Your small business NEEDS compelling conversion copy. Conversion copy is what gets you sales! It’s what keeps the lights on in your business. It’s time for you to focus on writing effective conversion copy for your website to ensure that your copy is helping you seal the deal with your customers.

What exactly do I mean by “conversion copy”? This is a question I get a lot in my business, so don’t feel bad if you don’t know the answer! Simply put, conversion copy is persuasive, compelling, or exciting copy that encourages people visiting your website to do something. Your copy could make them want to subscribe to your newsletter, share your social post, make a purchase, or even download a freebie. 

Conversion copy differs from the copy you might write for your “About Me” page. That copy is engaging and exciting, BUT it serves a very different purpose (giving your audience information about you and your business). Conversely, conversion copy has a very specific purpose: to persuade your audience to do something. And, as a bonus, when done correctly, conversion copywriting can be an extremely effective way to increase website traffic and boost your online sales!

The tone of conversion copy is persuasive in nature, and there is usually a level of urgency that exists within the text. Writing effective conversion copy yourself can feel like a daunting task, but I don’t want you to feel discouraged if you’ve never done it before. I have compiled a list of five tips for writing conversion copy for your small business website. Keep reading to find out what they are!

Conversion Copy Tip #1 – Know your audience

To write compelling conversion copy, you must first understand what makes people tick. Psychology is critical in marketing, so you need to get into people’s heads and figure out what motivates them. Once you know what drives your audience to take action, you can write copy that speaks to their needs.

Knowing your audience is probably the most crucial step when writing conversion copy. The language that will appeal to males in the tech world will be different from the language that appeals to women who own small businesses. Your language choices matter – especially here! 

Stuck on how to find language that appeals to your audience? Try answering these questions and see if that helps:

• What does your audience need or want?
• What is your audience’s pain point?
• What motivates them?
• How old is your audience?
• What do they like to buy (what have they likely already bought)? 
• Where do they hang out on the Internet?

Once you have a more fully-realized idea of your audience, it will be easier for you to begin drafting your conversion copy. 

Something I like to do when I’m just starting to compose conversion copy for a small business website is look at a long list of power words. What are power words? Opt-In Monster says they’re “words that smart copywriters use to trigger a psychological or emotional response. They’re called ‘power words’ because they are so persuasive that people simply can’t resist being influenced by them!” 

Opt-In Monster has a long list of power words for you to scan through – and the best part is that they are separated by emotional categories, like greed or curiosity. 

If you can’t find a word that helps you get started there, try looking at the lists created by SmartBlogger. All of these words should elicit emotion from your audience, which will help convince them to take action!

Now that you have a clear picture of your audience, choose some powerful words that appeal to your ideal customer or website visitor. How can you use those words? How will they help you sell your product or convince someone to download your freebie? 

Start with this tip, and you’ll surely have a solid foundation for the conversion copy for your small business website!

Tip #2 – Write headlines that demand attention

Headlines are the first thing website visitors will see, so don’t waste this opportunity to reel them in and keep them on your page. Headlines should be clear, concise, and to the point, while still being interesting enough to keep them from navigating away. 

I would suggest using at least one power word in your conversion copy headline. This is an easy way to ensure you have your audience’s attention from the beginning.

OptiMonk writes about creating “urgency” with your headlines. What does this mean, and why would it be useful? Well, people tend to respond to urgency. If an offer is only available for a limited time, it has to be acted upon NOW rather than in a week after they may have had time to think it over. Urgency works really well in conversion copy because it asks website visitors to make a decision immediately – and if your conversion copy is stellar, then their decision will likely be YES.

When writing your headline, you also want to make it easy for your audience members to give you that yes. The most effective way to do that is by writing with clarity and purpose. Remember, a dud of a headline could be the difference between a five-figure month and a three-figure month! Invest the time in crafting something worthy of your audience and their pain point, and reap the rewards when they click on your offer over and over again!

(And hey – be sure to check out my blog post – Copywriting Headlines 101: Tips & Tools for Writing Engaging Headlines!)

Conversion Copy Tip #3 – Make your offer irresistible

To really make an irresistible offer, you need to know precisely what you’re offering, and what makes it better (or unique) than anything else out there. This sounds easy (because you love your product/service!), but you actually need to approach it from a research standpoint. 

• What’s already out there that’s similar to your offer?
• What makes your offer special?
• What is going to make someone from your audience click on your offer rather than someone else’s? 

It’s essential to spend some time looking through other offers and refining the language of your conversion copy to reflect everything you have that makes your offer one-of-a-kind. If this isn’t the first time you have offered this, you may also want to include some well-written and detailed testimonials from previous clients or customers. 

Gather Content also recommends spending time trying to figure out where your audience may be in their buyer journey. The buyer journey consists of three stages: 

1. Awareness
2. Consideration
3. Decision

You want to make sure your conversion copy for your small business website takes all three of those buyer stages into account. (If you want to investigate each of them in great detail, the article linked above does a great job!)

I know – you probably never thought that a large part of creating an “irresistible” offer would involve so much research, right? But don’t skip it! If you nail the research, you will be able to craft conversion copy more easily that (yes, I’m going to say it) CONVERTS.

Tip #4 – Use a strong call to action. 

None of us are strangers to the power of a great call to action. An effective call to action can help you close deals and get clicks. A good call to action is a clear, concise, persuasive statement that tells your audience what you want them to do.

When it comes to conversion copy, you want to make sure your call to action stands out. VWO suggests doing away with the overused “Buy Now” or “Add to Cart” for a call to action button. Use something different that still gets the message across. 

Your call to action should stick with your website visitors and make them want to download your freebie or sign up for your email list.

Conversion Copy Tip #5 – Test, test, test!

Now that you’ve put all this work into creating the most perfect conversion copy for your website, it’s time for you to test it to make sure it actually works! Would you believe that sometimes the difference between a click to purchase and a click away from your website is one poorly written headline or call to action? This is why it is so important to test your copy!

The best way to do this is by split testing. Carmine Mastropierro details this process if you are interested in setting it up for yourself. Essentially, split testing just means experimenting with your words and tracking how well each version does with your analytics tool. 

Once you have a good idea of how well your website’s conversion copy will work on your small business website, you can feel confident in your page (and once it’s live, you can do a happy dance when all those website visitors start clicking!). 

Effective Conversion Copy is Essential for a Small Business Website 

Writing powerful conversion copy is an essential skill for any marketer or business owner. Your conversion copy is what sells your offer to your audience, so it needs to be solidly written, clear, and persuasive. If you want to increase website traffic or boost online sales, start by writing compelling conversion copy. Keep these tips in mind, and you’ll be on your way to success!

Ready to level up your conversion copywriting skills? Check out these blog posts.

How to Attract Clients with your Website Services Page

7 Easy Tips for a Standout Contact Page

How to Write Engaging Website Copy for your About Page

10 Tips for Writing Website Copy for Your Home Page

Pin with me on Pinterest: