5 Must Know Tips for Website Copy That Actually Converts
- Libby Fancher
- Oct 25, 2024
- 5 min read
Updated: Mar 26
Allow me to let you in on a little industry secret about the number one thing your clients care about above all else...
-it's themselves.
It's not your brand, your business or the exciting things you have achieved. It never was and never will be about you.
Harsh? Maybe. True? 100%.
Because your audience doesn’t care about you, they care about how you can help them.
A lot of coaches, creatives, and service providers fall into the trap of making their website sound like an autobiography, Linkedin profile, or Instagram highlight reel instead of a solution to their online audiences needs. They write from their own perspective, talking about their journey, their passion, their successes, and their process, without clearly answering the #1 question on a potential client’s mind:
"What’s in it for me?"
Read on for the intel on why customer focused content wins every time, and 5 simple tips for to help you put the right person front and centre and write copy your audience truly wants to see.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Why It's so Important Your Website Copy Makes Your Audience Priority #1
Your website visitors aren't looking for just another coach, designer, or photographer. They’re looking for a transformation - a result that makes their life better, easier, or more fulfilling, and if they land on your site and have to dig through paragraphs of "I started my business because" and "as featured in Gold Coast Bulletin" before they even understand what you do and why it's beneficial, you've already lost them.
People need to feel seen and understood before they trust you, and when your website speaks directly to their desires, challenges, and hesitations, they feel like you get them, and that’s what builds trust and leads to sales.
If your website focuses too much on the 'me' and not enough of the 'you' your prospective clients will quickly move on, killing your SEO (alongside your online reputation and financial prospects).
Tip 1: Know Your Ideal Client Inside Out
If you’re not completely clear on who your ideal client is, your website content will be vague, bland, and forgettable. The more specific you are, the more your dream clients will feel like you’re speaking directly to them and the easier it is to get them to take the actions you need them to.
Not sure what makes them tick?
Ask them, don't just guess! Research them, talk directly to them, hang out in the places they hang out, peek your competitors reviews and get as familiar as you can with the people who will determine the fate of your business.
Dig deep to understand what problems they are trying to solve, the words they use to describe their struggles, the hestiations they might have about working with you, and the outcomes they're hoping for, and try to think what it would be like to walk the customer journey in their shoes.
Tip 2: Stop Talking About Yourself (So Much)
Repeat after me, "my website is not about me" (and yep, that also means your About page).
Your audience isn’t here to give you the opportunity to humbly brag about how successful your business is, what awards you've won, or to learn your life story (at least not yet). They’re here because they have a problem and are wondering if you can and are the right person to solve it.
Yes, you can and should share your story, but only in a way that makes your online audience feel like they're part of the conversation, and in a way that connects back to their needs.
Openers like “I've been in business for 10 years and have won numerous awards” or “I became a coach because I love helping people find their purpose.” are much less appealing (and less likely to help you convert) than “Feeling stuck in your career? I help ambitious professionals find clarity and direction so they can build a life they love." See the difference? It’s about them first, and you second.
Click here to read the post How to Avoid The Credibility Paradox and Really Build Trust With Your Website
Tip 3: Answer Your Audiences Questions Before They Can Ask Them
There's 3 key things your website copy should immediately make clear to anyone who lands on your homepage:
Who you help
What problem you solve
How they can take the next step
Most importantly, you need to speak your clients language, not yours. Industry jargon or vague, fluffy statements are public enemy #1 and keep in mind that trying too hard to sound "professional" or "creative" often makes your message harder to understand.
If your audience doesn’t instantly get what you do, they’ll move on to bigger and better things so if an 8 year old wouldn't understand it, you'll want to simplify it.
From there, think about the most common questions and hesitations your audience is likely to have and how you can keep one step ahead by answering them in your section titles and body copy. Better yet, what testimonials do you have that could answer objections or speak to the benefits of working with or buying from you, and what blog posts could you write to cover content that keeps them onside.
Tip 4: Make The Benefits Crystal Clear
People don't buy products and services, they buy results. So there's not much point in listing what you offer without explaining why it matters.
Your website needs to list the features of your service but benefits are where the real value comes in. Benefits spell out the transformation your prospective clients can expect and the outcomes they are really searching for so instead of “3-month coaching package with 2 weekly calls.” try “In 3 months, you’ll have a clear roadmap, unshakable confidence, and a business that finally feels aligned.”
People make decisions based firstly on emotion and only then justify them with logic so to take it a step further you can look at wants vs needs. Wants tap into desires, aspirations, and feelings, which are powerful motivators, so they're often more exciting and immediately relatable than needs.
They're what your website content should focus on first to capture attention, build interest, and make your online audience feel like you get them, followed by the things they need to hear, which is where your value really lies.
Tip 5: Make It Easy to Say YES
A confused customer never buys and if someone lands on your site and has to guess how to work with you, they won’t bother.
Every page should have a clear and obvious call to action that clearly explains the next step and exactly what your site visitors should do to get started and on a design note, it should never take more than 2 clicks for someone to get to the main action.
Start with the goals for your website and the main things you want people to do when they visit . From there, you can map out your customer journey and make it stupid-easy for them to say yes.
Looking for a professionally designed, strategy-driven website that'll free up time and do the heavy lifting for you? Click Here for more info on working with The Libby Link.
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