9 July 2019 - Richard Shire
If you google “words that convert” you’ll find endless lists of them, from 5 to 150 or even more words that promise to make you more sales. The problem is, there are no magic words. You can’t simply take words from those lists, scatter them liberally over your website, sit back and watch the sales roll in. It’s all in how you use them.
The five words that are most often listed are; you, because, instantly, new and free, yet a sentence like “You should buy my gismo instantly, because it’s new and comes with a free accessory.” probably won’t do especially well. It’s clumsy and doesn’t really tell the reader anything, let alone persuade them to buy. Understanding the reason behind each word lets you use them much more effectively.
The power of “you” is in personalising your content and speaking directly to your readers. Get to know who they are, address their concerns and write specifically for them. Generic copy that aims to please everyone never grabs attention the way that personalised copy can.
Give your readers a reason to buy whatever you are selling, preferably a reason that matters to them. Show them how much better their life will be, or how much good they can do in the world. Know what motivates your ideal client and make that the reason to buy.
In a world where everything runs on superfast fibre broadband we don’t like to wait for things. If your product is available instantly, perhaps a download or access to a membership site, then saying so can definitely be a plus. Even if you have a slower sales process, is there some aspect that happens quickly? Perhaps a client will get a link to your calendar so they can instantly book a call, or instant access to your paint catalog so they can choose the colour of their bespoke item.
New things are exciting and nobody wants to miss out. You can keep your website fresh and interesting by talking about new developments, new products or even new colours. Whatever it is, your readers will have the impression of a vibrant brand that’s always innovating and they won’t want to be left behind.
Free is a little more difficult than it used to be, people are wary of it and inclined to look for the hidden cost. If you offer a free product most people will wonder if you’ll be bombarding them with marketing messages, charging huge amounts of postage and packaging or doing something else to recoup your costs. Of course, as a business you can’t give all your products or services away for free anyway! You can still use the power of “free” though, by offering things like free shipping, buy 1 get 1 free, or a free upgrade.
To go back to the gismo seller, perhaps they could rephrase a little to make better use of the five words. “You need one of my new windscreen scraper gizmos. It gets rid of ice instantly because nobody has time to waste on a frosty morning when you just have to get to work. It even comes with free post and packaging.” Address your audience personally, tell them about your exciting new product, give them a reason to buy, don’t make them wait and offer a little something extra for free. It’s a powerful combination.
Words are just one part of the picture. If you are ready for a new website because you feel it’s time to get instant conversions, connect with us today and book your free consultation (see what we did there)!