Home » Archive by category 'Direct reponse copywriting'

Do you know what your prospects are really thinking?

January 19, 2010 • posted by Heather

Want to know a secret?

When prospective buyers visit your website, they are looking for more than just their desired product or service.

The secret is, they’re looking for reasons to NOT buy from you.

Yes, that’s right. Your prospects – no matter how motivated they are – are coming to the virtual table with a chip on their shoulder. Like the person burned by too many bad dates (you dated that person too?) they want you to prove to them how you’re not just like all the others.

But the problem is, just like in the dating example, you have no idea what the “others” did to your prospect. She’s not coming to you and saying, “Here’s what happened to me – and I’m expecting you to pull the same stuff.” But here’s what she could be thinking…

…The last PR company I worked with took my 10K and didn’t generate a dime in buzz. How can you help me?

…The last time I bought something online, the package arrived late – and the company overcharged me for shipping. Will you do the same thing?

…The last time I hired a writer, he copied an article from Wikipedia and tried to pass it off as original content. How do I know that I’ll get what I’m promised?

…These prices seem high. Are your services really worth it, or are you overpriced?

Think about your own buying behavior. Do you jump into a new purchase willy-nilly, buying from the first vendor in the search results? Or do you carefully compare Websites, send exploratory emails and check reviews so you can work with the right company?

(As a side note, that’s why well-written persuasive content is so important, It’s more than just “getting a good ranking.” It’s providing a fantastic customer experience through the power of the written word.)

Here’s what this means to your online content.

You have to overcome those objections within your copy and show the value of working with you. Rather than waiting for your prospect to bring up every objection they have (guess what – they won’t,) you have to face the known issues head-on and overcome them. No, that doesn’t mean hammering your prospect over the head with how cool you are. It means recognizing that your prospects need to be 100% assured of the value they’ll receive when they work with you.

Plus, if you don’t overcome these objections immediately in your Web copy, you may not get a second chance.

For instance, Domino Pizza’s old campaign of “Pizza in 30 minutes or less” was perfect for thousands of hungry pizza-lovers anxious for immediate-gratification food.

The U.S. Post Office’s campaign of “Celebrating a simpler way to ship” helps promote their online services and overcome the objection of “Will I have to stand in line for hours at the Post Office?”

Or FedEx’s, “When it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight…guaranteed” – which is important for businesses who need on-time, trackable shipping.

How do you “figure out the known issues” if you don’t know exactly what your prospect is thinking? Simple. Do your homework.

  • Talk to your sales team. These are the folks “in the trenches” who hear exactly what’s going on – and who overcome objections every time they talk to a new prospect. Learn what their clients are worried about, what’s important to them, and how your service has exceeded their expectations.
  • Talk to your customers. Often times, testimonials can help tease out what objections the person had before they worked with you. For instance, customers will tell stories like, “When I worked with XYZ company, it took one or two days before they would answer my email. When I work with you, I get an immediate response.” See there? A sentence like, “We’ll return your email within one business day, guaranteed” perfectly overcomes the objection.
  • Review competitng sites. Sometimes, your competition really does get it right. Comb through their copy and see if they’ve overcome objections that your site doesn’t address. Does your competition talk about how many years of experience their consultants have? Does your competition mention a “no hassle money back guarantee?”  Do they include customer reviews touting their superior service? Although it’s not a smart idea to copy your competition (after all, you can do better,) you can learn from them. And in doing so, give your prospects the exact information they need.

Wondering how to write persuasive content that gains top search engine positioning. Learn more about the new SEO Copywriting Certificate Program – perfect for SEO practitioners, online copywriters, marketing gurus and advertising professionals.

Filed under Commentary, Content marketing, Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting

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Daily SEO copywriting candy: Is A-B-C for y-o-u?

March 18, 2009 • posted by Heather

Candy bagBack in my 20’s, I was an outside sales rep for a local newspaper. Living solely on commission, I quickly learned what’s called my “ABC’s” in the sales biz (always be closing.) The more sales I closed, the more money I made, and the more efficiently I could pay my rent. It was all good.

