There’s actually whole list of reasons that could kill your website from the:
- hosting server you’ve chosen, to the
- web development service you’ve chosen, to the
- web designer you’ve chosen to build your site, etc.
That list is for another day and time.
Why? Tackling that list now could cause some heads to roll. Let’s wait until you have the bandwidth for that.
Today, though… I’m going to tackle the Top 7 Copywriting Mistakes. This list is actionable and can give you fast results without as much drama as lopping off some heads.
If you’re like most, you’ve probably written your own content… or worse chosen a content writer who may not understand the difference between content and irresistible copy that compels action. The kind of action that keeps folks from bouncing off your website and onto your competitor’s.
So, let’s get into it. Here are the copywriting mistakes you’ve got to fix on the fly before you lose any more prospects.
NO HEADLINES…
Or worse yet, you’ve got VAGUE Blah Headlines.
Happens on almost EVERY single website.
You aren’t the only one making this mistake.
But, it’s still killing your website.
Make this one adjustment well and you’ll gain your competitors’ business for their own lack of headlines.
Folks simply don’t know the purpose of a headline.
The headline, as well as all sub-headlines, should arrest the reader’s attention the same way click bait on social media does.
And, even before click bait… the finest purveyors of a good, provocative headline were the tabloids.
Yup. The National Enquirer.
Perhaps not the audience you’re seeking, but The National Enquirer could write a mighty provocative headline. Their headlines are so provocative that we’ve all succumbed to voyeurism in the middle of a checkout line.
Or maybe, I’m the only one here pretending I’m NOT reading the cover of The National Enquirer.
Bottom line: Your headlines and sub-headers need to carry the weight of your message in a compelling way because if they don’t, your text doesn’t stand a shot of being read, much less scanned on the scroll.
NO FEATURES AS BENEFITS
“But, I’m supposed to tell them what I have that’s different and better than my competitors!”
No…
No, you’re not.
You’re missing a key bit of information: ALL PROSPECTS CARE ABOUT ARE THE BENEFITS HE CAN GET FROM THE FEATURES.
Your feature has absolutely NO VALUE.
What gives your feature significance is the benefit that your buyer gets from it.
When you talk about a feature, you’re prattling on about “Me, Mine, & I”.
When you break down the benefit of your feature, you’re now focusing on the “You”; that is – the buyer’s aspiration, need, wish, hope, fear, etc.
So, why do in-house marketing teams focus on features?
Because it’s easier to write about features than it is to communicate benefits.
Figure out what your benefits are. Then communicate THOSE without fluffy, exaggerated words devoid of any meaning you can’t prove.
YOUR SITE IS ALL ABOUT YOU
Yet, all people really want is to be acknowledged and validated.
True in life. True in business.
It’s not about you. I cannot stress this enough.
Applying this simple concept fosters empathy in all areas of life.
In your business, though, applying empathy to your content marketing (online or print) will create raving fans of your product and services.
Because the crucial marketing truth here is this:
Your buyers do not give a flying fig…
“About YOU and YOUR power and glory and terrestrial magnificence. They are interested in both achieving and maintaining THEIR power and THEIR glory and THEIR terrestrial magnificence.”
(Dr. Jeffrey Lant)
It boils down to this: How you can help them get it?
Your copywriting has to prove you SEE them, you HEAR them, and you UNDERSTAND their issues and have the solution.
What’s your current copy messaging to your prospects?
NO CALLS-TO-ACTION
Some folks have never heard of a CTA (Call-to-Action).
If you’re one of those, then for sure you’re not giving your prospect a reason to act NOW on anything you’re offering and the benefits to be had.
Your CTA is the jolt in the arm to spur your buyers to interact with you.
You aren’t just competing against your competitor for clients.
You’re competing against your prospect’s thought-process.
A thought-process entrenched in doing the bare minimum due to laziness, ineptitude, or being buried under a mountain of obligations, some of which are self-inflicted.
You are competing against a buyer’s SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) of poor time-management and lack of prioritizing, or worse…
Simply just being comfortable with status quo without interest in elevating their game.
Your buyers’ prevailing “wisdom”, though they would never admit to it, is “I’ll get around to it.”
Not realizing there will never, ever be a perfect moment to ACT, other than NOW.
On your website, you must think like a direct-mail marketer and answer the question for your prospect: “WHY SHOULD I ACT NOW?”
NO COMPELLING CONTENT
Take a good look at your content.
- Is it confusing?
- Is it connecting the dots for your readers?
- Is it annoyingly vague?
- Are you asking them to make great leaps of deduction?
- Are you assuming they think and feel the way you do?
- Are you giving them an unyielding, insatiable, undeniable desire and realization that they CANNOT live without your service / widget / expertise?
NO COMPELLING IMAGES
The images on your website and content marketing must align with and reflect your message. That goes for your background images, as well.
If they don’t align, you’re only confusing your prospect.
Graphics support your copywriting.
They go hand-in-hand.
They’re peas-and-carrots.
They’re the peanut butter and chocolate that make up the carb craving your website is satisfying.
Have I belabored the point enough?
If not…
Case in point, don’t pose with your dog if you’re not a veterinarian or in an animal-related field.
All other graphics… choose wisely: stock photos no longer cut it. Go for bold and arresting and visually appealing.
NO BULLET POINTS
It can be great fun being a writer. It pains me to say this to those of you who like writing and seeing your wisdom on a screen.
You need to stop the insanity of writing in long-paragraph form.
For those of you who despise writing, this bit here will come as fabulous news.
Brevity will help you on your website.
Get to the point. Tell your site visitors how you can solve their problems.
If your business isn’t copywriting, then pare things down. Keep your text to succinct, yet wonderfully memorable bullet points. Knock this out of the park for your readers.
The majority of them are scanning and scrolling.
Word.
Don’t get me wrong.
Sometimes you need a paragraph here or there, but it shouldn’t dominate your pages.
And, when you do have legit paragraphs, make them compelling.
Remember: Those all-important headlines and sub-headers are doing the heavy lifting once you have good ones in place!
Always answer the question: WHAT’S IN IT FOR THEM?
Or, better yet: SO, WHAT?
If you can answer those questions with your copywriting…
If you can connect the dots for readers who are too busy to connect the dots…
You’ve just written your first bit of compelling copy!
(Not counting any love letters you wrote to win over your current Sweetie-Pie. See. You can write compelling copy.)
Congratulations! Go forth and revive your website!
Dying to hear how this all goes for you. Drop a comment below when you’ve blown doors open for your prospects to answer your CTA and give you a YES!