When’s the last time you picked up the phone to call a business?
If you’re like the majority of consumers, it’s been a while. With the increased use of smartphones and mobile shopping, buying online is a part of our day-to-day lives. More than half (55 percent) of all customer interactions usually start online, with over a quarter of them beginning on mobile devices. And during recent lockdowns from COVID-19, online shopping was the most convenient way – and in some cases, the only way – to purchase the things we need and want.
Instead of talking to salespeople or handling a physical product, you’re relying on what you read online. With eighty-one percent of shoppers conducting online research before making a purchase, websites play a vital part in the decision-making process.
But a website’s only effective when it has two things: a user-friendly design, and strong copywriting. With copywriting being our specialty, we would argue that the latter is the most important! You need words that have the power to communicate value and influence a buying decision. In short, you need to write words that sell.
Use the following five tips to create copywriting for websites that converts.
Copywriting for Websites: Getting Started
Before you even start writing your copy, you need to do some research. What do you know currently about your target audience? What is there still left to unravel?
Develop a complete understanding of the problems, fears, and pain points of your target audience. What keywords are they searching on Google when looking for similar products or services to yours?
Analyze their needs and wants, and then figure out how your product or service can help them. What are the features and benefits they gain from purchasing your product or service? How will these features improve their lives, and what will they experience from using them? Our comprehensive copywriting guide gives you step-by-step instructions on researching this information and developing your buyer persona.
People are busy and are inundated with a ton of information and messages each day. If your content doesn’t speak to them directly, they won’t give it a second glance.
Copywriting for Websites: Define Your Offering
It’s doubtful that you’re the only business selling the product or service that you do. There’s likely plenty of competition out there trying to reach the same target audience you are.
Figure out what makes your business the best. Is it your pricing? Customer service? Warranty? Your unique product or service features?
You’ll need to weave that information throughout your content and back it up with proof. Gather testimonials, social evidence, and examples of how your product or service has helped others. Consumers often look up reviews to help them decide whether they should purchase something or not, so keep an eye on your online reputation. Regularly request customers complete reviews after using your business – it’s often as easy as sending a link to your online review profile.
Copywriting for Websites: Write the Best Headlines
Now that you’ve got your research done, it’s time to get to the actual work: writing great SEO copy!
With the popularity of online shopping these days, your website is probably your main source of traffic.
But your competitors are fighting for that same traffic. With visitors often forming a first impression of your site in as little as 50 milliseconds, you need to make your website as amazing as possible.
We’re all busy these days. With over 40 percent of people reporting they do not read content beyond the headlines, you need to make your content easy to scan. As the most prominent text on your page, your headlines are one of the initial pieces of content readers will see. Make them clear, concise, and enticing – especially on your home page, where most of your website traffic lands first. Your target audience is looking for key takeaways, so break down each content section into bite-sized pieces of information.
Remember your keyword research from earlier? Your headlines are one of the best locations for implementing keywords and phrases that will appeal to your readers.
Copywriting for Websites: Write the Right Way
Whether it’s SEO website content or SEO blog copy, use language that speaks to your target audience. Avoid using industry jargon, eliminate any fluff, and keep your sentences and paragraphs short.
Create personalized, engaging copy that appeals directly to your target audience’s emotions. Instead of writing about why your business is the best and why they should buy from you, use copy that speaks your audience’s language. Putting a personality to your brand – and carrying that forward in all of your marketing efforts – will help create a lasting impression on both customers and prospects.
Make all of your copy easy to read. Large subheadings, bulleted and numbered lists, and short paragraphs can break up your content. And remember your SEO keyword research? That should be incorporated within your content, too.
When combined with a user-friendly design, this type of content has the best chance of being read by potential customers.
Copywriting for Websites: Consult with the Best
There’s no sugar coating it: copywriting for websites isn’t easy.
Figuring out everything there is to know about your target audience – or creating your buyer persona – is the first step of the extensive process. Developing a complete understanding of your brand and your offerings comes next and helps set you apart from your competition.
Once it comes to writing the actual website content, expert copywriting skills are necessary. Strong headlines, engaging language, and search engine-optimized words are crucial. They’re what help make the difference between mediocre website content and copywriting for websites that converts.
If you’re truly serious about creating better website content, why not partner with the best copywriter in Toronto?