I’ve always been a big believer of the saying, “If you’re going to do something, do it well.” Otherwise, what’s the point of doing it in the first place?
The same logic applies to writing website copy. When it comes to your small business’s site, action-oriented copy is the number one type of copy that will produce the best conversions.
Here’s everything you need to know about writing action-oriented copy so that you can start experiencing more sales today.
What is Action-Oriented Copy?
When a web visitor lands on your site, what do you want them to do?
More likely than not, it’s to order your product or schedule a service with your company. But don’t forget about other actions that could lead to future sales: things like signing up for your newsletter, downloading your e-book or taking part in your online survey.
In order for any of these actions to be successful, you need to choose your words carefully. You need to write a type of copy that will be powerful, effective and action-inspiring.
That’s when action-oriented copy comes to the rescue!
Action-oriented web copy results in your site’s traffic taking the desired action. No longer are web visitors simply reading content on your website to become informed. Instead, action-oriented copy will compel your readers to take action based on what is written.
Wondering how to write your own action-oriented copy? Follow our four steps below to do so successfully.
#1) Determine the Goal
Before you put fingers to keyboard, you need to consider what type of action you’re trying to achieve from your web copy.
Do you want readers to review other content on your site? Sign up for your blog? Place an order?
Once you figure out your website copy’s end goal, you can then consider how to accomplish it successfully.
#2) Keep Your Reader in Mind
Think about when you surf the ‘Net.
You’re likely either bored and killing time or you’re in need of a solution to your problem. Either way, you’re not going to want to sift through a ton of boring copy on a website.
Besides making it interesting, your copy should speak directly to the reader. To do so, write in the second person. Choose words such as “you” or “your” instead of “us” and “our.”
Keep your copy concise and include lots of white space to keep your readers engaged and reading to the end.
To better connect to your target audience, use words that your reader is familiar with. Avoid jargon, industry slang or other possibly confusing terms that your audience may not understand.
#3) Describe the Benefits
Effective sales copy doesn’t just describe the features of a product or service – it describes how your product/service could help the reader.
What could the user gain from your product or service? What type of benefits could it provide? Explain why your product/service is the best choice to meet your audience’s needs.
#4) Write a Clever CTA
To create the best action-oriented copy, you need to include a Call to Action (CTA). Usually taking the form of a directive or an instruction, CTAs invites the reader to take the desired action.
When writing your CTA, you need to utilize verbs – or words that inspire action. But just choosing a verb to include isn’t enough! The placement of your verb is important, too. Since we read left to right in English, it’s important to keep the verb at the beginning of the CTA so that readers read it immediately away. Remember to keep your CTA short to receive the biggest impact.
Conclusion
Writing action-oriented copy is the best way to increase your click-through rate, conversions and sales. Although our tips above can help you do it yourself, you could also hire us to create your web copy for you.
Contact us for a no-obligation quote to learn more about our Toronto copywriting services.