Do you want a one hit solution to win over more customers, build trust, and rank higher on Google? You need great web copy. It is one major thing that builds connections with your customers, encourages them to stay on your website, and makes them want to click “Buy”.

But words on the page alone are not enough to do this. You need great, compelling copy written for your customers. This isn’t easy, however, to get you started on your journey to writing great copy here are 7 tips you should follow.

1. Focus on benefits over features

What do your customers care about most? Their problems. They are searching for your business because they have pain points which they think you may be able to solve with your products or services. When writing good web copy this is a fundamental idea that you must have in mind.

Which comes to tip number 1, write about the benefits over your features. This is often the most common mistake businesses make when writing web copy. They talk and talk for ages about all the features they have and everything they can do, but never about why that matters. What does your product or service solve for your customers?   

While you still can, and should mention the features of your products and services, it shouldn’t dominate the copy. Your customers should know why these features matter to them first.

2. Research your customers

To write towards your customers’ pain points you need to know who your customers are first. You need to know what age range they are, their likes, their dislikes, what they value, and what their pain points are.

Knowing your customers allows you to craft copy that is specific to them. Showing that you know who they are and what they like allows you to build a strong connection, making lifelong fans.

Start with some voice of the customer research. Look into reviews or surveys. See how your customers talk, what they like, and more. Once you have a lot of information from a wide variety of customers, begin building profiles of your ideal customers and use these as targets of your copy.

3. Create a style guide to determine tone of voice

Now you know who your customers are, you need to establish a brand tone of voice. This can be achieved through a style guide. A style guide will break down the way that you speak to your customers, how formal or informal you are, and what kind of language choices you use. With a style guide you can build consistent guidelines that you test all copy you write towards.

To create your style guide work with all team members who write content across your business.

4. Structure your content for easy reading

A key part of making your content great is making it readable. This starts with how you structure your content.

The first thing to think about is your headline. This holds the weight of your content. It is the first thing your readers will read, and sometimes, the only thing. So, it is vital that you get it right. Generally, the best way to write a catchy heading is to focus on a benefit. Avoid wit and wordplay as you don’t want to risk your reader getting confused or turned off at this crucial moment.

The next level is your subheading. The subheadings should provide wider context to the message of the section. You can use the subheading to back up the claim in your heading. Here you can be more direct discussing the “How”, how your product or service delivers on the previously stated benefit.

Now you have your heading and subheading it is time to write your body copy. For websites, it is best to keep this short and concise. Avoid writing too many words as a big chunk of text may put off readers. To keep it concise, try to stick to one idea per paragraph. Explore in greater detail the statements you made in the heading and subheading, show their connection, and how they work to deliver a benefit.   

5. Include stats and testimonials to increase your authority

The fastest way to build trust in what your saying is to have someone else agree with what you are saying. This is often called “Social proof.” Using social proof to back up all you are saying about your products and services tells your reader that you are trustworthy. So, what are some forms of social proof?

Testimonials are a great place to start. Hearing directly for your customers, hearing what they love about your product or services, and the value they got out of it is extremely powerful. It lets your readers know that your business isn’t untested, that people have loved purchasing from you before and have had a good experience.

Using stats is another way to back up what you are saying. You can use them to prove a point you are making, or to show accomplishments of your company. When used appropriately they can really showcase the advantages your business provides in a particular product or service.  

6. A/B test your copy on high value pages

Even though you know your customers you still may not get it write. Some headings on your website may not drive as many clicks as others, or there may be parts in the copy where your readers completely switch off. Knowing these spots and the optimal solution is important. This is where A/B testing comes in.

A/B testing allows you to run multiple different forms of copy and deliver them randomly to your audience. You can then track which version of copy has the highest conversion rate, time on page, and more. This allows you to determine which copy works best, and how it affects the actions your readers take on page.

7. Work with an experienced copywriter

Is writing a strong skill that you have? In many case for business owners it isn’t. That is ok, you have other epic strengths that push your business forward. So, when it comes to writing copy, you don’t have to do it alone.

Instead, you should hire a copywriter. A copywriter lives and breaths writing website copy. They know all of the above tips, plus more, enabling them to write epic web copy that increases your conversions, and your rankings on Google.

Getting your copy right with a copywriter may cost some money, but the benefits to your business are absolutely worth it. Your website is the centrepiece of all your marketing, it is vital that you get it right.

Conclusion

If you want to build trust, improve your rankings on Google, and increase your conversion rate, getting your copy right is vital. When writing your web copy, following the above tips will help you in achieving these goals, elevating your website above your competition.

If you want help with your web copy or need a copywriter, come have a chat with Link Pixel.