Six Secret Tricks to Improve Your Website Content

Good writing isn’t just about finding a structure that works and then typing until you’ve filled in the relevant sections. If it was, good copywriters wouldn’t be able to charge a healthy amount for their services.

No, good business writing is about grabbing attention, making a connection and then ensuring that the reader takes the action you want them to.

This takes experience, research, and the ability to turn a phrase. But in a pinch, these seven secret tricks will help you to create stronger, better copy without waiting around all day for inspiration to strike.

1 – A Good Headline is Worth a Thousand Words

The internet is supposed to be 80% mucky pictures.

If you take just the section of the internet dealing with writing, 80% of it is dedicated entirely to the importance of headlines.

These posts all boil down to this: Headlines are important. A good headline ensures people are interested. So spend some time coming up with a headline that promises a great read.

People react well to numbers, secrets and surprise. If Buzzfeed published a post entitled “Seventeen Embarrassing Secrets of 90s TV Stars (Number 12 will SHOCK you!)” it’d hoover up all of the traffic on the web.

Obviously you’re not dealing in celebrity gossip, but there’s nothing stopping you having a page on your website explaining your “Secret Six Step Method to [do whatever your product does]”

2 – Use Emotion

As much as we all pretend we make decisions based on rationality and logic, we don’t. We make most of our decisions based on emotion.

So if you’re going to connect with people, you need to trigger those emotions. Fear, joy, hate, love – that’s the ticket to great copywriting.

“But Andrew” – you cry, “I sell contents insurance. Nobody loves contents insurance! I barely like it, and it paid for my last car.”

Well, dear reader. You’re right. Nobody loves contents insurance. But you can bet they love their possessions. And they’d be upset if they were destroyed in a fire.

So play on those emotions. You’re not selling contents insurance. You’re selling peace of mind. You’re selling a good night’s sleep, knowing that even if the dog leaps head first into the plasma screen, your customer will be able to afford a replacement.

And who doesn’t love a good night’s sleep?

3 – Cut to the Chase

Don’t believe the hype about “long copy” being dead.

People will read long content. You’ve just downloaded and read an ebook, and that’s a fair bit longer than a Tweet.

What people don’t read is waffle. So don’t waste time. Get to the point.

Once you’re covering the information a reader wants to see, they’ll stick with you. But they’re not interested in reams of preamble that does nothing but fluff your ego.

4 – Speak to your Reader

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s dispassionate third-person content. If I get to your website, and I see some tripe about “our customers enjoy access to a range of bespoke solutions to facilitate desirable business outcomes,” I’m going to scream.

Or go to a competitor.

Do you know what works better than that? Speaking to your customer. Speaking directly to them. Like you’re a human being and they’re a human being.

“When you work with us, we’ll do everything we can to support your business.”

See how that might work a little better?

5 – Features are Boring

Remember what we said about emotions? Back in point two? That’s coming into play again here.

Nobody in the world can form an emotion attachment to a list of technical specifications. Or ingredients.

Let’s think back to the pub last week. You had a swift pint after work. Maybe a glass of wine. Could’ve been a jagerbomb for all I know.

Why did you buy that drink?

Did you buy that pint of lager because you’re impressed by low temperature fermenting methods? Or because it’s refreshing after a long, hot day?

Is it the blend of herbs and spices in Jagermeister that convinced you? Or the fact that a jagerbomb gets you fall-down drunk while keeping you on your feet?

Customers buy things because of the effects. Cider refreshes them. Apple products make them feel part of an exclusive club. Cough medicine stops them coughing.

Don’t lose sight of the end result. That’s what your client really cares about.

6 – Don’t be Afraid of Personality

Do you know what the easiest way to stand out from your competitors is? And don’t say “have better products” – because customers won’t know that until they’ve bought them.

It’s to have a personality.

If I asked you to name a company that sold smoothies, you’d say Innocent. Because as irritating as their cutesy-wutesy use of childish language can be, at least they’ve got a personality.

You’re a person. You have a personality. It shines through when you’re face-to-face with a client, or chatting on the phone. Even your emails have a bit of personality too.

So do yourself a favour.

Make sure your website has a bit of personality too. Don’t be afraid of contractions, or even a bit of slang if it’s appropriate. Just don’t blend into the background with yet another dull corporate website.

 

 

This post is an excerpt from Faster, Stronger, Better. – A Beginner’s Guide to Digital Copywriting from 603 Copywriting. Request your free copy by visiting the free copywriting ebooks page.