Make Your Website Work Harder

In previous posts we’ve looked at how to improve your website’s search engine optimisation and generally how to get more traffic to your website.

Traffic is one thing but what your business really needs is more people buying.

After all, 1000s of visitors are all well and good for bragging rights at the pub, but if none of them buy it’s not great for your bank balance. Therefore you need to improve your sales through your website as well as the number of people who visit it.

Welcome to my website

People are most likely to buy a product when it’s been recommended by a friend. Of course, making friends with everyone who comes to your site in an attempt to then convince them your product is what they need, isn’t a realistic ask. But talking to them through your website is realistic.

By removing any corporate/industry jargon and creating a friendly, chatty air about your site will help enormously. Talk to them directly by using ‘you’ and ‘your’. As they read, it will be as though they are chatting to a friend and your ‘sales pitch’ will come across in a non-aggressive way.

You’ll become the personal friend providing a recommendation for your product. An approach that is far more likely to succeed.

And then he said…

I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve said this, but people buy from people. And I’m going to continue to shamelessly repeat myself because it’s true!

Include testimonials from past clients and not just the glowing ones. Give your reader a balanced view by posting less than glowing comments too. Even better – post the not so good ones and add a post script showing what you did to resolve the matter or improve the product. This will show your human side and show you as a business that listens to its customers and acts.

Even better than testimonials are case studies – if you can include real situations explaining what problem your customer had, why they came to you and how you solved their problem and show how their life/business has been improved as a result (draws in a deep breath – Ed.) – you’ll create a very powerful selling statement.

Picture perfect

I’ve also been known to say that pictures don’t sell, copy does. I stand by that but you can’t deny the power of the ‘before and after’ shots or an image that shows the problem and your product as the solution.

If your reader can see in an instant what your product will do for them, they’ll be hooked.

The back-hander

There are times when people will want more than just a stonkingly good sales piece. Incentives are always a great addition to your sales message. But make sure they add value to your customer – after all, everyone likes the feeling of getting something for nothing.

The million dollar question

Of course all of the above will be totally useless without a strong and commanding call to action. It might seem daft, but you really do have to tell your reader to buy.

You’d be amazed at the number of websites out there that omit this little gem. What’s the point of going to the pains of producing superb sales copy that talks to your reader it you don’t tell them how to order?

You need to know this because…

Well, if you don’t know about this and use it, your website will be an expensive brochure. It will sit there in cyber space doing absolutely nothing.

It is a sales tool, pure and simple so make sure you make it work for you.

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter