What Is Conversion Copywriting? 7 Tips For Creating Copy That Converts
In the good old days, copywriters would write advertising for television, newspapers, radio and magazines. But tracking the effectiveness of old-school advertising was difficult.
“Half the money I spend on advertising is wasted; the trouble is I don't know which half.” This quote, by department store owner John Wanamaker, is over 100 years old.
Nowadays, the world consumes information and advertising on websites, social media, smartphones and online video platforms. And tracking the effectiveness of advertising is much easier.
In this blog post, you'll learn the secrets of conversion copywriting, what a conversion copywriter is, and everything you need to know to improve the performance of your marketing campaigns.
What is conversion copywriting?
Conversion copywriting is the art of writing content that converts. It’s about creating compelling, persuasive copy that gets people to take action online. That action might be to:
sign up for your email list,
download your free guide,
buy your product,
request a software demo,
enquire about your service, or
visit your physical store.
Why is conversion copywriting important?
Conversion copywriting is important because it's all about making your marketing more effective. It's the art and science of turning more of your online prospects into leads, sales and clients.
If you have an existing website, email marketing strategy, or advertising campaign that is not performing as well as you'd like, then conversion copywriting can help you turn things around for the better.
If you're spending a fortune on paid advertising, but not getting a positive ROI, then conversion copywriting can help you make your ads profitable.
By improving conversion rates, businesses can increase their revenue, attract more customers and grow their business.
What is a conversion copywriter?
A conversion copywriter is a writer who helps businesses convert more visitors into customers.
They research the target market and craft persuasive copy that will motivate people to take action, such as signing up for a newsletter or making a purchase. Conversion copywriters also work on developing unique sales messages that appeal to specific demographics.
Why would a business hire a conversion copywriter? Here are a few reasons why:
They don't know how to write persuasively.
They are too close to their business and need a fresh perspective.
They are wasting money on ineffective paid advertising.
Their database is not responding to their email marketing campaigns.
Their website visitors are leaving without taking action.
So if you're a business owner that has tried everything, but you can't seem to convince your online prospects to take the action you want them to take, then it might be time to consider hiring a conversion copywriter to help you out.
A conversion copywriter can look at a business’s website, email campaigns, and advertising copy and provide feedback and suggestions on how to improve the conversion rate.
What is a conversion copywriter?
What can a conversion copywriter do for your business?
Unlike content writers, who focus on creating educational and informative content, conversion copywriters create persuasive and compelling copy that is designed to motivate the reader to take action and respond. They are usually skilled at creating effective copy for:
Landing pages
Email marketing campaigns
Website content
Product descriptions
Video scripts
Sales pages
Facebook Ads
How to create copy that converts
Here is a 6-step process you can follow to write high-converting copy.
1. Research Before You Write
You need to do proper research before you write a single word of copy.
Otherwise, you're just guessing and your assumptions could be wrong. Every skilled copywriter spends quite a bit of time on research before they pick up their pen (or keyboard) to write. Doing research is what separates amateurs from professional copywriters.
So, what should you research? As a copywriter, you need to understand the following:
Who is the target audience?
What are their biggest problems, fears or challenges?
What would be a dream outcome or result the audience wants?
What are the features and benefits of the product or service?
What is the value proposition?
What makes their products or services better than the competition?
So, how do you get the answers to these questions? If you're a freelance conversion copywriter, then you can interview the client and ask those questions directly. If you are the client, then you can answer those questions yourself.
Interview Past Customers
Another research strategy is to survey or interview past customers and have them answer questions about their problems, fears, challenges and desired outcomes. This can help you identify which topics are most important to them and what type of language they use when describing their problems, hopes and dreams.
A powerful copywriting technique to really resonate with your audience is to use the same emotive language when writing about their problems. So if a customer told you "I was hopping mad when my car broke down" you could turn that into a question "Have you ever felt hopping mad because..."
Industry Forums and Facebook Groups
Facebook Group Example
You can also check out forums where the target audience hangs out online (i.e., industry forums and even Facebook Groups) and listen to the conversations they are already having.
You can filter by most viewed or discussed posts, or even search the forum for words like "problem" and "question" to see what people are talking about.
