Customers, Conversions and the Three Types of Readers

A few weeks ago, on a Sunday evening, I found myself in a discussion with a friend who’s self publishing a series of books and audio dramas. We were discussing his website, and I was explaining things like conversion funnels, click through rates and how to connect with different audience segments.

I told him something I’ve learned over my ten years of professional copywriting. When it comes to converting readers into customers, you’re dealing with three types of people. Knowing who they are and what they want is key if you’re going to sell them anything.

The Three Types of Reader – and How to Sell to Them

Type One: The People Who Won’t Buy

Let’s get this segment out of the way first. It doesn’t matter what you’re selling. Could be the miracle cure for bad breath, could be a machine that turns cat litter into diamonds. There are some people who will not buy from you. They might be on your website researching the competition. They could have used some odd search term that Google’s decided you should rank for (hello everyone looking for that Calvin and Hobbes ‘verbing’ picture). They might even be reading your brochure just because it’s the only thing left in the mechanic’s waiting room.

Doesn’t matter.

Accept that they exist, and then move on.

You’re never going to have a 100% conversion rate, so don’t waste time on people who aren’t going to buy.

Selling to these Readers: You can’t, you won’t, and you’re not thinking about them any more.

Type Two: The Impulsive

Say hello to your dream readers. They have a very specific need, and they’re prepared to spend as soon as they see that you can meet it. They’re busy, they’ve got a budget, and they’re itching to grease your palms with silver. The problem is that impulsive readers have a finite attention span. They’re not going to trawl through pages and pages of even the best-written content. They want a solution in front of them right now, or they’ll go elsewhere.

We’re on the clock now people. Let’s go.

Selling to these Readers: Welcome to the world of punchy short copy.

Don’t worry about needing 600 words on a page because of what your SEO consultant says just yet, because we need to stick the landing with the impulsive buyer first.

When time is of the essence, you need killer headlines, an introductory paragraph that outlines a problem and your solution, and a prominent call-to-action. Give the impulsive reader all of that, and they’re ready to buy.

Type Three: The Skeptic

 

Sounds too good to be true. That’s the mantra of the skeptic. If they’re presented with a punchy piece of short copy, they’ll be left looking for the catch. They’ll be caught in two minds and will spend hours trawling the web for reviews, competing offers, and as much data as they can. After they’ve got all that, they might remember to come back to your site.

So why let them leave?

Why not give the skeptics everything their hearts desire?

Selling to these Readers: This is where it’s time to go into detail. Keep the top-loaded sales opening we built for the impulsive readers. To the skeptic, this is just an appetite-whetting introduction.

Now you’ve piqued their interest, it’s time to provide the skeptic with what they love most. Evidence. Information. Numbers.

Pricing details, specifications, shipping times – these are the raw numbers the skeptic will crunch while they’re deciding whether your product or service meets their needs. Once they have that, they’ll need a nudge to pick up the phone.

That’s where we give them evidence. Testimonials. Case studies. Impartial reviews. Good, honest social proof. And then, finally, a softer call-to-action with the three little words every info-hungry skeptic melts when they read.

Find. Out. More. 

If you can find a copywriter who can appeal to impulse buyers and skeptics in the same piece, you’re onto a winner.