If you’re getting ready to write or refresh your website copy in time for the new year, this episode is for you! 

Get 9 quick and practical tips that’ll help you to: 

• Write irresistible website and marketing copy.
• Understand how to connect with your ideal clients and inspire action.
• Ensure your ideal clients feel seen, heard, understood, and respected.

If you want more tips to help you write roarsome website copy that packs a personality punch, simply jump over here: https://hayleymaxwell.com/copywriting-with-personality 

Let’s connect!

If we haven’t already connected, come on over to my hangouts below and say hi! 

Instagram at https://instagram.com/hayleymaxwellwrites

Website at www.hayleymaxwell.com 

TRANSCRIPT

Let’s get started Welcome to Episode Eight of the fierce impact podcast. And today, I’m going to be talking about how to write website copy that will connect deeply with your ideal clients. And so I have got nine quick tips for you that are going to be really useful. If you are planning on giving your website copy a refresh. If you’re planning on judging it up in time for the new year, then these tips are going to be really helpful to you for you to use as you work through that website copy. So really practical, simple things that you can do to make sure that your copy is able to connect with your ideal clients in the best way possible. So grab a pen and paper unless of course, you’re driving, in which case circle back to this episode a little bit later. But grab a pen and paper because I am going to be diving straight into the tips right away. 

So tip number one is speak to one person with the copy that you’re writing. And that one person that you want to talk to is your ideal client. So you’ve got to be absolutely clear who you want to attract, what their problems are how they talk, before you start writing your website copy. So what I encourage you to do is think about a client that you absolutely loved, that you really would love to get more of that you want to clone. And that’s your ideal client, then imagine that one person when you write your copy, because if you try to write to everyone that you could possibly help you risk resonating with no one. And so when you’re writing for just one person, it means that you can get really specific when you’re writing your copy, so that it appeals directly to that type of person that you are really wanting to work with. 

So tip number two, is to make it all about them. So take a look at the copy on your website and ask yourself, is it more about you and your business than your ideal client and the problems they face? Is it all I end way and not you and yours. And if that’s the case, look at how you can flip this to make sure that your copy is speaking directly to them. Because what your reader really cares about is the problem that they have got. So you need to understand the goals that they have and the transformation they want to achieve. And then you want to show them that you can help them to get there. And what it’s actually going to be like when they do get there. So think about using the 80/20 rule of thumb to guide your writing. So talk about to your ideal client roughly 80% of the time and talk about yourself about 20% of the time. Now it’s not a hard and fast rule. But it’s just a good way to make sure that you’re getting the balance more on the side of your ideal client. And in fact, even when it comes to your about page, your about page should actually be more about your ideal client, and less about you. 

Tip number three, and you’ve probably heard this before, but is to sell benefits over features. And so we hear a lot online is sell benefits, not features in your copy. And while that’s true, I have a slight caveat to make on it. Because it’s important to remember that different people value different types of information in the decision making process. So never exclude features all together. But the reality is that most of us actually buy out of it. A deep rooted emotional desire with logic playing the supportive role. And so, let’s just take a quick look at the explanation of each benefit and feature. So taking features first, these are the specific attributes the think ingredients that make up your offer or service. And in a service based business, for example, if you are a social media consultant, and say you’ve got packages on your services page for, you know, social media management, you might list your features such as, you know, you get for this price, you get 10, social media posts written for you 10 on brand images sourced for your posts, you get a personalized hashtag plan, you get an hour’s social media planning call each month. So those are features, they are the ingredients of the service that you are providing, they sit at that functional and logical level, in comparison, benefits describe the positive impact that a service will have on a client.

So this could be things like the advantages, the value and the improvements to the client’s life or to their business and to the goals that it will help them to achieve. And so if we look at that example of the social media consultant, again, high level benefits would include things like the fact that you are no longer going to need to sit down and stress about what you’re going to post on social media, because we have already planned it and got it in the bag, you are going to be able to dedicate so much more time and energy to working on your business and growing your business. Not searching for free stock images that you want to use in your, in your social media posts, you’re not going to be sat there faced with the blank screen, because we’re going to be writing those posts for you. So you’re going to be able to use that time that we have helped you to free up. And you’re going to be able to spend that doing the things in your business or in your life that you really want to focus on. And so you can see that those benefits speak to some of those emotional hopes and desires that someone wants to achieve.