Amazon Book Reviews
Amazon Book Review
Another proven method for discovering your ideal clients' biggest challenges, pain points, and desires, is by reading the customer reviews of best-selling books in your industry on Amazon.com
Customer reviews are a goldmine of insightful information into what buyers are thinking. You might be surprised to learn that many customers will share their reasons for purchasing the book, what they liked about it, what they thought was missing, and what they are hoping to achieve. Typically the longer the review, the more useful it is for reaching and understanding your target audience.
2. Remove Distractions
Remove distractions
It can be very difficult to focus when browsing the Internet. There are notifications, emails, alerts, social media, and a million other things to steal your attention at any time.
One of the most important aspects of conversion copywriting is removing distractions. This means making sure your reader is focused on your message and not on anything else.
This can be tricky, but it's essential if you want to convert readers into customers. By keeping them focused on what you're saying, you increase the likelihood that they'll take action and convert.
One page, one message, one call to action—meaning your page should be focused on those three important things.
One web page with no links to other pages (remove the navigation menu from the top of the landing page so people cannot click through and view other pages).
One message focused on one offer. So if you're selling a product, service or webinar, then ONLY write copy about that one thing. Keep your landing page copy-focused and don't mention all of the other things you have to offer.
One call to action. Decide the one action you want people to make and then make it obvious and clear how your readers can take that action, such as signing up for a free trial, requesting a free consultation, purchasing your product, etc.
3. Create A Standout Value Proposition
Value Proposition
A value proposition answers an important question that every potential customer is thinking.
"Why should I choose you and not the competition?"
It's not enough to list all of the same boring reasons your competition uses. Like, "we've been in business for 25 years" or "we are the #1 choice". You need to provide unique reason(s) why people should choose you. It should not be a claim that your competitors can also claim.
Here are some common reasons to help you come up with your own.
Faster results (achieve the results you want faster)
Faster delivery (get what you want sooner)
Free (no cost to the consumer)
Easier to use (not complicated like all the rest)
Instant access (no waiting, instant gratification)
Higher quality (people value higher-quality products)
Lower cost (more affordable than the rest)
Customization (tailored to your individual needs)
Smarter (more expertise and knowledge than others)
No risk (such as a money-back or performance guarantee)
Once you have come up with a unique reason(s) why people should do business with you, it's time to turn those reasons into a standout value proposition.
One of the reasons Domino’s Pizza went from a one-location pizza restaurant into the world's most successful pizza chain is because of their original value proposition: "Fresh, hot pizza delivered in 30 minutes or it's free". It helped them stand out from all of the pizza restaurants in their area.
Here are 2 fill-in-the-blank templates and examples you can use to create your own value proposition.
Template:
Forget the [problems]. At [Business name], we offer [points of difference] for
[target audiences]
Example:
Forget expensive, egotistical, and slow-moving graphic designers. At Design
Frog, we offer affordable, ego-free design services with a fast turnaround for
startup founders and small business owners.
Template:
[unique reasons] are just some of the reasons why more
[target audience] choose to work with [business name].
Example:
Unlimited support, beautiful design and free hosting are just some of the reasons why more business owners choose to work with Big Web Design.
3. Call to Action
In his book, The Paradox of Choice, author Barry Schwartz says “learning to choose well in a world of unlimited possibilities is harder still, perhaps too hard." When you present people with too many options, it becomes difficult for them to make a choice. To make the decision-making process easier, ask yourself:
What is the #1 action you want people to take? It could be to:
Sign up for your email list
Download your free guide
Book a consultation
Purchase your product
Inquire about your service
Once you've decided what the primary call to action is, then make that the only action prospects can take in your email campaign, landing page, webpage, sales video, Facebook ads, etc. Make your call to action clear and obvious and repeat it a few times so that your prospects don't miss it.
Turn Features Into Benefits
"Features answer the question ‘what is it?’ Benefits answer the question 'what's in it for me?’" I love this quote from sales trainer Tom Abbott because it captures the differences between features and benefits.
At the end of the day, people only care about "what's in it for me?" And so your copy needs to emphasise how the features of your product or service benefit your readers' lives.
So, how do you turn boring features into irresistible benefits?
