So you're excited because you've finally finished writing the copy for your website.. it was harder than you thought it would be - but you did it!
You published it and shared it across all your social sites, expecting to attract people to your site that are nearly as excited as you are and ready to convert
But, something's off!
With all the work you've put into writing the copy for your website and how good it reads, somehow, somehow, you're not generating the number of leads or getting the conversions you expected.
Here are 7 deadly mistakes that you're probably making that's stopping you getting more clients from your website copy...
1. Not knowing your ideal prospect well enough
2. Prioritising images above copy
3. Being business focused, service focused or product focused.
6. Not optimising your website copy & web page
7. No clear call to action (CTA)
1. Not Knowing Your Ideal Prospect Well Enough
The single biggest and deadliest mistake you can ever make when writing the copy for your website is not having a deep understanding of your ideal prospect...before you start writing the copy for your website.
Their desires...their challenges, the problems they’re facing, their fears, their motivations and why the solution you're offering, is important to them.
Why?
Because …
One... your prospect is motivated to buy things that solves a problem for him or her.
And two...your prospect is on your website looking for answers to the problems he or she is already experience.
Here's why it's important to know your ideal prospect really well, when writing the copy for your website...
And if you don’t know your prospect and you don’t understand the problems he or she is trying to solve, then you will have a problem writing the copy for your website, that addresses those two issues and gives your prospect what they want.
So that they'll subscribe to your list, schedule an appointment or make a purchase
And your website copy will lack purpose, relevancy and usefulness to your prospect.
Your copy will not be strong enough to hook them in and get them to exchange their names, their money or their time with you.
Tips for when writing the copy for your website;
- Identify the ideal prospects for your offer (it won't be for everyone)
- Take the time to do the research and get to know your prospect really really well before you start writing the copy for your website.
- Then...once you understand what your prospect really really wants, you can offer your service or product as the best solution that will get them the results and transformation they're seeking
Because the single biggest and First deadliest mistake you can ever make when writing the copy for your website, is not having a deep understanding of your ideal prospect....
And writing your copy without a clear understanding of who you're targeting is a deadly mistake and a sure stragegy for failure
So, get to know...really know, the important details about your prospect that really matters
2. Prioritising Images above Copy
Getting the right balance between images / graphic and text is important when writing the copy for your website, as too many images or graphics on your pages will negatively impact your site's loading speed and it's performance.
And as loading speed is a big contributing factor to achieving high ranking for Google, this significantly reduces your chances of having your pages rank on the first page of Google.
Which consequently affects traffic to your website.
But most importantly, your website visitors will not wait around for your site to load, and you'll lose them to your competitor!
Here's the thing;
When visitors come to your website, they already know what they’re looking for. And your role, when writing the copy for your website, is to help your visitors to easily find it..
And make it effortless for them to take the action they want to take..
Enabling you to achieve a conversion...
Here's why when writing the copy for your webpage, you must not make it "image heavy"...
When your page is too image heavy and not enough compelling website copy, your visitor will not convert.
Because ,
One, it slows down the loading speed and performance of your website, and your intended visitors will move on very quickly to your competitors site, and you miss the opprtunity for a conversion.
Two, too many images can be distracting, especially where the images does not support the message you're trying to convey when writing the copy for your website.
And three, your copy is the only thing that will s-p-e-a-k to the heart of your web visitor and persuade them to take action - your images will never be powerful enough to persuade them to take the action that you want them to take!
So that's why, making images and graphics, the focus of your webpages and not the website copy is another deadly mistake when writing the copy for your website.
Tips on imagery when writing the copy for your website...
- Your web copy must be the main focus, not the imagery on your website. When your pages are more image heavy and less copy, Google will consider it “thin copy” as it doesn't provide Google with enough information to know what your page is about. Google requires you have at least a few hundred words on your page for it to be indexed.
- Images must always support the copy, help to communicate the value of your offer and help you to secure a conversion.
- Ensure to use the "Alt-Tag" to describle images on your site, as Google crawlers cannot read images and subsequently will not index your images, as it relies on the t-e-x-t in the copy to let Google knows what your page is about. If your page isn’t being index then you will not get traffic, not generate leads and not achieve the conversion you want
You can check your website loading speeed here:
3. Being Business Focused, Service Focused or Product Focused...
Another deadly mistake, when writing the copy for your website is when your copy is mainly focussed on your business, your service or your products and not on the needs and desires of your prospect…
Here's why this is such a deadly mistake..
Because,
Business is all about relationships first!
And in any successful relationship, the focus cannot and must not always be focussed on you.
So, when writing the copy for your website, If you're primarly focussed on achieving the needs of your business only ...
Then your website copy will be written to tell your website visitor all about you and your business,
And it will not hook, engage nor persuade your website vistors, that you understand their needs and that they matter to you
So they won't convert and you miss the opprtunity of acquiring a new lead or a new client.
