Why Website Copy Is Important; Plus 5 Ways to Gain That Lead

How do you leverage those visitor figures and make them leads?


Do you want to maximise new leads from your website? Read on for why great website content can achieve this.

There is an old expression in business, “turnover is vanity, profit is sanity, cash is a reality”. The jury is out on exactly who coined it as a phrase, but it’s hard to argue with the logic. You can apply this same concept to your website, “Visitors are vanity, leads are sanity, customers are a reality”. It’s hard enough work getting visitors to your site without then failing to turn them into leads. Nurturing those leads into customers is the lifeblood of your inbound digital marketing campaign.

Nurture those visitors into leads

As Neil Patel, co-founder of Neil Patel Digital says in his article on the importance of copywriting, “Online, the copy you use has a massive impact on developing a relationship and building trust with prospects”.

No matter how you are getting visitors to your site, organic, paid, or earned media, it will be costing you money to do so. Your conversion rate reflects how good your site is at inspiring action in those visitors. A cross-sector look at some of the biggest online advertising management systems shows an average conversion rate of 2.35%. For every thousand visitors, you’ll turn 23 people into leads. If you’re getting 3% or more you can stop patting yourself on the back, the top 10% of websites get 11.45% or better. While there are many factors in play here, one thing is for sure, the website copy on those landing pages is a critical element to the success, or otherwise, of your inbound digital strategy.

What types of written website content are there?

Most website content is either designed to inspire action or to inform the reader on a particular issue. If you want to inspire action, you are copywriting. If you want to inform then you are simply writing. Yes, you can inspire action by informing but, generally, that is indirect. Put another way, copywriting is to generate action NOW. Most websites have a mixture of these two types of content.

Generally, small business websites are broken down into a set of standard pages; homepage, services, products, about us, blog and perhaps an e-commerce section. Each of these pages will receive differing traffic. That means that the visitors will have particular expectations and intent when they hit the page. If their expectations are not met by the page they reach, there is a very high chance they’ll bounce (a ‘bouncing’ visit is when they leave from the page they landed on). High bounce rates, while not always bad, are normally a sign improvements can be made.

So, each page must be written from a foundational perspective that starts with a mindset of ‘what is this page here to do?’ If you can’t answer that basic question about a page, then you might consider if it can simply be removed. Once you know what the page will do, you’ll have an idea of what type of content to use.

What does good website content actually do?

The very best website content, then, meets the needs of the visitor at the point they reach your page. Regardless of whether they arrived at your page via a Google SERP result (link to our handy glossary of terms), PPC, Social, or some other method, the visitor will have an intent. Perhaps they want to actually buy your product, or they simply want more information, great website content will anticipate their intent and give them what they wanted.

 

Content relevance is kind of a big deal for good engagement

 

An example, if someone searches for “Best value internet connection” then you would want to offer them a copy written page that shows what great value your internet product offers. If they were to search for “Why is my internet line so slow?” then you might want to offer them a link to a blog post on tips and tricks to speed up their internet (including, of course, why your service is so fast and trouble-free, and how good your support is).

In the two examples above, the intent of the potential visitor was different. Good content leverages that.

Speak in a language they understand

It’s also important to understand the type of person who will visit the page and then craft website content that speaks to them in a way they connect with. Continuing with the example of a Google search for “Best value internet connection”, imagine you directed them to a page full of technical jargon and complex networking data. No matter how good your service, you are more than likely to lose that visitor.

Good website content is written with a target persona(s) in mind and makes sure to form a connection with the reader.

Deliver what you promised

If your page title is “How to find the best internet provider” and the page then goes off on a tangent about the different billing options you provide, you’ll lose the visitor. If they came expecting the answer to a question the website content needs to deliver on that. Really good website content pulls readers in and then gives them what they came for.

On that note, we promised you 5 ways to gain a lead from your website visitors.

  • Know your audience

Spend some time working out who is visiting your site and what issues matter to them. Segmenting your audience can bring massive benefits when coupled with effective landing page design. Getting this technique right will increase your lead conversion rate.

  • Spend some time getting to understand what drives people to action

Most people respond to a particular set of drivers. ‘The fear of missing out’ and ‘Being perceived well by others’ are typical examples. Get to understand your audience and see how you can encourage them to take action with your website content.

Impressona are masters at using website content to spur action

  • Gather proof of what you’re telling them

It’s one thing to say your product is the best, it’s quite another to show that your product is the best. Putting together real-world examples of how your product or service has helped others is a great way to embolden people to make a purchase. This means social proof, testimonials and case studies. Yes, they can be tough to put together, but they are most definitely worth it.

  • Follow up

Can you believe that some website owners, after getting that precious email address from a visitor, don’t send further information via email. Strike while the iron is hot and make sure to send them a short and highly relevant email inviting them to learn more or make a purchase.

  • Don’t let them go without having the last word

Make use of exit intent systems, those pop-ups that appear when you move your mouse to close the page or navigate away. They give you one last (probably) chance to convert them. The right message, delivered with surgical precision, could make all the difference.

Yes, website copy can be hard to get right, but not impossible. Learning to use copy effectively can make huge gains to the success of your website. By recording accurate figures for how well your website copy performs over time allows you to make a change knowing you can track how well that change performed.

Our team has been writing high-performing website copy for many years now and are always happy to do a free digital audit for your business. Get in touch if you’d like to arrange that.


Charles Hodson

Charlie is the owner of Impressona. Coming from a background as a freelance content writer, Charlie saw that many companies were ending up with generic off-the-shelf content. He set out to build a company that sets your brand apart by showing off the personality behind it.

Please Post Your Comments & Reviews

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*

Similar Posts

img

How Is Social Media Changing, and How Can Digital Marketing Keep Up?

Social media is ever-changing. To keep up, digital marketers must be innovative and willing to learn.

Keep Reading
img

The Impressona Glossary of Terms

The A-Z of Digital Marketing Terminology.

Keep Reading
img

How to Improve Your SEO Rankings in 30 Days

93% of all online experiences begin with a search engine. Follow our 10 tips to improve your SEO rankings within the next month.

Keep Reading