You know the script. You’ve been here before. Despite your best efforts to bring in a professional copywriter, your client has decided they want to write the copy for their new website, themselves.
Great! (Not).
So, how can you salvage this so that the brilliant new website you’re building for them still actually ends up being brilliant?
Follow these 6 tips, to make sure your client’s copy hits the mark and boosts their bottom line!
1. You need a hero!
Bonnie Tyler had this one right… when it comes to crafting compelling website copy a hero is top of the agenda. Probably not the kind she was talking about though. Your client’s hero is the first thing readers will see when they visit the homepage. That big, bold headline is splashed across their screen – and it has to do its job!
When it comes to the hero it’s all about the who, what and why of your clients. Who are they? What are they offering? Why should readers snap up their services? What’s in it for them? The hero is a chance to shine to prospects – cut out the fluff and get rid of any jargon. Keep it clear and keep it simple!
2. Talk to your audience
We all want to feel special, seen and recognised. When potential customers visit a website, they want to feel a connection. This is why talking to one customer at a time is so powerful. Understanding the audience’s pain points and struggles means the copy can use direct address making it feel personal. ‘I’m talking to you’ works every time!
You only need to look at the genius copy on the Oatly website to see how effective direct address can be. Even the usually dull-as-dishwater cookies acceptance pop-up has that signature personality we associate with the brand. ‘We know you didn’t come here for cookies’ puts a light-hearted twist on even the smallest section of their site as they connect with their audience.
3. Benefits. Benefits. Benefits.
No one cares about the day-to-day detail of how the business runs, who went to which university, or what happened at the weekend. In fact, visitors to a website won’t be interested in anything much other than the benefits to them. The only question they want answering is, ‘what’s in it for me?’.
As species go, we’re a pretty selfish lot – so showcase value from the get-go. Does the website copy show how clients are going to:
- Save money?
- Save time?
- Look beautiful?
- Become cool?
- Get rich?
If they are hooked by the benefits then the copy has done its job!
4. Less is more
Great copy has clarity. It should be easy to read, easy to understand and even easier to act on. Use simple, familiar language – and don’t use 20 words if 3 will do the job! The goal is to get the reader to… well, read! And if the copy is too complicated, they are likely to glaze over and click away to find something more interesting to look at.
The best brands out there do this brilliantly. Take Monzo, a digital bank that promises to ‘Make money easy’. It couldn’t be clearer what the benefit is, and it only took them 3 little words to tell you! So, when the urge to go on a ruthless copy-chopping and editing spree strikes, heed the advice of the masters of brevity, Nike. Just do it!
5. Be savvy about SEO
The website is all shiny and new… And if tips 1-4 have been followed then you’ve got tip-top copy too. But that copy can only work its magic if potential clients can find the website!
You’re well aware of what SEO is: a strategy used to make sure websites pop up in searches when someone keys in words or phrases linked to specific businesses or services. It’s no surprise that when you type ‘best gym trainers’ in Google, the big hitters who are savvy about their SEO are always at the top of the list – Nike, Puma and Adidas are on the winners’ podium when it comes to topping the search list.
A word of warning for this tip… balance being SEO savvy with maintaining excellent copy. Use the best keywords for the search engine win – but make sure readers stick around long enough to get the sale!
6. CTAs that spark … action!
What’s the easiest way to get someone to do what you want? Tell them of course! Think carefully about the specific goal for this section of the website. Is the goal to get people to sign up to an email list? Or maybe place an order?
‘Click here’ doesn’t really do the job does it? Instead, think about adding some value to the CTA. For a life coach aiming to grow their email list, instead of a plain old ‘Sign Up Here’, why not try ‘Join the Club’ or ‘Learn My Secrets’? And the icing on the cake for a brilliant CTA is to inject brand voice into it – after all the rest of the copy now looks amazing. Why stop at the CTA?
So, the next time your client tells you they’re writing the copy for their new website themselves, send them these 6 top tips. Of course, if you think you can still stop them from writing their own copy, then bring in the help of an expert and hand the pen to a copywriter!