Are you planning on having a new website?
Then you need copy…to kickstart conversations and build relationships.
Maybe you’re just starting out in business, or having a re-vamp, new branding, the lot?
The pound signs are already adding up and as much as you would like to work with a copywriter to craft your persuasive words and story, it’s just not possible.
I do understand.
So let’s make sure that you avoid copywriting mistakes that will cost you money.
Here we go and of course…we’re starting with a focus on the customer.
Mistake number 1: Writing confusing and complicated copy.
Your whole website is less about you than you think.
If you’re not sure what to put in your copy, or what to leave out, particularly if you are new to business, it may be tempting to write too much…,FOMO and all that, you know, fear of missing something out that you may think is important.
The other thing is, if you aren’t sure who you are writing for, again, you may try to cover everything.
If you are new to business, you will hear time and time again, that you should write for your ideal customer.
Confused? Isn’t everyone my customer?
Emphatically and categorically Noooo!
If you take nothing else away from reading this – I urge you to spend some time on your ideal customer research.
For those of you who have been in business, (and might be sick of hearing this), trust me, nail your ideal customer.
There may be more than one client type for your business, whatever – make sure you are up close and personal (virtually, of course) with who your preferred ideal clients are.
Once you have this information, I promise you from the bottom of my heart, writing your copy gets SO much easier.
You know who you’re talking to, what they need to hear and when they need to hear it.
From there you can craft bespoke marketing messages that speak, call out, reassure and captivate your lovely ideal client/customer.
Complicated and confusing messages will have your website clicking away in less than 10 seconds, and that’s being generous with an estimated time that they are on your website.
Mistake number 2: Not focusing on the benefits the customers to-be will enjoy from the product or service.
For a new or even fairly new DIY copywriter, this can be tricky to get your head around.
But I urge you to practice this – just by scribbling on a piece of paper first.
Whatever your service or product, make 2 lists – one for the features and the other for benefits, so that it is easier for you to write persuasive copy about the benefits.
What do I mean?
Say for instance you are selling backpacks and they are lightweight but with a sturdy handle.
Instead of just talking about them being lightweight with a sturdy handle…talk about the fact that as they are lightweight and not so heavy, you are potentially looking at reducing the possibility of backpain.
Then, the sturdy handle is good to grip and less likely to break – spilling your stuff all over the floor.
People really don’t have the time or the inclination to read lots and lots of words – cut to the chase with what your customers need to hear and you are far more likely to hold their interest for longer.
In the words of David Ogilvy, the father of advertising…
So, avoid wordy paragraphs and make sure you break up your text with subheadings, bullet points and design or images.
It’s far easier on the eye and more likely to capture attention.
Oh, and don’t be afraid to use one word sentences.
Mistake Number 4: Forgetting to use a Call to Action.
The purpose of your website copy is to get your reader to take action.
When you have spent time writing copy don’t forget this really important piece of the puzzle, otherwise you have wasted your time!
Should all pages on your website have a Call To Action?
Yes.
Whether that is to move your reader from your Home Page to Your Services Page, or to get them to your blog as a source of free information, every page needs a well placed Call To Action to enhance your Customer’s journey.
Mistake Number 5: Writing without proofreading:
Whatever the temptation to get your much sweated over, newly written copy out there – please don’t skip the proof reading.
I almost don’t want to include this as a tip as I do think that everyone will check their spelling and grammar.
Just in case, let me tell you about a couple of tools that will help you to make sure your website words are polished and sparkling with no grammar or spelling errors.
I use Grammarly to make sure that everything I write is as it should be.
Eliminate errors!
There is a free version and also a paid version that checks for plagiarism, and, offers benefits such as sentence re-phrasing for a better reading experience.
I wouldn’t be without it.
Find out more about it here https://www.grammarly.com/
The other option is the Hemingway App.
What’s the difference?
Well, I haven’t used the Hemmingway App but I do know a lot of great copywriters that do.
Find out more by clicking this link https://hemingwayapp.com/
And here’s the lowdown on the two so that you can…go compare..????
Grammarly is perfect if you’re looking for grammar, spelling, and plagiarism checking , whereas Hemingway is more appropriate to improve writing concision and phrasing.
And since I lifted that straight from Google, it will show up as plagiarism in Grammarly.
I must say, I do love that feature.
There is a mindblowing amount of stuff on the internet and the last thing you want is to be accused of plagiarism.
What next?
Go out there and write your copy, keeping all these tips in mind.
Copywriting is a skill that can be learned over time, but if you’re short on time or inclination, I would be delighted to make sure you get personality packed copy and website words that will help you to win clients.
Oh, before I forget, why don’t you help yourself to my On Demand Copy Companion?
It really is a fabulous free ebook that I have put together to provide huge amounts of guidance and support for DIY copywriters.
Feel free to help yourself here:
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