Want to know the best way to reduce your website’s bounce rate, increase sales and improve SEO? It all starts with your headings. These short pieces of copy may not seem as significant as your text paragraphs, but you’ll be surprised.
Whenever someone comes to your website, the headings are what draw them in and keep them there. Most users skim over the copy, reading only the headlines as they scroll down the website to decide whether the page is worth reading. As a result, your headlines become your main communication tool.
In saying that, headlines can also be challenging to write. Shrinking your message down to a few words is a challenge for even the best writers. To give you a head start, we’ve put together these 6 tips for writing attention-grabbing headings for your website.
1. Focus on the benefits
Your visitors want to know how your product benefits them. They want to see how you’ll solve the problems they come to you for. So, your headings should reflect that.
It’s easy to focus on your product’s features. Which is very handy to know. But you need to explain why your customers should care about those features. A helpful exercise is to list out a feature and add “So you can…” to it. For example,
App A can automatically calculate your expenses so you can save time.
Your headline copy would then focus on “Saving time” as that is the product’s benefit.
2. Don’t be super salesy
Nobody likes the hard sell. Especially when they are just trying to get to know you. Save that for later in your customer journey. Your website is where you need a softer hand.
Headings like “This product is the only way to make managing your finances easier” make the reader feel like they are being sold to. While headlines like “Wouldn’t it be amazing if your finances were easier to manage?” are softer and pose a question that encourages the reader to continue to find the answer.
3. Use short, unique copy
Your headings are designed to encourage your readers to continue reading your website. They need to be quick to read and understand so your message can come across even as your reader scrolls past. Keeping your headings as short as possible draws your reader’s attention and helps them understand them quickly.
The copy should also be unique. Everyone has heard the same basic taglines and marketing claims. You need to shake it up. Unique copy keeps your reader’s attention and encourages them to continue. Look at some of your favourite brands for inspiration and see if you can do a creative take on their headlines.
4. Show some personality
Every brand has a personality. You need to show yours. In today’s world, brands are creating connections with customers through their personalities. There is now more competition than ever before and the way to distinguish yourself is by being genuine.
When writing your headings, don’t be afraid to inject personality into them. This is what connects with people and fascinates them. The trick is to keep that personality consistent throughout your copy, and other marketing materials. But if you can define the personality and tone of voice then you have a powerful marketing tool.
5. Keep it relevant
As mentioned earlier, the heading exists to encourage your readers to continue reading. If the copy beneath the heading, or the images connected to it aren’t relevant to the topic, your readers will get confused. When your readers are confused, they aren’t buying your products.
This one is actually quite simple to solve. Have an overarching idea for each section of your website. Understand the primary point each section is trying to communicate and ensure all content matches that point. If you’re trying to showcase a feature, the images, headings, and body copy need to match that idea.
6. Consider your keywords
Keywords are essential for SEO, but they can also cause clunky headings. It’s important to balance keyword-stuffed headings and clear, simple headings with personality.
There are multiple approaches here. One way is to have multiple headings per section. The first heading has keywords and is smaller. The other is your carefully crafted personality-driven heading which gets your message across.
Another choice is to be looser with your keywords. Ensure bits of them are in your headings, but otherwise keep the content relevant to the keywords. You’ll likely get a few keywords organically into the text anyway while creating good-quality content. Google loves quality.
Conclusion
Your readers are more likely to read your headings than any other text. So, they need to be engaging if you want to keep their attention. By following the above 6 tips you’ll have some awesome headlines that get your message across.
For more copywriting tips check out our knowledge hub. Or reach out to our copywriters.
