Spending hours trying to figure how out to attract better clients and customers? 

We’ve been there. And we know how it feels. But…

* Cue: your website copywriting *
(aka the words and messaging on your website).

We don’t want to repeat what you’ve probably heard a million times before, but your website really is the online hub for your business. It’s where most people will go to make a decision about you and how they want to engage with your products or service. 

And guess what – you have 50 MILLISECONDS (0.05 seconds) for someone to form their opinion. 

With this in mind, here’s 7 foolproof ways to leverage your website and convert onlookers into five star customers and community members:

1. Powerful headlines (and subheadings where necessary)

If there’s only one thing you take away from this blog article, it’s to spend time nailing your headlines. Especially on your homepage.

Let’s focus on your hero headline, as an example. Your hero headline is the very first message that will appear before your navigation bar. Which basically means it’s going to be the very first thing people see – your “primary real estate”.

To make your hero headline powerful, it needs to tell people what you do, who you do it for, and why you do it. Bear in mind – this doesn’t all need to be in one sentence. 

I’ll give you an example using an interior design company:

• The What: Minimalist Interior Design Company
• The Who: For people with too many things
• The Why: To help them declutter
• And an extra, your USP: Monochromatic styling

In two sentences this could be:

Heading: Minimalist Interior Design for Homes Collecting “Things”

Subheading: Declutter your sacred space with monochromatic styling that breathes life with less

…Immediately we understand this company offers design services to reduce the amount of “things” in people’s homes, while still offering superior styling that leaves your space with something special.

Now it’s your turn. How can you sum up your business using this simple technique?

2. Address your audience

Someone somewhere once said: “don’t we-we on your customers”. Although the ‘pun’ isn’t very funny, it worked because it stuck in my mind – forever.

What’s meant by this is you should make sure you keep your customers in mind. Using “we are…” every now and again is perfectly fine. But sometimes when I receive drafts of copy (and this is to educate, not to shame), it contains sentences like:

We help you find a house and we do it in the minimum amount of time. We make sure we do this by in-depth research that allows us to know where to go at what time. We’re making sure we’re always one step ahead of the game and we want to bring our clients along with us.

How does this paragraph make you feel? 

Repetition can be great, however you must always be selective and make sure you’re repeating the right words or message in a smart way. This will help keep your potential customers engaged and feel like you’re talking to them.

• I – You
• We – Your

Here’s how the above sentence could change using this framework:

Do you need to find a house within a short timeframe? That’s why we always begin with in-depth research so you’ll know where to go, at what time, and stay one step ahead of the game.

And immediately, we’ve shifted the focus to the customer.

3. Social proof

I was reading a newsletter from VERY GOOD COPY this week, and he dedicated an entire masterclass to the power of social proof.  Now, perhaps his website does go a little overboard with the social proof (personal opinion!), but it’s obviously working. 

With this in mind, your website copywriting should always make space for testimonials. Although this isn’t something you will personally write, you can create a fun headline to introduce them. For example:

• The love letters we keep
• Heard it here first
• #almostfamous
• Don’t just take our word for it

Social proof is a GUARANTEED way to attract better clients and customers, because it shows people they can trust you. People think:

If X and Y liked it – I’m sure I will too. 

Or,   If it’s good enough for Z, it’s good enough for me!

4. Highlight Benefits

There’s a common friction that occurs between features and benefits. 

Yes, you want people to know that your new stroller has a pollution-reduction screen and UV protection bonnet. But for the sake of your website copywriting, it’s best to focus on the benefits to your customers. 

So, rather than:

Purchase our deluxe stroller and enjoy a black sturdy frame,  pollution-reduction screen and UV protection bonnet.

You could say:

Our deluxe stroller means you can finally take better care of your baby while traveling outdoors. You won’t have to worry about him getting a sunburn while walking downtown or developing any chronic illness caused by pollution. Plus, our sturdy frame lets you glide effortlessly over stones, through puddles, or across any uneven terrain.

Can you see how benefits appeal more to the customer because it helps paint a picture in their mind? Rather than a list of features. You can leave that for your product descriptions – and instead find a way to include them in your website copy that highlights their benefit to your customer’s life.

5. Basic SEO keyword optimization

Don’t be scared by this somewhat jarring phrase. We know it sounds like something that belongs behind the door of the IT guy’s room, but trust us – basic SEO is simpler than you think. Here’s an easy step to find your keywords:

1. Create a Google Ads account
2. Go to Keyword Planner
3. Either add your location and a specific topic OR add the URL of a competitor’s website

Example: At My Networks, we might assess search results for phrases like:

website copywriting, copy for websites, Canadian copywriter, website copywriter, content writer, blog articles, email marketing

1. See the list of suggested keywords OR the keywords your competitors rank for
2. Select a few short and long phrases ideally with low competition, high volume traffic. Start by adding them to your content, metadata (see step 7 for WordPress users), and ALT tags on pictures.
3. BONUS STEP: go to Answer The Public and see what people are searching around your chosen topic in a chosen location. For example, we could type in “website copy” for Canada. This might give you some ideas on how to position your keywords too and what problems/questions you could address.
4. EXTRA BONUS STEP: For WordPress users, download a Plugin called Yoast SEO. It’s a great gateway to fast SEO that doesn’t require back-end code. You’re welcome!

Need some help? Head on over to our contact form and let’s chat. We offer a range of SEO services from SEO blogs to SEO website content.

6. Call To Value

I’m sure you’ve all heard of a Call-To-Action, but what’s a Call-To-Value? Similarly to features vs benefits, your call-to-value highlights what your customers will get if they take the next action. It could something like be clicking on a button, lick, or filling in a form.

Here’s some fun Call-To-Values as an example to inspire your website copywriting:

• Get My Website Copy Written In One Week (copywriting and content marketing websites)
• Make My Wardrobe Instantly Greener (sustainable lifestyle brand)
• Book Today, Get a Suntan Tomorrow (flight booking websites)
• Send an Expert to My House Within the Hour (electrician website)
• Heck Yes, I Want to Relax With Your Best Selling Wine (local restaurant website)

7. Use Proven Copywriting Formulas

There’s a few formulas you can use as a guide to your website copy. Our personal favourite is AIDA.

Attention : Grab the reader’s attention. This could be a great heading and tagline.

Interest : Interesting and fresh information that appeals to the reader. This could be the intro to who you are and what you offer, which includes your Unique Selling Point and differentiates you from your competition.

Desire : Benefits of your product or service or idea and proof that it does what you say. This could be a (nicely formatted) list of all the ways you can help people, followed by a testimonial from a recent customer.

Action: Ask for a response. This could be your Call-To-Action or Call-To-Value motivating them to act.

Other popular copywriting formulas include the likes of:

FAB (Features-Advantages-Benefits). This one is self-explanatory. 

BAB (Before-After-Bridge). Your reader’s current situation, what life would be like if a problem was solved, bridge these worlds together with your solution.

or PPPP (Promise-Picture-Proof-Push). Use a promise to grab attention, paint a vivid picture of the benefits, add proof from stats to testimonials, deliver your offer and how they can purchase.

With these proven formulas, conversion copywriting is made easy(er) because it implements both emotional and logical triggers in your website copy that make people want to take action. If you’d like to learn about these in more detail – make sure you sign up to our newsletter.

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Looking for help with your website copywriting? Get in touch via our form for your free consult today. We offer full website content to half or full day edits.