Does your website copy ooze just the right amount of confidence? Writing copy that sells requires a blend of different things: piquing curiosity, establishing authority, appealing to someone’s sense of urgency, and convincing the person reading it that you have what they want or what they need.
You need to build trust with them so that they believe you are worth buying from. Doing this can be tricky at first. Copywriting with confidence can get you the sale. Copywriting shouldn’t be cocky, though. It’s wise to present yourself in a way that presents confidence without turning people off.
Here are some tips for writing copy that sells:
1. Know Your Intended Audience
Doing some market research can help you write in a compelling way for your target market. If you know whom you are selling to, you can write in a way that appeals to their buying triggers.
2. Show – Instead of Tell
Rather that just talking about why your product works, it can be a good idea to demonstrate this. Photographs (such as before and after) or videos (with customer testimonials or product demonstrations) could work well and descriptive stories that help your customers and prospects connect with you can be a good idea as well.
3. Overcome Objections
When you write a sales letter, it’s a good idea to try to anticipate potential objections to buying and deal with them on the page. Sell your readers on value so that the price seems like a steal. Sell them on the benefits versus the cost so that people believe that they’re making an investment that will provide an excellent return. Write confidently as you do this.
4. Offer A Guarantee
The best way to convince people to buy from you is to eliminate the risk. By making promises that you intend to keep, you bring people’s guard down. There is nothing quite as good as putting your money where your mouth is and putting a money back guarantee on the line can help you sell more product and ooze the right amount of confidence.
5. Give People Great Search Results
People who read your sales copy and who find what you’re saying to be potentially believable may look you up. If you call yourself an expert in a particular topic on your sales page, it’s going to be more believable if they find actual evidence of that expert status elsewhere on the web. Some published articles and a blog could support that evidence.
Bonus Tip For Writing Copy That Sells
Many copywriting experts suggest that you write tight and in the active tense. It’s a good idea to let your writing rest after completing it so that you can come back and edit and polish later and look to see if you do write confidently. Writing copy that sells is an art. Ask yourself this question – would you buy from yourself?
About Sean Rasmussen
Sean
Are testimonials effective?
Copywriting really is an art form. It’s such a different form of writing to any other. There are countless things that could have been added to this list. Essentially, it’s like having a conversation with a prospective customer, but in written words. The work of the brilliant copywriters is just a pleasure to read.
I find that so much of the copywriting that I read is far too pushy and elaborate and exaggerated for my taste. I often wonder if it really works, but I have to assume that it does because it seems to be the usual mold for it.
So, your advice is excellent and hopefully even without the normal hyperbole it will be possible to do it well, honestly and sincerely.
Thanks.
Hi Sean,
Okay, I’ve already bookmarked this page. I definitely wouldn’t buy from myself. I’m sure you know by now that this is a weakness for me. I’m really going to set aside some time to learn some of the basics of writing copy that sells. I’m determined to get better at this because it’s clearly important for the success of my business.
Hi Sean,
My goal is that once I have followed the 5 tips here is to write headlines that jump off the page, seize my reader by the throat, and force them to pay attention.
I guess if I follow the 5 tips first though the further action may not be necessary. They make a lot of sense and I will endeavor to learn them off by heart for excellent copywriting results.
Copywriting – or any form of writing is an art. Art is subjective as well. I have always believed writing is an art form – of course, surrealism is not something that should be incorporated but everyone reads words differently to each other.
I have to say, knowing that it’s an art form gets me sometimes. It pays to get other to read your copy – to pass the readability test. But I know these 5 tips for writing copy that sells will be a great source that I can return to when I am writing my copy.
Hi Sean
Now here is something I want to be able to do really well and be successful at, probably like every other internet marketer.
I find the 5 step guideline easy to use as a checklist to implement. A summary such is this is a very useful reference for me. Thank you.