So the goals that they are reaching for. So that’s how benefits differ to features. And so when you’re writing your website, copy, or when you’re reviewing your website, copy, go through each of your pages, particularly your service pages, your offer pages, and make sure you are communicating the value, the benefits of those services. Those offers really well think deeply about what people really truly get when they work with you. And then obviously, you’re wanting to support that with the features. So the description of the things, the deliverables that people get for the money.

Number four is to use words and phrases that your ideal clients use. So this tip comes back to knowing your ideal client really well. Because all of those nuggets of goodness that you know about your ideal client is going to help you to make decisions about what will and won’t speak to them. And that way, you can use your copy your website copy to attract more of the right people and to repel the people who aren’t a right fit for you. So knowing what words and phrases your ideal clients commonly use when they’re talking about the problem that you can solve. That’s a really key part of writing copy that engages and converts. Because what it does, when we have a really deep understanding about what’s going on in our ideal clients minds, you know, the thoughts that they’re having the problems that they’re struggling with, when we articulate that in the copy. It demonstrates to our ideal clients that we really understand where they’re coming from, that we get what they’re going through that we understand what it’s like for them. And that is a really key part of being able to connect with your reader is demonstrating to them that you understand and get them that you’ve heard them that you see them and so.

How you can go about doing this is you can do things like interviewing your ideal clients the past and present, you can jump into Facebook groups where you know, they hang out in and search for specific the specific topics that you talk about, or that you work on in that group. And that that will bring up a list of posts where people have talked about that topic. Make a note of all the phrases, and the specific words that keep coming up a note of the questions that they’re asking how they’re asking them, and the challenges they face. Then make sure you’re recording that information in something like a spreadsheet, so that you can come back to it whenever you are writing for your business. And you can use this over and over again, when you’re writing copy for Facebook posts. When you’re writing copy for your website for Facebook ads for you know, Google Ads, so many things within your business, you can come back to this spreadsheet, and you can look at how your ideal clients are talking in order to select the choice of words that are really going to help them to self identify with the copy that you’re writing. Similarly, you can look at testimonials as well. So look at the testimonials you’ve been given by the clients you really love, and draw out the language that they are using in those testimonials. 

Number five is don’t waste time on warm up copy. And so what happens is when someone comes to your website, you have got about six to eight seconds to make an impression on them. And to make a good impression on them. Because essentially, what will happen is they’ll land on your page, and they want to know straightaway where they are, how you can help them. That’s really what they’re wanting to know, because people aren’t wanting to waste time searching through websites that they’re not really clear on whether you can help them or not. So what you’re wanting to do is to hit them with an immediate obvious benefit in the hero section of your website. And this is the section that that loads immediately. So it’s a section directly underneath your navigation bar. And it stops before you have to start scrolling. And so here you would play something like your unique value proposition, or some other hero statement that gives people a really good idea of who you help what you do and the value that you provide. So make sure that you are making really good use of this space. Don’t use it to give people a big welcome. As soon as they land and you know, this hero section on your homepage, it is not a welcome mat, we don’t want to be using it for that because it is such an important piece of prime real estate on your website for copy. 

Tip number six is to be specific. So if you make any claims in your copy, like I’ll be in touch, or I’m the fastest at or I’m the best at, if you make claims like that, make sure you provide the specifics to back it up. Because being specific helps us to build credibility, and helps people to gauge whether we’re trustworthy. So, for example, if you have got a contact form on your website, which most of us do, instead of simply saying, you know, send me a message and I’ll be in touch with you ASAP. Say, send me a message and I’ll be in touch within and then put the timeframe that you will be in touch in. So is that 24 hours? Is it 48 hours? Is it three months, whatever it is be specific. And then make sure you are actually getting back in touch with the person who has contacted you before that time is up. Because what that does is it helps to build credibility and trust around the fact that you will do what you say you are going to do. And so that’s one really important tweak you can make to your website if you don’t already have it. Another is if you say things like I’m the fastest act, well, how fast are you? And how do you know that you’re the fastest? Do you have a Guinness World Record in it? If you do, awesome. Get that up on your website. The same with claims about being the best at something. How do you know do have awards? So make sure that whatever you are claiming You’re always able to back it up with specificity. 

Number seven is to use social proof. So this is known as thing using things like testimonials and reviews on your website, because this is a really powerful way to add credibility to your service offering. And so what I typically recommend to my clients is that we don’t have specific pages for testimonials, what I really want to see is, for those testimonials, that social proof to be woven into the fabric of the website, I want to see those testimonials being strategically placed on the page in order to back up the points that you are making on that page. Because what it does is it packs backs those points that you’re making about the value of your service, for example, it backs them up, but using the voice of your client. And so that connects with our reader, by letting them know that other people have been in their situation that other people have worked with you on this particular problem. These are the results that they have got, this is the experience that they had. And so if they are reading the copy that you are telling them, you know the results that you can provide people, and then you are supporting that with testimonials that really speak to those particular points, then that adds a huge amount of credibility.

