Copywriting

Quick Copywriting Tweaks Proven to Lift Conversions 30% or More

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It may surprise you, but even small tweaks in your website copywriting can increase conversion rates by 30% and upwards.

And with margins being as tight as they are, can you really afford to pass up any change — even minor — that could make a massive difference to your conversion rate? No, we didn’t think so!

To help, we’ve compiled the top 4 actionable tips on how to super-charge your conversion rate with small copywriting tweaks.

[tweet_box design=”box_4″]#amreading Quick #Copywriting Tweaks Proven to Lift Conversions 30% or More[/tweet_box]

1. Talk More about Benefits, Less About Your Solutions

All (good) businesses provide a solution to a problem — we exist, after all, to meet a need.

But don’t assume people come to your site to be told what their problem is and how you are going to solve it. Chances are, they’ve already done the research on their problem (and the solution) and are now looking to make a decision between you and your competitors.

In fact, Corporate Executive Board surveyed 1,400 B2B customers in 2012 and discovered that over 60% of them had already ranked all available options, pricing comparisons, etc., before actually visiting your site.

For today’s savvy consumer, you need to…

Spend less time talking about how you solve the problem and more time explaining the benefits of your product or service. In particular explain how your benefits are better than the competitors’.

Take a look at the Crazy Egg landing page for example. They spell out the benefits of their heat maps very clearly:

copywriting tweaks - benefits on Crazy Egg

2. Use Pictures or Video to Tell the Story

Adding pictures to your site can increase the length of time a customer stays on your page by as much as 21%.

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That’s amazing, right? In fact, we can go further than that:

One great picture of a smiling, happy customer (preferably holding your product) can do more for your conversion rates than a page (or five) of text — no matter how great the text.

Look at the example below. Highrise boosted their conversion rate by 102.5% simply by tweaking the copywriting on their landing page, replacing a text-heavy version with a picture-heavy one.

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You can do the same with a great video too.

Crazy Egg increased their conversion rate by 64% when they uploaded an explainer video to their landing page. The video’s script didn’t say anything that wasn’t already in their marketing copy, but by changing the medium, they lifted conversion rates.

3. Tweak Your Copy to Remove All Buyer Hesitations

[tweet_dis]The most important function of the marketing copy on your site has to be removing objections.[/tweet_dis]

As consumers, we all have objections to buying — something that stops us from taking action right then and there. Your job is to find out what those objections are (specific to your business) and remove them.

If you’re not sure what the objections your customers might have, simply ask them!

A good tip is to install a customer survey feature (for a limited period) like Qualaroo, as seen below, and ask them about the factors preventing them from hitting the “Buy” button on your site.

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Crazy Egg ran a survey on their site and found out that customers

  1. didn’t really understand how their main product (the heat map) worked
  2. thought the product was too expensive
  3. didn’t like having to give their credit card to access the 30-day free trial

Once the company knew what the objections were, they were able to tweak the copy to remove those objections and clear the way towards a buy. Specifically, Crazy Egg focused on these tactics:

Getting testimonials

When existing customers explained how the product works — in their own words — it was less technical and, therefore, more effective. Customers phrased things in a way that prospects understood, and that made heatmaps easier to understand.

You can achieve the same result by asking for testimonials from your happy customers. In particular, look for testimonials that address common objections.

Reframing cost

Crazy Egg compared the heat map to regular eye-tracking, proving that heatmaps provide immense value to the customer because they are quicker and more cost-efficient than eye-tracking.

You can do the same by showing how your product compares to alternative solutions. Consider side-by-side comparisons or comparison charts. On a side note, comparison charts tend to attract a lot of traffic, which will help your SEO.

Building trust

Crazy Egg made it very clear at check-out that the credit card information was there only to protect against people signing up for multiple free trials and that the credit card would not be charged at all.

The changes to this copy on the check-out page increased conversion rates to 116%!

Below is another example. Basecamp, addresses several common objections at once in this screenshot.

The objections:

  • “How many other companies use this service? How do I know if this is trusted or not?”
  • “Is there any obligation to buy during the free trial? Is the trial full of features I can’t unlock?”
  • “Why should I give my credit card details for a free trial?”

Now look at the bullets to see how Basecamp answers these questions.

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4. Watch Your Language

Here, we aren’t talking about keeping your language clean (although you should)! Language is powerful, and one wrong word used in the wrong place can send your conversion rates into a tailspin.

Here are some of the best language usage tips we have been able to gather:

Be Assertive and Action-Oriented

Use words that call for your visitor to commit to an action and be assertive (though not aggressive) about it. Examples include:

  • “Get” your free guide today
  • “Sign Up Now”
  • “Click here to get….”
  • “Find out now…”
  • “Super-charge your profits”
  • “Contact us”

Don’t Remind Them That There’s a Cost!

The moment when a customer decides to buy is not the right time to be super-aggressive or assertive with your language or calls to action.

Remember that most people have a micro-second of self-doubt when they’re about to put down cold, hard cash — so you don’t want to frighten them. Recognize their hesitation while nudging them gently forward.

As you can see from the screenshot below, one blog (the Analytics Inspector) tested conversion rates when different action words were used during the crucial decision-making process:

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“Purchase Now” decreased conversion rates by 14.5%. “Buy Now” depressed conversions as well. Why? These CTAs remind people they’re spending money.

“Add to Cart” sounds like less of a commitment. It also makes buyers feel they can back out later if they wish.

Other words and phrases that offer gentle reassurance (and a nudge) during the critical buying decision include:

  • Money-back guarantee
  • Free trial
  • Discount
  • Trusted by
  • No spam
  • Get instant access to

Don’t Use Too Many Words

For years, direct-response marketers have known that long-form copy sells better.

But there’s no such thing as bullet-proof best practice. Depending on your audience, too much marketing copy can decrease conversion rates by as much as 23%. Ask Square, who tested a version with a lot of marketing copy against one that used less copy.

Their homepage now is a brief, benefit-driven headline with a “get” call to action. It has a few short sentences and icons deliberately designed to emphasize benefits and overcome buying objections.

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It’s worth noting that Square also optimized their whole site, not just their landing page, to be direct, to-the-point, action oriented, and reassuring. Here’s a screenshot of their sign-up page, where they have used language aimed at clearing objections and doubts:

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Use Personal Pronouns and a Personal Touch

Think carefully about how and where you could use the word “You” or “Me” in your sales copy (always referring to the customer himself, not the company).

Extensive testing of copy has shown that when websites use the word “You” or “Your,” the conversion rate goes up because the user receives the subliminal message that you are having an intense, one-on-one conversation with him.

As in real life, it’s hard to ignore someone who’s talking directly to you. Here’s an example from Sprint, showing extensive usage of “You” and “Your”:

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Conclusion

The words you use are more than a detail. They can make or break your conversion rates.

Pay attention to the words you use — and how you use them — and it could translate into higher conversion rates and bottom-line profits.

Don’t forget to conduct A/B testing on your copywriting tweaks to make sure that they work for you and your business!

Have you noticed any other tweaks that make a big difference? Share in the comments.

 


Mark Runyon is the founder and lead consultant at Atlanta-based Vandelay Web and SoundOut Social Media. Get in touch with Mark through LinkedIn!

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