7 Top Tips for Writing Compelling Copy for the Web

Why does one website selling the same product or service attract more enquiries and generate more business than another? Compelling copywriting!
Nearly all good, persuasive copywriting contains 7 basic elements and if you get these right, you are onto a winner. You don't necessarily have to have them all in equal proportions, that depends on the products and services that your website is offering, but they all need to be there.

Successful copywriting:

1. Demands attention
2. Is customer focused
3. Stresses the benefits of your products or service
4. Marks you out from your competitors
5. Supports its claims with evidence
6. Shows that your company is reliable and trustworthy
7. Closes with strong calls to actions

1. Get noticed

If the copy on your website doesn't grab the attention of its readers, then you can forget about the 7 other points. It is vital that your website content draws people in. There are many ways in which you can achieve this. One of the best ways is to be specific in your website content. Too often companies are vague in their descriptions of their services, history and values. To make an impact - hit them with the interesting points straight away, don't give them a reason to switch off.

2. Focus on your customer

What's in it for me? That is the question in your prospective client's mind - all good website copywriting should start with the prospect, not the product or service. Sometimes it's difficult for companies to accept, but people are primarily interested in themselves, their problems, their needs, their hopes, their fears. Your product or service is a means to solve or fulfil these, streams of copy about how long you've been in the industry, who set your company up etc. is unlikely to interest them. Write from your customer's point of view, all good website copywriting speaks directly to the audience and can identify with the behaviour, attitude and lifestyle of the audience. The better you understand your target audience, the more you will get to grips with how they think and feel. Once you understand this, your website content will be well on its way to be a success.

3. Stress the benefits

For every feature of your product or service, you must always link it to a customer focused benefit. Instead of just listing all the features of your product, you need to focus on what it will do for your potential customer i.e. will it make them slimmer, more organised, feel protected, save them time, reduce their expenditure etc. Successful website copywriting highlights the features of a product or service and then discusses the benefits of these features for your target audience. One without the other will reduce your chances of interesting your customers.

4. Marks you out from your competitors

There are so many products and services to choose from now that your potential customer is spoilt for choice. Your job is to ensure that you stand out from your competitors. You need to decide what your unique selling point is and then make this clear in your online copy. If you are selling a similar product to other companies then you may need to distinguish yourself from them in terms of the kind of service you offer i.e. is the way you manufacture your product better for the environment, do you offer a 24 hour delivery service and so on. Make sure that your customers know what differentiates you from the other companies and why this is a benefit to them.

5. Support your claims with evidence

Your online copywriting should tell your customer what marks you out from your competitors and what benefits you can bring to them, but you also need to prove this. You need to make your claims credible. One of the best ways of doing this is to present your customers with a successful track record in your industry, show them that you have carried out this service successfully a number of times. Or that your product has been beneficial for a number of previous customers. A good case history or a number of varied testimonials are a good way of proving your case.

6. Show that your company is reliable and trustworthy

As well as the benefits that your service or product can bring, potential customers will also want to know you who are. You need to remember though, that their interest stems from wanting to find out whether you are reliable, that you deliver your goods on time, that if they have any complaints then they will be handled promptly etc. Many people who write their own online copy focus on their company (including the 'corporate' story) rather than showing examples of reliability and trustworthiness which is what customers are interested in. The best way to establish credibility is to extract the parts of your company's story which will interest and reassure your customer. Include facts such as how long you have been in the industry for, membership to any professional or governing bodies and number of customers for example.

7. Closes with a strong call to action

Your online copy should ignite a reaction in your customers. You need to tell the customer, very clearly what they need to do in order to purchase your product or use your service. For this you need strong calls to action. Make sure that you put calls to actions on all most all of your pages as if the customer has made their mind up, they will want to find a quick way to order it. Include copy such as 'for professional online copywriting call 07753474490' or 'to find out how Pure Ink Creative can help you email talktous@pureinkcreative.com.' Don't give the customer chance to get confused, direct them to do exactly what you want them to do.

If you would like the expert website copywriters at Pure Ink Creative to write compelling copy for you then contact us.