Website Copy Matters
When people look you up online, they want to know more about you — otherwise, why else would they be scrolling through your website instead of checking their email or texting a friend. They’re curious! They want to find out how your product or service is going to make their life better.
There’s just one problem. The text, also known as the copy, on your website doesn’t actually communicate anything useful to them. Maybe it has plenty of information, but all that information is generic (which is bad!) or vague (which is even worse!). It doesn’t adequately reflect the type of brand your customers will come to know and love!
Don’t believe us? Ask a someone who doesn’t know what you do to read your website. Then ask them:
What product or service do I sell?
What problem am I solving for my customers?
What makes my business unique?
How do you buy my product or service?
Chances are, they will not be able to answer these questions.
Don’t Be Passive About Your Copy
Look, it’s an understandable mistake to make — you’re excited to launch your website, and good copy is a lot of work. You think, “Hey, any generic text will do. Nobody is actually reading that stuff anyway.” But you’re be wrong about that.
Website copy, which entails any text on your website, lets you communicate what is distinctly unique about your brand. It lets your customers know why they need your product or service, what sets you apart from the competition, and exactly what steps they need to take if they want to patronize you.
When they read through a website where the copy doesn’t answer all their questions thoroughly or doesn’t speak to them as a consumer, they move on. If the copy is easily interchangeable with one of your competitors, they can’t get excited about what you have to offer.
This is why it’s important to put some serious thought into great wording for your website — and even though the thought of writing sounds daunting, it’s surprisingly simple to find your unique brand voice and communicate in a way that’s going to convert your web visitors into customers.
Communicate What You Have to Offer
Good copy starts with a solid understanding of what makes you different from other brands. Put some thought into what you have to offer — and how your product will improve your customer’s life, even in a small way. Ask yourself what problems or fears they have. Then consider how your product or service will solve those problems or address those fears.
It’s also important to think about why your customers should know, like, and trust you. What is your professional background, and what’s the professional background of your team? What vision did you have when you established your business? What is the customer experience like?
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Even something as simple as a spacious parking lot or convenient access from major highways can make your location more appealing. Perks like 24-hour customer service or curbside pickup will appeal to people’s need for convenience.
And if you’re involved with local charities, that’s a great talking point to share with your web visitors, especially if you can delve into why these causes mean so much to you.
Take 30 minutes and brainstorm as much as you can about your business. Ask yourself:
Who is my ideal customer, and how will I improve their life?
Why did I decide to open this business, and what makes me the perfect fit to lead it?
Why are my employees such a great fit for what we do?
Why do I love the location of my physical office or shop?
What points do people often make when they give us a positive review?
What charities do we support, and why did we choose those charities?
What do I see for the future of our company?
Don’t be afraid to ask yourself, “So what?” or “What does that mean?” When you’re thinking of the big picture, it’s easy to be general or vague. The best website copy is copy that can’t be swapped out and used for another business. It also lets people know exactly what you mean without having to ask too many questions.
Finding Your Brand Voice
Good copy is about much more than just the message — you also need to consider the tone of voice you use to convey it. You want to communicate in a way that is going to meet your ideal customer where they are. If you’re a brand that is supposed to appeal to teenagers, you’re not going to want to sound stiff and overly formal, are you? And on the flip side, if you’re a brand that appeals to senior citizens, you don’t need to waste a lot of energy trying to sound hip and cool.
If it helps, let yourself talk about your company out loud and record yourself. Focus on the phrases and words that you use. You’ll have to clean up certain sentences to make them more straightforward or eloquent, but this will generally help you express the strengths of your business in a genuine, honest, uninhibited way. Make it conversational and personable — that makes it more interesting and engaging for the reader.
Be careful, though. There are plenty of filler expressions and phrases we use in everyday speech that can come across as excessive when they’re written out in text. Don’t be afraid to eliminate any words that are not doing their work and contributing to the sentence. Concise, straightforward copy is always better than fluffy copy.