How to Write Web Copy That Sells in Ten Easy Steps

Creating web copy that converts prospects into customers

The Internet has a unique language and culture. The type of advertising copy that rocks in the offline world may not work in the online world. To produce web copy that sells, you need to cultivate the combined skills of a salesperson, a psychologist, and a marketer.

Like all copywriting, web copy is produced for the purpose of advertising or publicity. Web copy is composed of written webpages dedicated to providing company information or selling a product or service. The amount of information presented can vary—typically, the more expensive the product, the longer the copy. People today deal with information overload, and they have little patience for confusing copy. When visitors land on your website, you need to engage them immediately; the longer it takes prospects to find the information they seek, the more likely they are to move on to another site.

Here are ten tips to help you produce web copy that sells:

Know your reader

To write effective web copy, you must know your target audience and be able to assess its wants and needs. As with traditional marketing techniques, you must keep in mind age, gender, income, education, and family circumstances, as well as your prospects' dreams, worries, and problems. You should customize your message to speak directly to your ideal purchaser. If your prospects follow you on social media, you can conduct surveys to find out the words they use to describe your services, and then you can use these words in your copy to make your writing more persuasive.

Define your goal

Once you have defined your goal, research and plan how to write the best possible piece of copy to achieve it.

Come up with an interesting headline

People often read only the web copy's headline and subtitles and scan the rest of the text, so the headline must immediately capture the reader's attention and effectively communicate the topic. It should make the reader want to read more. Write several headlines, consider them carefully, and choose the best one.

Know your product and your brand

When writing web copy that sells, it is important to bring out the unique characteristics of your product or service while considering industry trends. Develop a comprehensive list of the features and benefits of your company, product, or service.

Tell your audience what's in it for them

Along with participating and feeling valued, people are interested in finding out how your company, product, or service can benefit them. Talk to those in your company who deal with customers, and use analytics to find out what your prospects want and need. Web copy that sells translates the features and specifications of your product into benefits for your audience. Offer relevant bonuses (for example, a wholesale pet food company might offer tips on training and behavior modification). Offer ways for prospects to avoid the problems mentioned in Tip #1. Consider any objections that people may have about your product or service, and come up with ways to address these objections.

Write a first draft

Use simple words and short sentences to develop a comprehensive, persuasive first draft. It's okay to use some industry-specific jargon, but make sure you also use words that your audience will understand. Stay on track by restricting each paragraph to no more than two or three lines. When appropriate, include quotes, statistics, lists, images, or videos.

State the key benefit of your product or service to entice readers to learn more, and make sure prospects know what to do next in the selling process. Be creative, but prioritize clarity. As mentioned above, remember that the longer it takes visitors to figure things out, the more likely they are to leave your site. Entertain, amuse, engage, and cater to potential clients' wants and needs. In web copy that sells, your tone is your personality.

Offer testimonials and proof

Tell stories that readers can relate to. Being specific helps to establish credibility. Emotion sells!

Use a call to action

Ensure that the call to action is relevant to your prospects' needs and fits in with the copy. Entice the reader with a value proposition and create a sense of urgency: "Place your order before 1800 h GMT on November 20 and receive a coupon for 40% off your next purchase."

Optimize your copy

When attempting to write web copy that sells, make your webpages search engine friendly using effective meta tags, relevant keywords, and other optimization strategies.

Edit your copy

Take another look at your copy, or pass it on to a second set of eyes. Aim to make it more engaging, persuasive, and credible, and ensure that you didn't leave out any important sales messages. Boost readability by tightening and simplifying your text. Proofread your copy for grammar and spelling mistakes, and make sure that you test your web copy before you publish it.

Writing web copy that sells can be a challenge. The main purpose of web copy is to create a desire for your product, so be enthusiastic, persuasive, and positive. Some useful suggestions are to read existing web copy and to practice, practice, practice. Another option is to enlist the help of a professional web copy optimization service to provide you with a finished product that is perfectly polished.

Image source: WDnet Studio/Pixabay.com

Join the Scribendi Affiliate Program Today!

Learn More     OR     Get Started