Are people finding your website but not doing anything as a result?
If people are finding you, then your SEO is probably working. I’ll assume too, that your website copy is concise and easy to understand (if it isn’t you might want to think about giving me a call). I’ll also assume that you have something that people would want to buy. So with all this in place, you still have a website that is generating minimal sales. Perhaps the issue is with what you appear to be selling.
Is your message confusing?
Let me explain.
Say you run a removals company. Your website probably says that you offer a professional packing service, that you load everything carefully into specialist vehicles, and then move it to whatever location your customers wish in the UK or abroad. All well and good, except there’s nothing there to distinguish you from the 10 other removal firms in your town.
Compare this to web content which is focused on showing how everything you do, from recruitment, training, investment and service is geared to making your customers’ moving day as trouble-free and enjoyable as you can possibly make it. What you’re selling is peace of mind, ‘choose us and we’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you have no stress or worry.’
Although be careful with the desire to be different. I remember seeing a removal firm which based an Adwords campaign around the slogan ‘We don’t do breakages’, which I found strange. I’d love to know if that worked.
Fancy a tooth extraction?
How about a dental surgery? I wouldn’t advise focusing too heavily on marketing the dental treatments you provide. Who really wants to buy a filling or an extraction? Perhaps stressing the benefits of a great looking smile and your customer care would be more attractive?
And copywriting? I’d love to think that people would hire me just for the satisfaction of having easy to read content on their website and blogs. In reality, of course, they want to know how what I do will increase sales and give a return on their investment.
Think of it as stripping away the functional layers of what you do, to get to the essence of why you do it and how your customers’ lives or businesses will be better as a result.
Copywriting Tone
The way you say things also matters. The tone of your content matters just as much as the way you speak to potential customers in person. Stiff and formal language would be off-putting if you want to promote yourself as a warm and caring business.
I often see website copy where I’m pretty sure the impersonal tone would do little to encourage me to take the next step on my purchasing journey. On the other hand, I recently read about a Marriott franchisee in the US who had his website copy re-written, specifically to make it warmer and more engaging. His 120 hotels consequently outperformed the rest of the brand by 35%.
The point here is that the language you use should reflect the type of business you are and the benefits you provide. And sometimes this is harder to see from the inside. If you’re worried that your website copy might be the reason you don’t convert hits into business, why not ask friends, business associates, or even a copywriter, to give you an honest opinion.
The difference between a website that sells and one that doesn’t is often the difference between copy that engages and convinces, rather than copy that just describes.
Two questions about your website content
If your website isn’t delivering the results you expected, despite getting plenty of hits, ask yourself two questions: is the copy telling people what I am really offering them? And, do I talk to customers in the same way that the copy is written? A ‘no’ to either of these could be bad news for your business.
If you’re concerned that your website copy might be costing you business please get in touch using the contact tab on the left. I’ll happily give you my opinion free of charge.
You might also find these helpful:
Websites are for customers, not for you.
Four steps to more effective writing.
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