Are you looking for ways to edit your website copy for more conversions? As creative entrepreneurs, and especially as business owners, we all want it. That oh so sought-after metric: conversions.
There’s no need to complicate what this term means. Think of it as merely having a prospect read your website and having them feel so seen, heard and excited about the possibility of working with you… that they take the next and desired action.
Like snowflakes, every website is unique and could have a specific goal for conversions. For example, if you’re a service provider, maybe an integral next step is for you to get on a call together before you move forward. On the other hand, your goal would likely be for the visitor to make their first purchase for a product-based business.
For the sake of this blog post, we’re going to consider the primary and almost universal goal of converting prospects to clients or customers.
But before you rush to edit your website copy, I want to offer a cautionary word…
A Cautionary Word…
It’s important to note that this post emphasizes the copy side of the coin. But website conversion doesn’t come down simply to the copy; it is also impacted by the website’s design and user experience.
Before you go re-do your entire website copy, I encourage you first to consider these elements, as they could be more straightforward tweaks for your to begin with.
While I’m not a web designer or user experience specialist, I’ve been in this website world long enough to give you some first considerations for you to make…
- Consider how easily navigatable the website is. Can the guest easily find out what you’re all about and take the next step to get in touch?
- Consider how easy it is to take action. Does the website have clear and apparent buttons? Are they large enough to click on a mobile device?
- Consider the colours + other design elements of the website. Are you using more than three fonts across your website? Do you have a standard colour palette that is also easy for your guest to read and perceive?
Keep in mind these prompts are just some preliminary considerations. Of course, you can consider other things about your website design to improve your conversion rate.
If you’re sure that the design and user experience are in tip-top shape, then you’re ready to consider your copy.
1 – Evaluate For Authenticity
Before diving in further on your website copy, I want you to do a real and honest look and consider if your website copy is genuinely authentic.
Authenticity is a buzzword in the online space, but it just comes down to being truly yourself and real. An authentic piece of copy is copy that sounds like you. It’s written from your voice. It doesn’t try to be something it’s not.
Authenticity cannot be created. Authenticity is a byproduct of speaking your truth, living your why, and staying true to that in every decision you make in your business and every interaction you have with a prospect or client.
The best way to tackle this stage is to ask yourself some fundamental questions, such as why you do what you do. I have a free workbook that can help you with this.
Check out my free workbook: 5 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Writing Your Website Copy
2 – Go For Direct Before Cutesy
As a website copywriter, I’m often asked what the most significant “mistake” I see when it comes to website copy. If you know me personally, you’ll know that I hate hard and fast rules… but that said, this is one of those I have to say.
If there’s ever a question about it… go for direct over cutesy or clever copy.
I cannot tell you how many websites I visit that get this wrong.
This is not to say that copy cannot be delightfully cute, punny or clever – but at the end of the day, it still has to be clear.
I suggest that if you use a cutesy or punny headline, that you make the Call to Action button itself VERY clear. Here’s my main website CTA as an example of what I mean by that:
The Time is Write
Book a Call
If you ever get stuck on CTA copy, tell them precisely what you want them to do.
” Buy Now”
“Book a Free Call”
“Contact Us”
Not the sexiest, I know. But at the end of the day – clarity wins the race whenever you’re in doubt.
If your conversion rate is lagging, take a look at if there are areas where you could be improving your copy for CLARITY.
3 – Optimize Above the Fold
There’s a term in website creation called ‘above the fold,’ which dates back to the early days of newspaper publishing. When a newspaper was optimizing their layout before printing, they’d always be considering what went ABOVE THE FOLD (the part of the newspaper you see first when it’s folded closed).
The same thing is true about websites: you want to be optimizing for “above the fold,” which is the first header + main section of your website that the user will see when they first land on the site, before scrolling at all.
This is one of the most critical areas to consider when trying to optimize and edit your website copy for conversions.
You need to ensure that within 5 seconds of your user landing on the website that they know who you are, what you do, why you do it, and why they need to take action (and how).
I know this sounds like a lot of pressure, but the average consumer today is bombarded with a ton of copy and information every single day. If they have to waste their precious brain calories to make sense of this on your website… they’re just not converting.
Let me give you some examples of brands doing a stellar job at this – because I know it can seem daunting. As you can see in these examples, it doesn’t have to be so! Simple can get the job done in some instances!
Is It TIme To Hire A Copywriter For Your Creative Business?
The Pre-Copy Playbook is for creative entrepreneurs like you, and helps you go through the process of really uncovering if it’s time to hire a copywriter for your business. What I love most about this workbook is that it asks you the questions you need to ask yourself before writing your website copy, either yourself or with a copywriter. Think of this as your Pre-Copy Playbook!
Other Website Copy Articles You’ll Love
My 3 Top Copywriting Tips For Entrepreneurs Who Hate Writing
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10 Simple Rules for Writing Captivating Website Copy
30 High-Converting Words to Use In Your Sales Copy
Homepage Copy Checklist for Creatives
Copywriter for the Day BTS: How My Copywriting Day Rate Works
5 Tips for Writing Website Copy Quickly
How To Make Your Website Copy More Powerful + Engaging
3 Magic Copywriting Phrases to Convert Readers into Buyers