It’s just as important to know your online ABC’s, too. The key is, “closing” can mean different things to different sites. It may be lead generation, and “closing the online deal” is obtaining an email address. Or, you may be selling a super-special widget, and moving units is where it’s at. The key is using your direct-response and SEO copywriting skills to figure out the exact right approach for a successful sale. Today’s Daily SEO copywriting candy focuses on the ABC’s – and shows how we can close our sales just a little bit better.

  • The Secret of How to Sell Everything? Wow, you have to love the headline. Although the advice seems basic, it’s amazing how many companies skip the “what do our customers really want” step altogether (and it’s the foundation of any SEO copywriting campaign.) If you’re needing a back-to-basics slap, this is the article for you.
  • OneUp Innovations of Atlanta had an interesting problem: How could they close more sales with customers who may be too shy to ask questions. Makers of the Liberator, an adult “bedroom accessory,”  the company found live chat was the perfect way to get customers talking – and buying. Makes you wonder – if you expanded the way you communicated with your customers, would you close more sales? Hmm….
  • Ever have a client say, “Well, we like the copy. We do. But we’re afraid that the close is a little too…hard?  Could you tone it down?”  It’s true that some folks are afraid that “closing” will be perceived as pushy – and no-one wants to be that guy (or that Website) with the super-smarmy hard-sell copy.  Enter Bob Bly with his question “Must you always be closing.” The answer? Perhaps.

Hey, are you following me on Twitter yet? If you just can’t wait for the latest SEO copywriting musings, follow me today!

Filed under Daily SEO copywriting candy, Direct reponse copywriting

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Daily SEO copywriting candy: March12, 2009

March 12, 2009 • posted by Aimee

Clover patchOk, I admit it. I’m having a tough time today conforming to any sort of routine. As I sit here with my fingers poised over the keyboard trying to come up with a great theme for today’s SEO copywriting candy, it suddenly hit me … who says I have to have a theme? With so many newsworthy items circling the Web these days, it’s tough to narrow it down to three seemingly related topics. So today I’m giving you the best of what I think is the best! Sure they have nothing in common, but who says I have to conform to the “norm” all the time? Let’s shake it up!

  • Good news for SEOers? It’s been said that businesses are expected to use SEO throughout 2009. However, a new report from Conductor finds that “Fortune 500 companies are struggling with the implementing the strategy.” Read the report from SEO technology/services company Conductor now.
  • I’m a gadget geek. There, I said it out loud. Which is why I’m always searching for cool new tools. Jordan Kasteler wrote an interesting piece called, “5 SEO Tools You Might Be Missing from Your Aresenal.“
  • What’s a quality blog post without some sexy spice ;-) Megan Musilli & Dan Skahen each give their he said/she said two cents in a hot little article called, “Sex in the ‘Seo: Is a relationship really what you call it?”

Filed under Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting

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Daily SEO copywriting candy: January 5, 2009

January 5, 2009 • posted by Heather

Looking for some tasty online copywriting goodness? Here are my fav SEO copywriting articles that I Tweeted out to the world today.  Enjoy!

And hey, if you were following me on Twitter, you would have read these articles by now!  Join the SEO copywriting community here!

  • “Everything you need to know about being persuasive, you learned before you were 20.”  Now, how can you resist a line like that? Check out master copywriter Clayton Makepeace’s article on advanced persuasive copywriting techniques.
  • Need a jump-start on your 2009 content planning (although you should have been thinking about that last year…but whatever…) Check out this resource of cool content creation and brand marketing books from Brain Traffic.
  • Have you discovered Twitter yet (if you’re a freelance SEO copywriter, learning to connect via Twitter is a must!).  I adore Twitter, but it tweaks with my ADD.  I either spend way too long sending Tweets and watching the updates fly – or the thought of Tweeting overwhelms me so badly that I don’t do a damn thing. Enter Nicole Nicolay (@nik_nik) with a Tweet master plan posted in Darren Rowse’s TwiTips blog. Bless you, Nicole and Darren. You’ve made my life a little easier. :)

Filed under Copywriting, Daily SEO copywriting candy, Direct reponse copywriting, SEO Copywriting Tips

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No info=no sale. Why Berlitz’s site lost me as a customer

December 2, 2008 • posted by Heather

The question came up yet again just a few days ago.  “I’m afraid of having too much information on our site – I want leads to call us instead.”

