Most business owners are not writers and do not want to become writers. However, unless they can afford to hire a writer, they are often left to supply the text (what the industry calls ‘copy’) on their website.
So they stare at a blank page and eventually write something like this little blurb:
When T.D. Somebody founded XYZ Enterprises; he aspired to innovation and quality. He wasn’t satisfied with the whosits that were available on the market so he created his own. On top of that he believed that no wolf should ever be harmed in the manufacturing process so he dedicated the next forty years to that one goal. Now whosits are cheaper, better made, and completely free of wolf cruelty.
Yes, this is bad. It’s probably worse than what you wrote.
Sadly, it’s not worse than everything I’ve seen on professional business websites. And yes, it’s somewhat goofy for the same reason. If this can be cleaned up to be helpful, anything can.
That’s why I’m writing this article – so even if you can’t afford to hire a writer, you can have a tool to clean up even the worst writing so that it will be more effective.
Step 1: Look closely at the copy and ask yourself, “What information benefits your customer?” In other words, what will they care about? This assumes you know who your customers are – what they care about, their pain points, desires, and motivations. This is key and something books have been written about.
In this case, the convoluted text conveys several perceived benefits to the reader:
- Innovation
- Quality
- Lower cost
- Ethical manufacturing
- Legacy and Dedication
Step 2: Tell your customers about those benefits.
They don’t want to wade through a narrative of your company’s history. After all, if you were looking for a whosit, you’d want information about the whosits before you choose to learn about the company. It’s the same as if you were in a fantasy football league. You’d be focused on the player’s stats before you cared about their family history.
When you are finished, it will look something like this:
- Innovative Products: You deserve something better than what’s currently on the market. That’s why our whosits are designed with innovation at their core, offering you a product that stands out for its uniqueness and superior functionality.
- High-Quality Craftsmanship: Experience the difference with our better-made whosits. We prioritize quality in every detail, ensuring you receive a product that is durable, reliable, and built to last.
- Cost-Effective Solutions: Get more value for your money. Our whosits are both high-quality and more affordable, giving you the best of both worlds—exceptional performance at a lower cost.
- Ethical Manufacturing: You can feel good about your purchase. Our whosits are entirely free of wolf cruelty, reflecting our commitment to ethical production and animal welfare.
- Trusted Legacy: Benefit from over forty years of dedication and expertise. When you choose our whosits, you’re choosing a product backed by decades of passion and a proven commitment to excellence.
See?
It is easy to rework bad copy into text that draws your visitors in and highlights the information that is important to them. And it spells out how your product or service solves their problems, which leads us to…
Step 3: Include a Clear Call-to-Action
Tell your visitors exactly what to do next, whether it’s “Get a Free Quote,” “Download our White Paper,” “Browse Our Collection,” or “Schedule a Consultation.” Without a clear action step, even great copy won’t convert visitors into customers.
By adopting this three-step process, anyone can improve the copy on their website.
Yes, there’s a lot more to writing great content for your website, like beating that 9-second window, adjusting your tone, using headlines, using (and misusing) keywords for SEO, and using the power of proof. These are all things that I have or will write about, but just using this one three-step tip will go a long way toward improving the writing on your website – and that will help your website convert visitors to customers.