And that's why, when writing the copy for your website, your copy must not be business focussed, service focussed or product focussed....
Tips on being customer focus when writing the copy for your website...
- Business is about relationships first, so ensure your website copy is written with a focus on helping your web visitors first.
- Resist the urge to make your copy be all about you or your business and focus instead on the needs and desires of your prospects first…above your need to showcase how great your business is.
- Ensure when writing your copy, that your prospect is at the forefront of your mind and write from a position of care and empathy for your prospect, and not from a position of “it’s all about me” and you’ll continually engage and build strong long lasting relationships with your customers.
So do the research and take the time to get to know your prospect really really well and ensure your copy is focussed on helping your customers first...before you start writing the copy for your website.
4. Irrelevant Headlines
I'm sure that you've heard a million times how important headlines are?
So yes, your headline is the most powerful thing when writing the copy for your website and the key to achieving a conversion!
Here’s why when writing the copy for your website, your headline must be relevant...
Imagine this…
Your prospect comes to your website and the first thing he sees and reads is your headline - it's in prime position at the top of your webpage
But;
Your headline doesn’t immediately grab his attention, so he stops there.
And doesn't read anymore of your copy...and leaves your site (for good).
You lose him straightaway…
Why?
Because the headline didn’t immediately engage him.
He cannot relate to your headline…so he believes that the services or products that you're offering, is not relevant to him and isn't what he's come looking for....
So he stops at the headline and moves onto one of your competitor's website. And you’ve lost the opportunity of capturing that lead or making a sale.
The truth is;
You probably have what he's come looking for.
But your headline was not relevant to what he wants... So it wasn't compelling enough, to convince him, that you have the the solution that he's looking for.
Your prospect never got to read the rest of your website copy, so he’ll never get the message you want him to get in the copy…so that he can take the action that you want him to take…
He didn’t get to the point of giving you his email address, downloading your lead magnet, requesting a quote or scheduling an appointment with you.
Simply because of a headling, that was not relevant to his needs.
And you lose that lead and the opportunity to convert him into a customer…forever!
So that's why, when writing the copy for your website, your headline must be relevant and compelling.
And it can only be relevant when you take the time to know what your ideal prospect really wants - and make him that promise in the headline!
Tips on headlines when writing the copy for your website...
- Take the time to get to know what your ideal prospect really wants, before you write the headlines for each webpage. Your headling can only be relevant when you fully understand exactly what your prospect wants and know his intentions for coming to your website
- Make your headline relevant by offering your prospect a strong promise of what he or she wants.
- Make it specific and focussed on your ideal prospect only - dont be broad, general or cute!
- Understand the core buying emotions of your prospect and use it within your headline to make it more relevant and compelling.
And that’s why your headline is the most powerful thing on your website and the key to achieving a lot of conversions - very quickly!
So do the research and take the time to get to know your prospect really really well, so that you'll know what to promise him or her in your headline, to make it relevant and complelling!
5. Un-compelling Website Copy
So you've done a great job on your headline! And it's hooked your ideal prospect and pulls him further into your page...
He now wants to see how you'll fulfill the promise you made in the headline.
And that's where your website copy comes in.
Here's the thing...
You're writing your website copy for a specific purpose...
To communicate the value of your service or product, so that it persuades your website visitors and influence them to say yes to you!
But in order to get your website visitors, to take any form of action.
Whether that’s to give you their details... Subscribe to your mailing list..Register for your event, or Request a quote…
They must first be convinced that whatever you’re offering them will be the best solution to guarantee the results they want.
And you can only do that, by writing a compelling website copy, that communicates to them, that ...
One...they are on the right page.
Two...that you have the solution they're come looking for.
And your website copy must be persuasive enough, to move your prospect to take the action you want them to take, or you’ll never achieve a conversion.
But you can only write compelling website copy, when you know what's important to your ideal clients and can leverage their needs, desires, wants and core buying emotion, to persuade them, to exchange their time, money or name with you!
So that’s why, when writing the copy for your website, having a message that’s un-compelling is one of the 7 deadly mistakes in web writing!
Tips on creating compelling website copy when writing the copy for your website...
- Find a single core benefit that your prospect really wants to achieve or that your prospect wants to get away from and offer that throughout your copy.
- Take time to understand the pains and challenges that your prospect is experiencing and demonstrate empathy in your copy.
- Paint a vivid and clear picture of the how your promise will give your prospect the thing he wants the most. Show him how his life will be transformed, after experiencing your services or using your product.
- Focus on the deeper benefits that your prospect will get and not on the features of your product or the service.
In short, your website copy must be compelling, so that it moves your prospect to take the action that you want them to take.
But to do that, it must be focussed on helping your prospect to achieve the deeper desires of his heart!
And you can only write compelling website copy, when you truly knows, really knows... what your ideal prospect wants.
