Quality copywriting increases eCommerce conversion rates. There, we said it. And, yes, that’s where everyone says “Duh! Captain Obvious.”
If you’re not a seasoned writer, those words may elicit a bit of fear. But, we urge you to fear not. Copywriting can be accomplished with a little creativity and some great advice. So, you’re in luck. In this article we’re going to provide you with some copywriting tips for your eCommerce brand pages.
First, let’s talk about the logistics of copywriting. At its simplest, it is simply writing. But, to truly increase your conversion rates, consider this definition of quality copywriting:
Copywriters take text and use it to inform audiences and move them to engagement. The copy defines brands and describes products. Copywriters play a vital role as they create the language that drives consumers.
Copywriting drives website visitors to action.
We want you to know that you don’t have to be a great writer to be a good copywriter. But, you have to understand marketing to be a good copywriter.
The first tenant of marketing says, “Your product or service is far less important than its ability to fulfill your customers’ needs.” What’s this mean? It means your customers don’t care about you. They simply care about how your product can help them, make them happy or make their lives easier.
If you understand that simple rule as you go about your copywriting, you’ll find the rest falls into place. To help you with your writing, here are copywriting tips for your eCommerce brand pages:
Create a Need
We’ve already determined your customers don’t care about you. So, now it’s your job to make them care about your product(s). Quality copywriting creates a need your customers didn’t even know they had or expands on one they did have.
The best copywriters convince consumers to buy things for which they have no need.
Not only is your job as copywriter to create the need, but you must establish trust and convince visitors that your product is right for them.
Understand Your Product(s)
Before you can write about your product, you have to understand it. For example, if you’re trying to sell a blender, you want to try it out yourself before diving into writing about it.
Your goal is to discover your product’s unique selling feature and write about it. To help you do this, first try the product, then describe it in a simple way including its main features and benefits. Then pick the biggest benefit and decide who your customers are and why the benefit would matter to them.
You can now write about it creatively and with authority.
Know Your Customer
Do you know who your customer is? If not, it’s time to do a little research. All the great copywriting in the world won’t do you any good if you’re not writing for the right audience.
The best copywriters use their customer as their best weapon. Without understanding your customers, how can you write good copy that convinces them to relinquish their hard-earned money on your products?
One of the best ways to understand your customer is with a survey. The point of the survey is to have a frank discussion with your current customers. You want to ask them why they purchase your product(s). They already have a need for it, so hopefully the survey will glean the information necessary to convince others why they need it, too.
Ask them what they like about your product. Ask them to describe the product. Ask them why they bought it. Include some questions on what features were their favorite.
Once you’ve got your survey responses, make notes of some of the key phrases they use when talking about your products. This helps you get straight to the point and understand the unique selling point. You may think you know what it is, but often copywriters are surprised by these answers.
You can then use their words as sources for your copywriting.
Craft Compelling Headlines
Advertising genius David Ogilvy, says “On the average, five times as many people read the headline as read the body copy. When you have written your headline, you have spent eighty cents out of your dollar.”
Here’s the headline he deems his best ever: “At 60 miles an hour the loudest noise in the New Rolls-Royce comes from the electric clock.” This headline isn’t crafted using bloated copy or indulgent adjectives. It’s simple, to the point, and gives users the unique selling point without any fuss.
Knowing that most readers won’t continue past the headline makes it that much more important.
Keep your headlines unique, ultra-specific, urgent and useful. Be truthful and don’t try to use manipulation to sell your product.
Be Persuasive
The best copywriters have a few tricks up their sleeve. Here are the ones we think most important with the most promise of being persuasive:
- Emphasize the benefits over the features. Remember – your customer wants to know how the product will affect them. The benefits are what will convince your reader to click the buy now button.
- Always be specific. Use correct amounts – percentages work well. Don’t promise that something is better than – be straight and tell them exactly how much.
- Drive their emotions. When you target your reader’s emotions, you’ve sold the product. In Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain, neurologist Antonio Damasio, says it’s wrong to think that only minds think. He says that we use our emotions in our decision making. So, write to appeal your customer’s emotions.
- Use customer testimonials. As social people always wanting to keep up with the Jones’, we are apt to follow someone else’s lead. Social media has driven this home. Testimonials build credibility and authority and help persuade eCommerce shoppers to make the purchase.
To Conclude
We have a few more tips to get you composing quality text to increase your conversions. When writing copy, write to your customer. The word “we” really has no place in copywriting. Remember you are trying to convince someone that your product will make their life better.
Wrote in short paragraphs. Once you’ve written your first draft, step back, take a breath and then go back and edit.
Finally, have at least one person proofread your text. You’ll destroy all of your credibility if you have text with typos and poor grammar.
Are you ready to start writing? If not, or you’re not sure where to start, we’re here to help. What’s more, we guarantee your results. Contact us today. We’ll provide you with our FREE site performance analysis to help you decipher what to change and how!
Image: Hazel Owen
