If there's one thing that I've learnt so far, it's that nothing beats good copy. You may have found a way to bring in 10,000 visitors a day to your site, but if your copy is lousy, you're just wasting your effort. Web sites are only as good as their copy, so if you want to run a successful website, check and double-check your copy!
Listed below are thirteen tips to better your copy and increase your sales:
1. Use short benefit-focused headlines.
Grab your readers attention from
very first line by piquing their curiosity. Ask a question or make a statement that causes a question to be formed in minds of your readers. This will get them to read on as they attempt to satisfy their curiosity. Be creative, or if that fails, be informative.
2. Make your copy short and to-the-point.
Your potential clients love easy-to-digest material, so keep your paragraphs short. Three or four sentences per paragraph are fine, anything more is not.
Check format of page too. Make sure column width of copy is around ten words across. Learn from experts - newspapers publishers have known for years that narrow columns and short paragraphs keep people reading.
3. Make use of lists.
Bullet or numbered lists have to be best things around for copy writers. The human eye naturally gravitates toward a list. A list is akin to an oasis in a desert. People who are inclined to skip over long, wordy sales copy will still look at bullet lists. So use this fact to your advantage by listing killer benefits of your offer.
4. Put yourself in your targeted visitors' shoes.
Ask yourself, "why are they at my site?" People only want two things:
- free content such as articles or tips about your service or product
- how you can solve their problem or challenge - top benefits you offer.
5. Aim your copy at your targeted market.
Focus, focus, focus. I dare say that in any venture, be it online or offline, most important factor that determines its success or failure is amount of focus. If you spread yourself out too thin, then you're heading towards failure. The biggest mistake that can be made is not to define target audience before writing copy. When spread-shot promotion tactics are used, focus is lost on too many groups. In end, website loses visitors' attention and loyalty.
Choose one defined audience first and aim your copy at them. Don't worry about other audiences, you can add special links for them later when you become successful.
6. Give your Web visitors a lot of free information.
Everyone is attracted by free stuff, and that will be one of reasons why visitors come to your site. After visiting you five to ten times, they are more likely to buy from you. Include on your website your updating schedule, or put up a email group, so that people can be notified by email whenever there are updates on website.
7. Create useful links.
Instead of highly cliched "Please click here" link, experiment with other more useful-sounding links. Examples can be phrases that describe link's destination, such as "free ebook download on cooking", or "list of top ten products".
8. Keep your language simple.
