There is a thin line between leads and customers, and visitors and leads. This thin line is web copy. Copywriting is the main player when it comes to running the customer cycle which includes awareness, decision and advocacy.
It is quite an easy task to identify a poor web copy. This is because poor means the copy will not be smooth, will not stir emotions, and will not influence consumer behavior through calls to action. The content will therefore have a purposeless feeling to it and will be a bad element in any marketing campaign. Though web copywriting is a crucial part of marketing, it is often overlooked or replaced by other priorities on the website.
You might have spent a boatload of money but you are yet to see why you made that decision because your conversions have not yet improved. Well, here are top 10 copywriting tips to assist you in creating a web copy that will give your conversions a great boost.
- Clarity Is Essential
Being clear is the key to keeping your engagement with your audience active. If you think of using a phrase that you will not normally use in your conversation with a customer, please don’t. It is only when there is mutual understanding between your business and its customers that you will create a great business atmosphere where consumers will want to shop.
- Make It About The Customers
Though this seems like something that everyone should know, you will be surprised that you always make a mistake of making things about you. Instead of writing something like “We offer great services in inbound marketing” go for “Improve your website traffic and leads through great content”. Customers are looking for solutions and do not want to know what you have; they are interested in what you can do for them.
- Always Be Concise
Every word that you include in your web copy should be valuable to the audience. Eliminate all words that you feel are unnecessary and keep your sentences short. Most people do not have the time to read through lengthy web copies and thus you need to hit the nail on the head with as few words as possible.
- Use Bullets and Subheads to Break the Page
Only a very small percentage will read through the page word for word. The larger percentage will skim through and read parts that they feel are important to them at that particular moment. To make it easy for them, break the page using bullet points and sub titles. This will make the content look well organized as opposed to a block of plain text.
- Do Not Overuse The Keywords/Buzzwords
Keywords or the buzz words that you are optimizing for are important in the copy but they should not be overused. Overusing these keywords and jargon will only create confusion and damage the clarity you are fighting to achieve. Use the buzzwords mildly and place them strategically so that they appear and read natural.
- Do Not Ignore Microcopy
Microcopy refers to the text that will not come up in the conversation regularly. It might be the content on a label, the tiny instructional text on the website, or the words that accompany a button. These words might not look like much but they are important in the shaping of the user’s experience on the website.
- Make Your Call to Action Compelling
Most people have left the users with no idea of what they should do next after reading a refreshing copy. This is when the call to action comes in. After writing a great web copy, you need to conclude with a call to action that will direct the users to the next step. This includes subscribing, clicking, trying, or buying. The call to action needs to be convincing and not pushy; make the user want to do what you are asking them instead of pushing them to the wall because chances are that they will run when pushed.
- Look at Your Competitors
Every field has competitors whether direct or indirect. Sometimes these competitors are doing better than you and to out do them, you need to look at what they are doing differently. Check and see how they have written their copy, where they have placed their call to action and the features and benefits they have included. This will help you in strategizing and beating them on their home ground.
- Understand Your Audience
Knowing our audience is the only way you will be in a position to write a great web copy that will increase your conversions. Understand who your customers are, why they buy your products and services, how they find them and the things that matter to them. Use this information to create a web copy that addresses all their needs and you will not have to work extra hard to convert visitors to loyal customers.
- Revise and Optimized Your Copy
Revisions are continuous task for you and your copywriters. This is because different fonts, graphic placements and colors will have varied results. When you experiment, you get to gauge the different effects and be in a better position to select the best combination. You will also learn about the type of copy that drives the visitors to the desired action.
Though website copywriting is perceived as a talent possessed by a few people, it can also be taught to the willing. Website copywriting should be used to influence the behavior of consumers when they are on a website while ensuring that the content does not come out as too bold or too pushy to chase them away. The most important aspect is to understand what the consumers want and this is how you will write a copy that tells them that you are the best option when it comes to the products and services you deal with in your business.