Every element on your website (design, SEO, etc.) has a role to play towards achieving your overall digital marketing goals, but none of them are as important as your website copy. How you tell your story can affect your web conversion rate either positively or negatively.
Bear in mind that most readers spend only 10-20 seconds on websites before they leave, so it’s important that your copy grabs their attention and inspires them to take action. Here are 10 simple copywriting tips that will revamp your content and increase your web conversions tenfold.
1 – Understand Your Product/Service
Before starting any copywriting project, it’s worth taking time to study the product/service you’re trying to sell inside out to find out what makes it unique and appealing to potential customers.
If you’re a business owner, this part will be much easier since you’re already familiar with your product/service and how it works. Your job is just to write down its complete description together with the important features and benefits, and save it somewhere for reference later.
On the other hand, if you know nothing about the product/service, doing in-depth research is necessary. Don’t just rely on articles on the first page of search engines as many people do. Go deep by reading books and watching videos and documentaries on the topic you’re writing about.
It’s also good if you reach out to people who have first-hand experience using the product.
Doing all these things might seem like a lot of work initially, but by the time you’re through, you’ll undoubtedly have a better understanding of your product. And most importantly, you’ll be in a much better position to write a copy that can sell it to the intended audience.
2 – Define Your Target Audience
Other than understanding your product or service, you also need to know your target audience well before you begin writing. Are you targeting college students, dairy farmers, first-time dog owners, stay-at-home moms, or business executives?
Each of these groups of people has different needs, interests, and priorities. Business executives, for instance, value saving time, while stay-at-home moms would love to know how to save some money.
The more you know about your target audience, the easier it will be to tailor your content in a way that speaks to them directly and appeals to their specific needs. This helps to keep them interested in your copy.
3 – Write Catchy Headlines
This is another copywriting tip worth paying attention to. The way you write your headlines can either drive away readers instantly or make them want to continue reading the rest of your article. Here are some ideas to help you craft catchy headlines that draw readers to your copy:
Make Your Headlines Extremely Specific
Your readers should know right away what’s in the rest of your copy when they read your headline. This means that it has to be extremely specific and clear to the people you’re targeting. Take these two headlines, for instance,
Side Hustles You Can Start Today
and
10 Side Hustles You Can Start Today For Free
While both headlines are aimed at people who are interested in starting a side hustle, it’s fair to say that the second one is clearer, more specific, and easier to understand. Just by reading the headline, you’ll know right away that there are 10 side hustles discussed in the article, and you don’t need a cent to start any of them.
Keep it Short
Bearing in mind that readers only absorb the first and last three words of a headline, it’s crucial to keep your headlines as short as possible. The recommended length is 60 characters.
Include Numbers
Using numbers in your headlines also helps to draw people to your article and makes them want to share it with their friends and associates. But that’s not all. Numbers (especially statistics) make your post look more credible in the eyes of your readers. Just make sure you can back up your claims by providing links to expert sources.
Use the Right Keywords in Your Headlines
Including the right keywords in your headlines gives you an edge over your competitors by increasing your organic traffic, page views, clicks, and SEO rankings. All these ultimately drive more qualified leads to your business, which, in turn, increases your sales revenues.
Make Your Headlines Unique
The online world is full of copycats, and many people are plagiarizing other people’s work without remorse. It’s tempting to do the same to save time and money but don’t. If you want your copy to stand out and attract the intended audience, aim to make your headlines unique always.
4 – Emphasize the Benefits of your Product/Service
Your website visitors want to know how your product can fulfill their needs, and you only have 20 seconds to grab their attention before they leave. So it’s crucial that you state your value proposition clearly early on so they can know for sure how their lives will become better after purchasing your product.
Many website owners make the mistake of talking about features in detail before they mention the benefits. This shouldn’t be the case. You should first highlight the benefits before moving on to the features and how your product works. This way, your prospects will be more receptive and interested in learning more about your product.
5 – Keep Your Paragraphs Short
Most people are busy with their careers, families, businesses, and studies and have very little time and energy left to spare at the end of the day. Therefore, if you’re still writing your copy in long paragraphs without spaces in between, that’s one sure way of chasing away your readers and potential customers. Nobody wants to read a large block of text matter no matter how well-researched, well-written, and valuable it is.
Keep your paragraphs short and simple, with lots of paragraph breaks in between. Generally, you should aim for 3-5 sentences per paragraph to make your content easier to read and digest. And always talk about one topic per paragraph to avoid confusing your readers.
6 – Make Your Copy Scannable
You also need to make your copy scannable if you want to improve your conversions. Most of the knowledge you’re sharing with your readers is already out there, and because of that, many of them won’t read your copy word for word.
They prefer scanning through the pages to find what they’re looking for fast. So, make sure you organize your copy using subheadings, bold, bullet points, etc. to make it easy to scan and more enjoyable to read.
7 – Make Your Copy Conversational
You also need to write in a conversational style if you want your copy to convert highly. This simply means writing your copy the same way you would speak to your friends. Use the words “we” and “you” and not “they” and “them” when addressing your readers. This style of writing speaks to readers directly and makes them feel more connected to your copy.
8 – Avoid Using Terms that Are Not Widely Understood
It’s tempting to use big words in your copy to show the world just how learned and smart you are. But before you do that, ask yourself if your target audience will have an easy time reading and understanding your text. If your answer is no, then don’t do it.
You’re better off writing using simple terms that everyone can easily understand and digest. Your readers are more likely to stay on your site longer and take the intended action if they’re able to gather whatever information they’re looking for easily.
9 – Add Clear Visuals to Your Copy
Don’t forget to add clear, relevant photos and videos to your text to give your readers a better idea of the product/service you’re trying to sell to them. This is very important if you want to make your copy more interesting and engaging.
10 – Proofread Your Copy Before Publishing
Lastly, having glaring typos in your copy not only shows a lack of concern for your readers, but also unprofessionalism and carelessness on your part. Errors can also change the entire meaning of your copy, making all your hard work go down the drain.
So, it’s a good idea to proofread before you publish. Check your work several times after you finish writing to ensure that grammar, punctuation, and spellings are on point before hitting the post button. If you can find two or three more people to read it as well, the better.
Overall, copywriting was used in the past, mainly for promoting and selling products and services. However, today’s consumers want more from their copy. They want a copy that not only persuades them to buy but also informs, inspires, and satisfies them.
With the above tips, you can craft copy that does all these things and much more. Remember that the attention span of your readers is short, so make your story worth their time.
