Are you feeling like there are a LOT of copywriters out there? There’s a good reason – the demand for good writers is larger than ever. Take a look at some of the websites for businesses in your local area or niche. Chances are, they’re poorly designed, poorly written, and feel more like a digital business card than a sales tool that can bring real benefits to their business.
Are you worried because that sounds a bit like YOUR website? Take a look at some of these checkpoints and decide whether your sales copy needs a rebuild.
The Foundation
What do you want from your customers?
If you want them to know your company exists, you can list the names and biographies of the people involved, along with your contact information.
If you want them to chuckle at your creativity, you can throw in some jokes, puns, and clever wordplay throughout your copy.
But if you want them to take action – to sign on to your mailing list so you can have continued contact with them, to make purchases, and recommend you to friends – then you need to reach out to them and show them that you’re uniquely suited towards filling their needs.
That’s why customer-oriented copy is the foundation of writing that sells. If the material on your website spends more time talking about your company and its products than it does talking about the customers’ problems and how you can solve them, chances are you’re leaving money on the table.
The Front Porch
Imagine driving 500 miles with a rumbling stomach and looking up with comfort at your destination – a diner that says BEST BURGERS IN THE WORLD above the door. You sit down, and the waitress leads you to a corner.
Your heart is pounding. Your stomach is screaming with anticipation.
But instead of serving you the burgers you’ve been waiting for – the reason you came in the first place – the waitress lectures you on the history of the founder, the number of parking spots, and a description of everything on the menu…
Why not take a cleaner path and explain why your product is what you say it is. If you can prove that your product delivers – prove it. And then explain why it works too well afterward.
The Amenities
How do you feel when you walk into a big, attractive house? Does your jaw drop a little while you take things in? That kind of impression makes you feel more at home. It’s easy to replicate the awe you feel when you’re in amazing surroundings. You do it by clearly stating the value involved in your offer. Can you offer an introductory service like an evaluation, appraisal, or inexpensive trial? What can you do to restate the benefits of your product in a way that makes it look like an amazing value for the money?
None of these tweaks seem complicated, but try them – I promise the results will be extreme.
