Start the new financial year with website copy that gets more customers
I have good news and bad news.
First, the bad. If it’s been a while since you’ve looked at your website, your copy might not be working as well as it used to.
The good news is that while everyone else is still working on their tax returns, you can get a head start by doing a quick review and refresh of your website copy.
Spend just a few minutes of your week to discover the top 5 ways to Refresh your Website Copy right now.
1. Refine your value proposition
Most of us are bombarded by ads in our social media feeds which means customers are less interested in the everyday ‘guff’ that they read online. They are looking for different content that cuts through the noise instantly.
For small businesses, this means critically examining whether your current messaging truly reflects:
- The unique problems you solve
- The specific transformations you deliver
- The emotional journey you take clients through.
This might sound scary, but your ‘unique value proposition’ (or UVP), is just a fancy way to say what makes you special, what your ‘secret sauce’ is and how you help your customers.
The best way to refine your UVP is to try to tap into an emotional connection with your customer.
What are their Fears, Wants and Beliefs?
Let’s take a quick example:
If you want to hire a cleaner for your home, you might have a choice between a range of cleaners who all claim to be efficient, reliable and available right now.
But you may fear that they’ll judge you for having a messy home.
Or you may believe that it’s your job, so you might feel guilty for hiring a cleaner.
And you may also want to feel justified that you’ve spent your time with your family instead of cleaning.
When you tap into their Fears, Wants and Beliefs, potential customers will feel you understand them, can see them and can therefore help them. This isn’t manipulative, it’s working with human nature.
Pro Tip: How to check your value proposition
If you’re unsure if your current copy speaks your ideal clients’ language, do a quick web copy audit. Ask yourself, have I put myself in my ideal clients’ shoes? Do I know what they want?
My Web Copy Audits deconstruct your unique value proposition and give you clear insights into where you’re missing the mark and where to focus your efforts for the best results.
2. Embrace Conversational Copywriting
I’m not going to pretend that you don’t use AI to write some (or all) of your copy. But if you do (especially if you do), you need to ensure that your copy:
- anticipates customer questions and concerns and answers them before they start looking elsewhere for answers
- feels natural and conversational
- focuses on your clients and their needs.
Pro tip: One task to do right now if you’re using AI
If you must use AI to help you write your website copy, make sure you have an overall marketing strategy in place. Your minimum viable marketing strategy must describe who you’re talking to, how to talk to them and what format works best.
Put those details in your prompt to add a little more depth to your copy.
Need help to create a marketing strategy? Book an obligation-free call here.
3. Focus on stories that show outcomes
A common error I see in website copywriting is that small businesses sometimes describe what they do, or the features of their products and services. This misses a vital opportunity to vividly paint a picture about the transformation this business can help their customers achieve.
Create an emotional connection through storytelling.
Describe how your clients will feel after they use your products or services.
Give specific examples that show measurable results.
Quick case study:
Lots of my clients are in technical, complex or highly regulated industries, so they, naturally want to talk about their qualifications, expertise and past projects. That’s fine, but they also need to add copy that talks about outcomes. One client wanted this text on their Home page:
‘We provide a suite of client side property management services. We provide deep and broad developer knowledge in projects (land and built form) and embed innovation, sustainable and entrepreneurial solutions.’
Instead, I wrote:
‘Sucess in property development starts with us. We are a property development consultancy with one clear vision: to create unique developments that are more sustainable, valuable and stress-free. Your vision. Our expertise. Shared success.’
Note that my copy talks about outcomes and vision, not what the business does.
Many businesses struggle to articulate their true value. I can help you unpack your unique story and positioning, so book an obligation-free call here.
4. Make it easy for your readers to understand your content.
Whether it’s our busy lives or because we’re on screens 24/7, we all have much shorter attention spans these days.
Nobody has time to read through pages and pages of densely packed text, and in all honesty why should they? If they’re on your website, they are interested in what you have to offer, so make it as easy as possible for your web visitors to comprehend your content…so they can buy from you.
- Make sure your content is easy to skim read.
- Include tiny ‘instant wins’ throughout the page. For example, I’ve used the headings ‘Pro Tips and ‘Quick case study’ in this piece.
- Use clear, punchy headlines.
- Break text into digestible chunks.
- Use visual and design techniques such as bullet points, breakout boxes, white space and easy to read fonts, so your readers’ eyes get a rest from all that text.
- Make sure your core message can be read within the first 3-5 seconds. On a phone, your message should be clear without the web visitor needing to scroll.
Need more help? Let’s identify exactly where your current copy might be losing potential customers’ attention with a Website audit.
5. Integrate Social Proof and Trust Signals
Customers want validation more than ever. They also want to get a sense of what it’s like to work with you. So, to refresh your website copy and reassure them that you are the right supplier for their needs, you need to:
- Highlight client results using people’s names, not nameless initials: ‘Elizabeth Bennet, Computech’ is much better than ‘EB, Victoria’. Ask for permission first, of course.
- Use testimonials that talk about what it’s like to work with you as well as the measurable results they achieved.
- Demonstrate to your customers that you are the go-to person in your industry by showcasing memberships, awards, presentations or keynotes given and other industry ‘credibility markers’.
Strategic Opportunity:
Talk to me about booking a Marketing Strategy Session, so you can develop a comprehensive approach to weaving trust signals throughout your website.
- Want detailed website content? Explore more here.
- Know that you need comprehensive marketing strategy guidance? Check out your options here.
Ready to Take Action?
Not sure where to start? Book an obligation-free Discovery Call