As a conversion copywriter, I have a simple exercise you can use to do this quickly and easily. Take a piece of paper or open a new document, and write down a list of all of the product or service features in one column. Then, for each feature, ask yourself the question "so you can..." and write down the benefits in the second column. Here is an example to show you what I mean.
Features into benefits example from KeyDifferences.com
Social proof
"Social proof is evidence that other people have found value in a product or service offered by a business", reports Optimizely.com.
When people are unsure about something, they look to other people for guidance. This is especially true when it comes to making a purchasing decision. By adding the right social proof elements, you can make your product or service appear more trustworthy and credible and increase your conversion rate.
When it comes to conversion copywriting, social proof comes in the form of testimonials, trust seals, endorsements, number of users, social media shares, media mentions, and more.
Copywriting Crew Testimonials
A/B split test your copy
How can I increase my website's conversion rate?
This is a great question that savvy business owners ask. Before you go about improving anything, you need to figure out what your existing conversion rate is.
Once you've done that, you can conduct an "A/B split test," which is when you test two versions of your website's copy against each other to see which one performs better. This can help you determine what changes need to be made to improve user engagement and conversion rates.
Here are a few things you can split test:
Test a different headline
Test a different call to action button (copy and colour)
Test a different email subject line
Test increasing your prices
Test lowering your prices
Test a different traffic source
Test a shorter or longer version of your page
Test adding a sales video
Test adding an exit popup
Test adding a countdown timer
3 Proven Conversion-Boosting Tips
Now, the last three split testing ideas from the list above have proven to be effective time and time again. That's why I want to go into detail about each of them and explain how to implement them into your business.
Countdown timer
Can countdown timers increase conversion rates? Absolutely! In a case study from Lynda.com they reported a 33% increase in click-through rate and a 10% increase in conversions by including a countdown timer inside one of their promotional emails.
Countdown Timer
This countdown clock increased conversions by 10%
By making it easy for visitors to see how much time they have left to take action or to snap up a special deal, you can encourage them to make a decision quickly. Whether you intend to use a countdown clock in an email, landing page, or webpage, be sure to make it noticeable and obvious to visitors.
Sales video
A recent study showed that including a video on your landing page can increase conversions by more than 80%. Of course, not every sales video will increase conversion rates, as those depend on many factors like the quality of the video, clarity of the message, and effectiveness of the presenter.
Sales videos can be effective at boosting conversion rates because they provide a visual representation of the product or service and allow potential customers to get a sense of what the product or service is like. In addition, sales videos can be used to highlight key features and benefits of the product or service, which can help persuade potential customers to make a purchase.
One of my favourite sales videos was created by Dollar Shave Club. The video went viral and sold 12,000 units within 24 hours. The company would go on to achieve annual sales of almost $200 million before being acquired by Unilever for $1 billion in 2016.Dollar Shave Club sales video sold 12,000 units within 24 hours!
Exit popup
While many people (myself included) find exit popups annoying, many marketers have found they can dramatically increase conversion rates. For example, craft blogger Nikki McGonigal increased her conversion rate of email newsletter signups by an incredible 1,300% with an exit popup.
What's more, popups can be used in a variety of situations to boost the performance of your website and capture more leads, sales and customers.
Here are a few ways you can use exit popups to your advantage:
To offer a special discount or coupon code
To prevent potential customers from abandoning their carts
To promote a webinar or seminar
To offer a lead magnet or newsletter
To promote a special offer or deal
To survey visitors or collect feedback
To direct visitors to another page
Here is an example of an exit popup on an e-commerce store to prevent people from abandoning their carts.
Exit Popup Example
Ready To Hire A Conversion Copywriter?
Is your website, advertising, or marketing campaign not performing? Not sure how to write persuasive and compelling copy that motivates your ideal clients to take action? Don't worry, we're here to help!
A skilled conversion copywriter can help your business achieve its marketing goals by crafting compelling, attention-grabbing copy that resonates with your target audience.
At Copywriting Crew, our team of experienced US-based copywriters are available to write high-converting copy for your business or marketing campaign. If you're a business owner that is too busy to write copy that sells, then check out our conversion copywriting services today!
You can hire us to write your landing pages, email campaigns, website copy, video scripts and more. Or if you'd like to speak with our friendly team, feel free to book a time in our calendar that suits you.
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