It is backing up what you say you can do. And so you don’t always need to use results that have got these huge out of the box kind of out of the ordinary testimonials, you don’t need to always use those that have big, big results associated with them. Of course, if you’ve got those, that’s, that’s amazing, awesome work. But remember as well, that the experience someone has with you, the process that they went through with you is also a really important factor that people think about when they are deciding to work with someone or when they are deciding to get in touch with someone. Because we want to know whether we feel like that experience or that process, or that relationship is one that would be good for us is one that would be right for us, as well as the end results that someone gets. And remember that the end result doesn’t have to be always about money. It doesn’t always have to be some tangible results. It can be emotional results as well. So things like feeling more confident in yourself to go and do what it was that you wanted to do. So remember those things when you are coming to get testimonials from your clients? Make sure you’re asking questions about the before about the during and about the after working with you. 

Number eight is to make your copy scannable because people come onto websites these days. And essentially the first thing that they do is they will typically scan a page to see whether it’s of interest to them to see whether it helps to answer the questions that they have got running through their head because they don’t want to be wasting time having to dig deep into big blocks of texts to figure out actually whether you can even help them with the issue that they have got. So what I suggest you do is when you’re reviewing your copy or when you’re writing it is to make sure that you’re writing it in a way that is clearly signposted. So think about breaking up really big chunks of copy, making it really punchy and well signposted and scannable.

You’re wanting to use headings and subheadings so that when visitors are scanning the page, they can quickly get to grips with you know what you’re offering, and how you can help them. So make sure you’re thinking strategically about those headings that you are using so that you can again signpost it to people. Make sure you’re bolding. Make sure that you are using things like bullet points to really sort of let people know in a quick, easy to understand way the points that you’re trying to make. You can use use things like short sentences and single point paragraphs. And also remember that you can use plenty of white space on your website as well, because what it does is it helps people’s eyes to rest. And so if we have got just too much copy on a page, people will just often run away from the website, they will leave. But if their eye  is able to scan things easily, to digest pieces of copy easily, and to rest in white space, that is really going to help their experience on the website as well. 

Number nine, so the last tip I have got for you today is to let your personality shine because people love to do business with people. And so using conversational personality driven copy is a really great way to do this. And it doesn’t mean that you are unprofessional, because I know that for many of us if we’ve worked in a corporate environment, or if we have been employed for a really long time, and we’re used to sort of sitting behind that kind of business, essentially, when it comes to being the face of our business, and to being the the person behind the business, the brand, essentially, it’s hard for us to adjust, but by letting our personality shine through our copy. So by being conversational, so thinking about the way that we would talk to an ideal client, or the way that we would maybe talk to, you know, a friend. And using copy like that it helps us to connect at a deeper level than sort of corporate stiff copy does. Because what people get from that is they get to know about your personality, they get to know things like you know, is this, does this person have a bit of humor? You know, does this person have a lot of empathy, is she compassionate, we get all of that and more from the voice that shines through in your copy.

So thinking about the way that actually we want to be perceived when people are reading our copy is really important, because it’s all part of helping us to curate that brand voice. And making sure that people can come to our website, read our copy and decide whether we feel like the kind of person that they could vibe with, whether the we’re the kind of person that they could have a conversation with, whether we’re the kind of person they could open up to, or whether we align from a values perspective, all of that, and more comes through in our copy. And so we’re wanting to be quite intentional about that, as well. So when you’re reviewing your copy, have a look at it. Ask yourself, honestly, whether you are letting your personality shine through in the words that you’re using, or whether you are holding back a little bit, because we want to attract people that really resonate with us. And so one of the best ways you can do that is to let your personality shine through your copy. And so to close out on today’s episode, what I want to say is that ultimately writing really great copy is always about placing people and their needs first. So it’s about demonstrating empathy and respect in your copy. And it’s about writing copy that aligns with your values and letting your personality shine through, as I just said, while also making sure that your reader feels seen, heard and understood. 

And so I really hope that you enjoyed the tips that I’ve shared today and that you found them really useful. If you do use these tips, I would love to know what tip was most useful for you. And of course, if you don’t ever want to miss an episode, hit that subscribe or follow button in your favourite podcast app. I will be there each week with you in your earbuds. So until next time, go forth and be fierce







PIN THIS?