Common mistakes that can kill your web copy
Sometimes learning what not to do is just as important as learning what to do. Copywriting is no exception. I often see copies that are well written, but obviously created by a hobbyist. How can I know? One or more of the following five mistakes were made and that killed the copy… dead.
Once you understand why these errors are, in fact, errors, you can easily avoid them. Not that they are complicated concepts. It just takes someone to get your attention so you can protect yourself against them.
Access your site in a browser and follow it. See if you have made any of these mistakes on your site.
#1 – Write without knowing your target audience
This is undoubtedly the biggest copywriting mistake and the number one conversion killer. Because? I will answer with a question.
When you write a letter (or email), do you just start writing and then decide who you’re going to send the letter to? Of course not! So why do so many people just jump in and start writing website copy with no idea who they are writing to? It doesn’t make sense to me.
How is it possible for people to communicate with your site visitors if they have no idea who they are, what they are looking for, their preferred communication style, what problems they are facing, how they hope to use the product/service to solve those problems, and many more. others? information? The truth is you can’t.
Take the knowledge of your target customers to the extreme. Find out everything you can about them. Then combine all of that information to create an imaginary persona (or imaginary personas) that fit the profile of your target audience members. You can even name them if you want. Then, with each sentence, write to that person (or people).
#2 – Write without knowing the product/service
Like it or not, you are a salesperson. That means you need to know all the details of the product or service you’re writing about. How else can you convincingly convey information to prospects visiting the site?
Ask your client for product samples, use of services or access to member areas of a site. Using or participating in what your client offers to their visitors will make a huge difference in the quality and persuasiveness of your copy. Nothing comes across quite as well as writing that has been created from experience.
#3 – Write about the company instead of for the site visitor
They don’t care who? Visitors to your site. They don’t care about your company. Instead of hearing about how long you’ve been in business and that you’re the specialist in this, that, or the other, they’d rather find out how your product/service can benefit them.
If your home page begins with something like this, you’re in trouble: “ABC Company is the specialist in [insert industry here] With more than 20 years of experience. we provide [fill in the blank] with our extensive knowledge and helpful service. Dedicated to providing the highest quality, we guarantee our work with a 100% money-back promise.”
You are on yourself! The client has the money. Don’t you think the copy should at least acknowledge it at some point? Instead of using nosotros, nosotros y nuestro tanto, turn it around.
Talk to your site visitors instead of talking about the company. Let them know that you understand their needs and have answers to their problems. Don’t brush them off by just talking about you.
#4 – Describing Features Instead of Benefits or End Results
The features are nice, but the benefits and bottom line make the sale because they clearly explain why the customer will be better off after buying your product or using your service. One of the biggest selling points in copywriting is the ability to tell the client what they can do with a product or service.
Take a tip from the infomercials. They just don’t tell you that a rotisserie cooker spins while cooking a chicken. No! They tell you that this rotisserie kitchen can bake a whole chicken, marinated, with Italian herbs that is juicy, moist and succulent. Let the seasonings slowly seep into the meat so you get bite after bite of tender flavorful chicken so good you’ll be begging for more. Who cares that the thing has a pointy metal tooth that spins a chicken while it cooks? You are buying it because you can deliver that wonderful Italian Herb Marinated Whole Chicken!
#5 – Neglecting the environment
Does it make any difference as to where your copy appears online? Aren’t all web copies the same? The answers are “Yes” and “No”. Landing pages are not the same as home pages, which are not the same as catalog pages, which are not the same as sales letters, and so on. Don’t forget to find out the differences between these and the other types of Web copy. They all have special considerations that need to be studied before you start writing.
Now you can add these five “don’ts” to your favorite copywriting checklist. Avoiding these mistakes will give you a better chance of reaching your visitors at their level and turning them into repeat customers.
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