6. Not Optimising Your Copy & Web Pages for SEO...
Not optimising your copy for Search Engines, when writing your website copy (and across your web pages), is a major and deadly web writing mistake!
Why?
Because SEO is important in helping to attracting organic leads to your website and after all...leads are a pre-requisite for clients.
But what exactly is SEO and why is it important when writing the copy for your website?
SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation.
And the definition of "optimisation" provided by "Webster Dictionary" is: "an act, process, or methodology of making something (such as a design, system, or decision) as fully perfect, functional, or effective as possible"
So, when writing your website copy, you must ensure that it's optimised for Search Engines (and humans) by doing everything you possibly can, to increase your chances of achieving the outcomes you want.
Whether that outcome is to obtain leads, secure a purchase, achieve registrations or have your prospect subscribe to a newsletter, your web copy must be highly optimised to help you to achieve your goals.
Here's why optimisation is important when writing the copy for your website...
One...your website is competing against over 1.5 billion websites, so you have to do everything you can, to optimise your copy and give your online business a competitive advantage.
And two…If your web copy isn’t optimised for Google, it will struggle to be visible online, so it won’t attract traffic, generate the lead and achieve the conversions you want
And that’s why not optimising your web copy for Google and humans is one of the 7 deadly mistakes…
Tips on Optimising your copy when writing the copy for your website...
- Include relevant keywords;
Interweave keywords naturally throughout your copy, within headlines and sub-headlines that are relevant and related to your ideal prospect.
However, don’t overload your copy with too many keywords.
Ensure that the copy and reads naturally to your prospect.
Add keywords in;
- Title Tag
- Meta Description
- Headings
- URLs
- Images
2. Readability Matters
Readability is a huge factor for ensuring that Google ranks the page where your web copy will be used. The higher your page is ranked the more traffic you’ll get, which could potentially lead to more sales for you.
So ensure your web copy is clear and can be easily read and understood across a wide age and ability.
Use words with less syllabuses, shorter paragraphs and make your copy more conversation, so that it can be understood by a 13- 15 year old student and not just by an academic graduate.
Always check the readability score of your copy by running it through http://readability.com.
- Create "Thick Copy", not "thin copy"
The quality and quantity of your copy matters!
Here’s why;
The average web page that ranks on page one of Google, contains an average of 2000- 2500 words...
But they’re not just empty words…they’re compelling valuable copy and content that keeps readers on their pages.
And the longer your web visitor stays and engage with your page, the lower your bounce rate, and the more likely they are to take action.
So take the time to create valuable “thick copy” that’s relevant and useful to your prospect and it will, reduce your bounce rate, improve your page ranking and give you a the results you want
Do the research on your ideal prospect and get to know your prospect really really well to understand the keywords that will help to optimise your web copy, to ensure you get the results you want and give your business a competive advantage online.
7. Not Having a Clear "Call-To-Action" (CTA)
Not having a clear call-to-action is another deadly web writing mistake, you're probably making, when writing the copy for your website.
And a complete waste of your time and all the effort that you've put into writing your website copy.
Why?
Because, you're writing your web copy for a specific purpose ..
You want to communicate to your visitors that you have the solution to the problem that they've come to your site looking for.
And you want to make it easy for them to acquire it - on your site!
But if they read through your web copy and they're not clear on what action they must now take, that will bring them closer to having the solution
They will leave your site with their needs unfulfilled...
And go onto your competitor's site to acquire it.
Here's the thing;
Having a clear call to action is important when writing the copy for your website.
A CTA is a clear and direct instruction to your prospect of what to do after reading your website copy.
And this is where you tell your prospect exactly what to do next… so that they'll take the action you want them to take, that will help them fulfill their desires
That’s why having a call to action is an absolute must… if you want your prospect to move forward to the next stage of the customer journey…moving them from visitors to customers.
You CTA can be asking that your prospect share your content, download a free e-book, subscribe to your list or schedule an appointment, register for a webinar...etc
Tips on creating Strong CTA when writing the copy for your website...
- Have at least one goal for what you want your ideal prospect to do, when they visit your website.
- Make it a clear instruction and use active verbs– “Download this now!”, "Get your cheat sheet here", "Schedule a call"
- Ask affirmative questions as prompts that will encourage them to take the next step, but ensure that it's relevant to your ideal prospect and it's something they want. eg. "Want more Yeses from your web copy"?
Always include a clear and strong call to action within your website copy, that instructs your prospect on what to do...when they've gotten to the end of your copy…so that they can achieve the results they want and...you achieve the conversion that you want.
In Summary
The 7 deadly web writing mistakes that you're probably making...and they're stopping you from getting more clients are;
- Not knowing your ideal prospect well enough
- Prioritising image above copy
- Being business focused, service focused or product focused
- Using irrelevant headlines
- Un-compelling website copy
- Not optimising your copy and web page for SEO
- No clear call to action (CTA)
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