It’s one of my biggest pet peeves in all of business, never mind just website copywriting:
Leaving a website without knowing what the hell the business does!
Remember, you’ve only got about 10-15 seconds or less to grab someone’s attention before they move on. They’re not going to scan your entire site to find out what you do and how you can help, you need to tell them straight away at the top of the homepage/landing page.
Some organisations try to be too clever. The problem with that is you know too much about your company and want to talk about how great you are – your potential customers on the other hand, want to know precisely what you do and how you can help them.
Don’t fall into the trap of going all in trying to evoke buying emotions with your copywriting unless you’ve addressed the practical side first – telling people in simple, powerful terms what it is you do.
Some examples
Common homepage jargon:
“We support businesses to turn their ideas into reality through partnering with them at a macro and a granular level to support them on their journey.”
The horrible jargon gets it the way of what the message should be – telling people what they actually do!
Here’s another:
“At XYZ company we have revolutionised business communications using our 40 years’ experience to help you improve your customer service and close more business.”
Is it telecoms, an app, a CRM system, something else…?
Too much fluff, not enough clarity. None, actually.
Start by saying what you do, then back it up with your emotionally fuelled wizardry.
Here’s a good example of an opening line:
“We partner with start-ups and companies going through change to bring new ideas to market fast. We build digital products, consult on strategy, build winning teams, and grow great companies.”
OK, I would say that having written that one. But even that could be simpler and more niche – then again, it’s a highly skilled technical company.
The simpler your offering, the easier this should be. Check out this company I just made up; they’ve nailed it:
“At The UK Salt Company we produce the finest rock salt for the hospitality sector this side of the Atlantic.”
It refers to a specific product (rock salt), who it’s for (hospitality clients), and in what location (they’re based in and serve the UK market). It has personality and confidence in the tone too for extra bonus points.
A simple approach
Do this when crafting your website copywriting for your homepage, or any other main landing page you’re using…
Start with an opening sentence that tells the reader in seconds exactly what you do and who for. No buzzwords, no fluff, keep it niche, keep it unique.
If you had a restaurant in the UK looking for high quality rock salt you’d likely call The UK Salt Company over their competitor who opened with:
“At The Shit Salt Company we produce a wide range of seasoning products for any business or household, anywhere in the world.”
This ‘we do everything for everyone’ approach appeals to no one, not the masses. This example doesn’t even focus on the core offering – salt. Remember: keep it simple, keep it niche, no BS.
Once you’ve got your opening sentence sorted and got the practical part of the readers brain on side, you can now start convincing the emotional side – often where they make the real decisions – particularly if you’re in the B2C world.
The emotional convincers
Once people know what you do you need to convince them that you’re the supplier they’ve been looking for.
Here’s some things to ask yourself:
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What’s our story and how can we help buyers relate to us?
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What problems are we solving for customers? How do we make their lives better on a personal level? What are their hopes, dreams, fears, and frustrations?
If you can figure this out, and you should, it will be a game changer when it comes to putting together any future copywriting for any marketing purpose.
Want some help?
I get it. This isn’t easy stuff. If it were, most websites would be performing much better for their frustrated owners.
This is your chance to really jump clear of the pack and get your website’s conversion rate skyrocketing. If you want to talk about this topic some more, discuss a project that we can help with, or simply say hi, email me – matthew.brown@pearson-brown.co.uk.
Let’s talk soon.
Matt
Matthew Brown, director
P.S. if you need help with a wider marketing strategy or campaign, whatever your requirement, I can help with that too. Check out our sister company VIISI.
