Last week, we explained that it's important that people trust your company. However, even if your web site is trustworthy, web surfers still might not purchase something on your web site.
Reason 3: Is your web site content convincing?
It's important that your web pages are interesting to your visitors. Every visitor wants to get a prompt answer to the question "what's in it for me?". In the first paragraph of your web page, you should tell your visitors the following:
- what you do
- why people should stay on your site
- what's in for your visitors
If you don't answer these questions quickly enough, people will go away.
People aren't necessarily interested in your product or in your company. You must convince your web site visitors with good sales copy.
Before starting to write sales copy, make sure that you know your product and that you're passionate about it. You have to fully believe in your product. If you don't, you shouldn't sell it. You cannot write convincing sales copy if you don't stand behind your product. You must be sure that you're doing your customers a favor by offering them your product.
1. What's in for your customers?
Your customers want benefits. What can your product do for them? What can it do for them now? The benefits of your product should be the first words on your site. Make them bold and make them big. If your visitors don't know what's in it for them after the first few seconds, they'll leave your site.
People don't read everything on your page. They scan it for interesting information. Grab their attention with benefits.
2. Don't mix up features and benefits
You must differentiate between features and benefits. Features are the attributes of your product, benefits are what your product promises. For example, if you sell a solar-powered clock, then the feature is "uses new 38/12 solar cells". The benefit to the buyer is "you save money because you don't have to buy batteries anymore".
Don't bore your potential customers with technical details. Tell them what your product will do for them. How they will feel when they tried your product. Maybe your product or service will make them more money, maybe it will save them time. Tell them and don't be shy.
3. Killer headlines will grab your visitors attention
Nobody will read your entire page. Make it easier for your customers by dividing your page into paragraphs where each paragraph has a headline. Your headlines should make clear what to expect in the next sentences and they should grab your visitors' attention.
Use words like "free, proven, benefit, first, discover, complete, exclusive" and avoid words like "should, could" and "but". Make sure that you use "you" more than "I" or "we". Remember: Your customers don't really care about you and your business. They only want to know what's in for them.
4. End your sales copy by telling the reader what to do
At the end of your copy text, you must tell your visitors what to do next, for example "Click here to order now for immediate delivery".
Use these tips to write as persuasively as you can, but remember not to deceive your customers in any way. You'd risk poor word of mouth, legal action, no repeat business and refund requests.
Next week, we're going to find out if your order page is easy enough to use for your web site visitors.
