If your sales copy isn’t helping you generate sales, then is it even really sales copy at all? A question as old as time. Writing copy for your business’ website is more than just putting words on a page to fill the content areas. Those words need to focus your readers’ attention, get them excited about your product, and convert them into sales. Keep these tips in mind as you create content for your online business.
- Be Engaging – Speak to your audience directly. Focus on them as an individual and the benefits that they will receive by purchasing your product or service. Using power words such as ‘you’ and variations such as ‘you can’ will help you put yourself in the readers’ shoes. By seeing things from their perspective, you can clearly describe the benefits that they will receive and the problems that you will solve for them. Your primary focus should be on the reader and those benefits, not the product or service itself.
- No hype – Readers don’t like to feel like they’re being sold to. Pumping up an offering by exclaiming how great it is without backing up those claims is a sure-fire way to make people question what you’re saying. You should use real stories and accounts of how the offer delivers on what you’re promising. Avoid using CAPS and excessive exclamation points and make sure the formatting of the text is able to be read easily. People don’t want to feel like they’re being yelled at or shamed into a purchase, they want to want it themselves.
- Short Sentences – This can be a hard one for a lot of people. Especially when explaining complex topics. Short sentences are easier to digest. They require less mental engagement to process and understand. You don’t want readers to feel like understanding your product requires doing work. You want them to feel comfortable and secure in the benefits that you’re selling. Try to keep sentences under 12 words. Editing is important in this stage. Try looking for all the places that you use a comma or the words ‘and’ or ‘but’. See if you can break those sentences down into more digestible chunks.
- Overcome Objections – You should understand your target audiences’ point of view. Including what their potential objections may be. Address these objections within your content. Explain how you’ve proactively taken steps to address them. You’ll be able to establish rapport quickly if the customer can relate to the challenges that you’re solving for them. If you’re not sure what objections your prospective customers have, then simply ask them. Regular and honest feedback from your customers is the best way to learn about their unique needs.
- Recommend an action – Lastly, you want to make their next step as clear as possible. You should tell the reader exactly what you want them to do in order to begin benefiting from the solution that you’re providing. A clear call to action is important in all aspects of the web. If you want them to fill out a contact or order form, give them a handy link or instructions on how to do so. If you want them to call or visit your store, provide the phone number and address in a visible location.
Are there other tips specific to your industry?
Absolutely. The above points are generic and were chosen because of that. But every industry is different, and things that work well for others may not be the same for you. We’ll be covering more in depth tips and tricks in future blog posts, as well as in our Newsletter. Signup for our Newsletter below to start receiving additional insights, tips, and tricks!
