So you have a business website, but no one is visiting it. Or worse, visitors arrive and leave your website like the plague. Your conversion rates are non-existent and you don’t know why. You’ve double checked your website site map, made sure all the links are working and your website graphics are on point, but still, those conversions still aren’t happening.
Here’s the thing… the problem lies in your copy.
Sure, there are many elements that make your website functional and inviting such as a nice design and a good SEO Keyword strategy. However, having a pretty website and a good keyword strategy are some components in having a great website. When it comes to making a sale, the copy on your website is all that lies between converting your prospects to customers or a click back to your competition’s website.
Web Copy Not Converting? Do These 5 Things
Here are the five things your website copy needs to do convert your prospective clients into paying clients.
1. Make Your Website Copy Clear
Good copy is plain and easy to understand. Even better, it hooks your readers from the first sentence
Make a good first impression with your copy
You have a few seconds to make an impression with your copy. Use your time wisely because there’s nothing stopping your prospects from leaving your website. Be clear and be straight to the point about who you are and what services you provide from the first word of your website copy.
Your headline should pack a punch
Your headline should be short, sweet, eye-catching and should point out a particular benefit or pain point that your audience identifies with. For instance, if you are selling a weight loss tablet, your headline might read something along the lines of: ‘Get the body you want today with Mercury’s Fat Busting tablets.’
Don’t be vague
Vague website copy is bad copy. You don’t have the time to be shy when it comes to your website copy. You must be concrete and precise.
For example, your website may have this statement: “At Magnum, we’re dedicated to helping you lose weight”.
Sounds vague, doesn’t it? Your readers will find themselves questioning how you help clients lose weight. Is it through a strict diet, exercise regime or through a weight loss shake?
Having a bold and clear statement instead sounds much better: At Magnum, we’re dedicated to helping you lose weight through a strict exercise program and a nutritious meal plan that leaves you feeling healthy and energized.”
Everyone loses when you’re vague. Your prospective clients won’t know what you’re offering. You’ll be selling yourself short and will lose out on clients big time
Your tone must be consistent
Having a consistent voice in your website copy is one of the important elements in having a clear website copy. There’s no point starting with a conversational tone of copy and then morphing into a poet midway and sounding like an academic by the end of the copy.
Your website copy must be clear to convert your prospects.
2. Your Website Copy Must be Relevant
Maybe you‘ve ticked all the right boxes so far with your website copy. It‘s clear, uses everyday language and is easy to understand. But is it relevant to your target audience? If your copy isn‘t aimed at your prospective clients, it won’t convert.
There’s no point saying you’re a digital marketing agency for the fashion and beauty industries when your website copy sounds like it was written for construction businesses.
Don’t write for everyone – Write for your ideal client
It can be tempting to write generic copy for a generic audience. Here’s the thing: trying to reach everyone hurts your conversion rates. This is why it’s important to know and understand your prospects before you write your copy.
Understanding your target audience or ideal customer involves doing some research into them. Questions like the ones listed below should be at the forefront of your mind when writing for your ideal prospect.
- What do they do?
- What does their daily life look like?
- What are their goals and fears?
- How do they consume information?
If you feel like you nailed your ideal client the first time around, it’s time to look through your copy and ask yourself:
- Is my copy speaking to my main audience?
- Is my copy relevant to their needs (or pain points they’re going through)?
If the answer is no, it’s time to go back to the drawing board. Get to know your target audience and edit/rewrite your copy so you speak to them.
Remember, you are writing copy for your ideal client, not the entire world.
3. Your Copy Needs to Provide Value to Your Prospects
Your ideal clients are now hooked by your amazing copy that’s clear, relevant, and exciting. It’s time to think of the value you’re offering your prospects. Are you communicating this through your website copy?
Is your copy showing you understand their pain points? Is it highlighting how you can solve their problem?
As your prospective clients read through your website, they’ll be asking why they should use your services.
For instance, you may be a graphic designer with a fantastic website and portfolio, but so what? What sets you apart from other talented designers?
Maybe you’ve designed product packaging that has become a household name? Maybe your work has been successful and has increased businesses’ revenue and has won awards? Include this in your copy.
Or, if you’re a fashion writer, you may understand that many fashion businesses are trying to cut through the noise in a very competitive market to convert their leads into paying clients. Your copy should highlight how your copywriting will convert their leads into sales through by crafting engaging email campaigns that create high open rates and high click-through rates
By stating the value you offer your prospects, you do two things: you set yourself apart from your competitors by offering a unique proposal and you give your prospects another reason to convert to paying clients.
4. Are You Trustworthy? You Need Testimonials.
Now you’ve communicated with your prospective clients about the value your services will offer their business, it’s time to ask yourself why they should believe you? Anyone can claim to be the best candidate for the job with well-crafted copy. You need something that shows you’re trustworthy.
This is where testimonials come in. Testimonials offer proof that you can deliver on your value proposition.
It’s important to understand that not all testimonials are equal. Some testimonials can be vague and will not speak to what you offer and the results you’ve shown to your previous clients.
For instance, testimonials like “John’s services were great!” and “Jane is an amazing writer” does nothing to establish you and your services as trustworthy. Both testimonials are unspecific and general which makes it look generic and is useless for your prospective clients
Your testimonials should be short, direct and believable. When choosing testimonials, go for the ones that:
- Back up your claims
- Reinforce the unique value you offer your clients
- Address the pain points your target audiences face and how you eliminated them.
Here’s an example of a great testimonial:
“10% increase in newsletter subscriptions”
Jane understands the importance of a good website structure and layout. After she reviewed my website, the conversion rate for my newsletter opt-in increased by 10%.
For maximum impact, put your testimonials on your homepage, your about page, or on your services page next to the claims you make about your offer. Make them stand out in bold. If possible, use the full names and nice headshots of your clients so it looks authentic. I also recommend you put your best testimonials on the popular pages of your website.
5. Your Website Copy Needs to be Actionable
What happens when your prospective clients get to the end of your well written, action-packed and targeted copy? They ask, “Now what?”
Your website copy is useless if it’s not actionable. Your call-to-action is the most important step in converting your prospects into paying clients. Why? Because calls-to-action help you close the deal. They tie your website copy together and give your prospects something to do. Without them, your clients will be left floundering as your web copy falls flat.
What’s a call-to-action?
A call-to-action (also known as the CTA) is an appeal to users that invites their response. The call-to-action on your website will be a button with persuasive copy. A successful call-to-action results in a conversion via a click or a tap on a button.
Calls-to-action can spur your prospects to take the desired steps that benefit you and your bottom line. This can be instructing them to download a white paper, sign up to your newsletter and add items to a basket. Examples of calls-to-action are:
- Contact me
- Read more
- Try it now
- Add to cart
- Sign up to my newsletter
- Start your free trial now
Don’t be afraid to have multiple calls-to-action on a single page. The more calls-to-action you have on a page, the more chances you have to convert your prospects down the marketing funnel. Use them deliberately and make sure they don’t compete with one another. For example, on your homepage, you can have a call-to-action for your visitors to contact you, view your services and sign up to your newsletter.
Remember, the more calls-to-action you have on your website, the greater chances you have of converting your prospects through your web copy. Use call-to-actions on every page of the website so that no stone is left unturned.
Having a clear and engaging website copy with calls-to-action is essential to converting your prospects into paying clients. Use the tips mentioned above to edit your website copy and you’ll be on your way to having a fully functioning website that brings the cash into your business. After all, that’s what your website’s for.