I’ll say it – copy is the most important part of your marketing communications. There, that feels better, it’s off my chest. But seriously, what if I told you that good web copywriting will act as your personal, ever devoted salesperson, working to promote and sell your services 24/7?
Too good to be true? It’s not. This leads to the following question:
Q: Why do some businesses not invest in it?
A: Because not everyone is aware of its importance or if they are, do not have the time, inclination or skills to carry it out.
Although other forms of online media may be visually impressive, it is the copywriting that will engage your reader, convert them into buyers and keep them coming back.
Writing web copy (copywriting for web sites, online sales letters, landing pages, email communications, etc.) is not as hard as it may look. By following some simple guidelines, you will be generating compelling, focussed copy for your business in no time!
So how do we start to achieve this?
In this article from the Copywriting Quick-Bite series, we’ll look at 9 points worth considering when undertaking your next copywriting project.
Let’s start…
1] Write good quality content and benefit-driven copy. Goes without saying? Maybe. Web copy needs to address the questions, concerns, desires and fears of readers while highlighting the benefits and features of your service(s). It should be engaging and compel the reader to act. By highlighting benefits first, you tell the prospect what is in it for them. You show how their lives will be made easier by using your service.
2] Understand your product and do your research. In order to present the required information, you need to know your product inside and out. Look at it, play with it, read about it and discover what others think of it. Is it easy to use? How will it solve problems? What makes it unique?!
3] Create an offer that is targeted at the right market. There is little point trying to sell walking frames to young adults. It’s easy to say that ‘everyone’ is a potential customer, however in reality this is rarely the case. You will receive better results every time if you first do some homework into your target demographic.
4] Develop good headings and sub-headings to make people stop in their tracks and take notice. The sub-headings should expand on the main heading, allowing the reader to scan the page in order to get the gist of the conveyed message.
5] Consider formatting.
- Use a suitable size font
- Include line and paragraph spacing
- Implement easy navigation via internal hot links
- Don’t overwhelm the reader with large blocks of text
- Try to use shorter but varied sentence length. Like this one
- Write succinct, fact-packed copy, using bold, italics, underline and lists
- Highlight important keywords, phrases and points
6] Provide a clear ‘call to action’. Tell users what you want from them. Whether it’s to click on the order button, call a phone number or register their interest. Not every site makes it obvious what the reader should do. Tell them!
7] Address the key points. Use the trusted ‘when’, ‘where’, ‘who’, ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’. This will provide the bulk detail for your writing.
8] Add a ‘proof of claim’. Back your business practice with positive reviews and testimonials of present and past clients. Support your main points by using facts. If nine out of ten doctors recommend the product, people want to know! This builds credibility and trust while showing the capabilities of your business.
9] Make your copywriting emotional. The majority of service and product purchases are based on underlying, human emotional drivers which is why all of your communications need to reflect the emotional end benefits. Potential clients are constantly thinking “What’s in it for me?” Again, think like your readers in order to address their issues, concerns, desires and fears.
The take away…
- Grabbing their attention
- Engaging them with your service benefits
- Compelling them to act
Master the art of knowing your audience – their requirements and the way they think – and you’ll be well on your way to establishing strong customer connections and building your sales.
Skilfully crafted copy is the key to carrying people through the buying process. Just remember that this rollercoaster of emotions for customers will somewhat be flattened if their requirements are systematically addressed.
Go forth and guide your readers with passionate, inspiring copywriting.
) – there are just easier, more efficient (for both parties) ways of working. Win/Win in my book).