Copywriting: how to write website content that converts
Having a great logo + professional photos on your beautiful website is one thing, but filling it with content that is going to make you money is a whole different story.
Someone can be drawn into your website by the visuals, but the thing that is going to get them to stick around is your copy.
Copy should move people to act.
It’s the copy that is going to get them to reach for their credit card. It’s the carefully crafted wording that is going to make the lasting impression. It’s your readers’ reaction to what you’ve got to say that will determine whether they click off and go look elsewhere, or if they stick around to find out more and become potential clients, even paying customers.
Especially for people who have a real affinity for the sea, the outdoors, action sports, or the snow, sitting still for too long is quite an ask. And knowing what to write without sounding big-headed or boring can be quite a headache.
More often than not, I see small business owners shy away from copywriting projects. Either they avoid it altogether, or they word-vomit all they can think of onto the page, plonking giant paragraphs of dull, uninspiring text onto their website, that doesn’t exactly entice you to learn more.
They talk about all the tech features of their product or service, the qualifications they have, but writing copy for your website isn’t about you and how great you are.
It’s about your client (let’s be honest, people are selfish).
I’m going to give you a breakdown of the two most fundamental aspects of writing for an audience with an expendable income, that you need to consider when working out how to write your own website content.
These fundamentals are:
Relatability and
Problem-solving.
There’s quite a lot of overlap between these two aspects of copywriting, but the more you consider these pointers when creating you’re writing content for your website, the more effective your website will become in leading your website users to engage with you/follow you/buy from you (i.e. whatever it is that your website goals are.
RELATABILITY.
Be a chameleon with your tone of voice.
Wouldn’t you rather buy an expensive new bike/surfboard/pair of skis/boat from someone you get along with, from someone who has a lot in common with you, instead of a flashy salesman with slicked back hair and too much aftershave?
Friends usually use similar phrases, abbreviations and language when talking to each other. They’ve got so much in common that their conversation might not be understood by a passer by with different values and a different vocabulary, but they get each other.
By mirroring the language and tone of voice of your ideal client, you’re putting them at ease, showing you’re on the same page.
And by showing you are relatable, you are more likely to be able to understand the motivations, aspirations, fears and values that directly affect their buying choices.
The trust you are starting to build with your ideal clients is much more sustainable that a last-minute purchase or a by-chance follow on social media.
When you’re thinking about the copy that will fit your ideal client, use terminology that fits their level of expertise in whatever you’re offering.
Are they conversational, relaxed and use colloquialisms, or are they well-educated, using eloquent language and flowing sentences?
If they are a 90’s kid, make references they’ll understand and resonate with. Or if they’re a bit older, use a more nostalgic vocabulary.
The more your ideal client feels understood, and the more you position yourself in their field of vision, the more clients you’ll get coming back to buy from you again and again.
Put it into practice:
If you don’t already know your ideal client, reach out to someone on social media - ask them questions, listen to them, mirror little nuances of speech they use. Do they use short sharp sentences, do they type the way they’d speak using capitals for emphasis or spell things phonetically? Do they use abbreviations like ‘IRL’ or ‘ICYMI’, emotional ‘aahhh’s, or a lot of emoji?
Be a chameleon.
PROBLEM-SOLVING.
Tap into how your ideal client feels when they have a particular problem (that you can solve with your product or service).
Be the solution (+ make sure they know it).
When someone has this struggle or problem (that you can solve), what do they do?
Where do they go to try and find a solution?
What have they tried before that hasn’t worked?
What are they thinking?
What feelings and emotions come about as a result?
How do they verbalise their frustrations to a sympathetic ear?
What’s holding them back from reaching this solution?
If you can address the answers to all of these questions in your copy, you are on course to maximising your website conversions. The sigh of relief that your ideal client will let out will be almost tangible.
Make sure to remind your readers of the problem they have, agitate it a little, describe what it’s like before they’ve used your product or service, then transform their situation by introducing your solution.
Then describe what it’s like to no longer be struggling.
What are they feeling, doing, thinking now they have no more worries? How will what you’re offering have an impact on their life, from this point onwards?
Particularly if you’ve been in your ideal client’s shoes before and have experienced the same frustrations, you’re showing you are a problem-solver, reliable and relatable.
Share your transformation story with your audience to make them feel they’re understood. Or share a story of someone else’s situation you have be able to transform with what you offer, showing their ‘before’ and ‘after’ scenarios.
Put it into practice:
Maya Angelou, a legendary civil rights activist + poet once said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but …”
Now read about the following three products and services in light of these wise words…
1) You’ve bought a new pair of walking boots.
You might not remember all the little features of how they’re waterproof, but you remember the ease of your hike and the sense of achievement for reaching a summit in comfort.
What was it like before you bought the boots?
You’re frustrated they can’t enjoy valuable time with the family on a hike without getting blisters, you’re constantly worried about how long you can manage before it’s unbearable, missing some incredible scenery in doing so.
2) You’ve invested in a personal trainer.
You might not remember how many squats they made you do, but you’ll leave the gym with that glowy feeling, improving your mood for the rest of the day, or getting that smug feeling when you’ve realised you’ve dropped a jeans size.
But what was it like before you committed to a personalised fitness regime?
You might be feeling deflated that your clothes don’t fit you anymore, self-conscious when you go out, and often feel cranky and irritable after a whole day sitting on your arse.
3) You’ve bought a new IPA in a country pub garden.
You might not remember the brewery or the exact taste (come on- how many IPAs taste the same these days) but you will remember the feeling of sipping a cold pint after a day in the sun, watching the sun go down, laughing and sharing an evening with friends.
What image might a brewery want to create of what it’s like not to be drinking their newest concoction?
You drinker might be drinking a warm, sandy tinny in the car park (like you did back when you were 16). Or would be going home at the end of the day, missing their friends, with no time to reminisce of the old days. Sounds a bit lonely, eh?!
Now it’s your turn.
If you want to learn my go-to techniques for writing effective, honest copy
let’s jump on a discovery call to see how we can clarify your message + elevate your brand through your website words.
