait… nothing comes easy overnight. Developing your skills could take, weeks, or even months, just take the time to focus on your goals and keep practicing. Don’t make a failure be a hurdle you can’t cross. You will stumble. You will fail. Just dust your feet off and start again. These tips will give you a foundation to start on so that your readers spend more time on the website. Implementing them will lead to more conversions, new subscribers and lest not forget – improved sales for your eCommerce website.