Writing Website Copy that Increases Conversion Rates

One of the most common goal marketers have when optimizing their websites is to increase their website's conversion rate. Every page on your website has a goal which supports your overall business objectives and encouraging your users to take actions which help you reach those goals helps your website's ROI. There are many ways that you can help to increase your conversion rate and one of the most overlooked ways is simply to optimize your web copy.

How can you write web copy that optimizes your conversion rates?  

1. Define your webpage’s objectives. If you don’t know what the goals of your page are, how can you successfully convince your readers to take the actions you want them to take to help you reach your objectives? Every page has a purpose. Defining that purpose for every page on your website before you start writing your copy is essential for getting your readers to do what you want them to do.
2. Highlight key points to get their attention. Writing catchy headlines that are easily distinguishable on your page is a good way to grab and hold your visitors' attention. Matching powerful words in a headline with your optimized web copy will help to draw your readers in.
3. Make your message clear and brief. Don’t confuse your readers! The simpler the better when it comes to web copy. Once you've defined your objectives you need to communicate your message with your readers as clearly and concisely as possible.
4. Focus on the benefits.  Your readers aren't going to take action based on what your products are capable of doing. They're going to take action because you've told them what buying your products will do for them. Providing the benefit of taking an action, gives your visitors a reason to act.
5. Make your copy actionable and urgent. Your job when writing web copy is to make sure that your reader knows what is expected of them on a given page. You want your visitors to understand almost immediately after landing on a page what you want them to do on that page.
6. Keep copy consistent across your entire website. You can’t just optimize your copy on one or two key pages on your website. This process needs to be a consistent theme across the entire website. If you don't and a visitor happens to land on a page that isn’t optimized you may miss out on converting them. 
7. Tell the truth. Don't lie to your audience. Stretching the truth to try and make your product sound better in your copy will not breed trust in your audience, and sours your prospects' experiences with your company from the get-go.
8. Write to and for your target audience. Using appropriate language, tone and writing style can help you communicate more effectively with your audience. If your readers don't relate to your copy, then they most likely won't convert on your offer.

Posted by Amberlie Denny at December 2, 2010 8:30 AM

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