And to that, I always answer, “Well, what if they don’t want to call you? Or what if they need more information before they feel comfortable picking up the phone? Are you willing to lose a conversion because you were afraid of “giving the lead too much information?”

When it comes to the sales process, the Web is a weird and wonderful place.  Doing in-depth vendor research is as simple as a few Google searches – and researching a consumer product is easier than ever. Like it or not, people are conditioned to start their research online – and then move it offline if (and only if) it suits them. If your Website doesn’t immediately answer their questions, you can’t assume that people will call you for information. In fact, a non-informational site runs the risk of making the prospect so frustrated that they choose to walk away rather than contact you.

Last night, I came across a perfect example.

So, I figured it was time to learn another language.  I’ve been jonesing to learn Dutch for a couple years.  I travel to Amsterdam at least once a year – and I’m constantly embarrassed at my inability to speak the language (International travel hint: gesturing wildly does not make up for an inability to speak Dutch. It just makes you [OK...me]) look like a chicken.)  After doing some searches for Dutch language instruction in Portland, OR, I came across this well-known, corporate site:

All I wanted to know is how much it would cost and how many classes a week they’d recommend. That’s it;.  Since it was 11pm, there was no-one to call – and I didn’t want to talk to anyone at that moment anyway.  All I wanted to do was figure out cost and the time commitment.

Here’s where the site completely failed me:

  • There was no FAQ section – or much online content at all. The questions I had were probably pretty common.  Why wasn’t there a place where I could quickly get the information I needed?  OK, so they mention that I could download a brochure. But how can I when the…
  • …”download a brochure” line isn’t hyperlinked?  Suddenly, I’m hunting around for a download link.  Nope, not on the right hand side of the page.  Nope, not in the navigation bar.  It took me about three minutes to read “download a brochure” (it’s below the navigation bar and above the “Contact a Berlitz Consultant” button.”)  OK, I was tired and it was late. That could have contributed to the time spent. But still.
  • When I did download the brochure – guess what?  It didn’t answer my questions.  The brochure’s main focus was to get me to contact a Berlitz Consultant…which I didn’t quite want to do yet.  Even so, I clicked to the “contact us” and found this:

Uh, “corporate sales representative?”  I didn’t want to be “sold to.”  I wanted to figure out the cost and the time commitment. Didn’t they call these folks “Berlitz Consultants” earlier? That seems much more palatable than “corporate sales representative.”  Hmm, I have a business – but maybe since I’d want individual lessons, that site section would give me more information? Let’s see:

Uh, ok.  The page devotes 19 words to telling me more about their program for individuals.  That’s it.  No class schedules.  No fee structures.  Nothing.  And look – apparently, individual customers aren’t as desirable as businesses. The individual page is a contact form only – no friendly representative contact numbers.

I gave up after that. And don’t even get me started about their SEO copywriting…let’s just say that it could be vastly improved upon.

This was a clear example of a company wanting me to get information about their service their way – not the way I’d prefer – and because of that, they lost a conversion.  If they only provided a bit more information – possible class schedules, an idea of pricing, anything that would help me move along the conversion cycle, I would have happily converted.  I looked for it.  I wanted to read something.  But, no.

Instead, the site was like one big, unsuccessful tease.  And for Berlitz, there will be no happy ending.

In the meantime, if you know of anyone who provides Dutch lessons in Portland, OR – have them contact me. You can contact (and follow me) on Twitter at @heatherlloyd.

Filed under Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting

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What Stephen King taught me about online copywriting

November 6, 2008 • posted by Heather

I used to love Stephen King books.  “Carrie.”  “It.” “The Stand.” As a teenager, I had them all. Heck, I even had them in hardback. Whenever I’d make a new book acquisition, I’d crawl into bed, turn on my reading lamp and faithfully turn to the introduction before chowing down the main story.

Why? Because the introduction was just as creepy, scary and weird as the rest of the book – sometimes, even more so. It warmed me up to the book’s theme and set the stage for what I’d find next.  Sure, Stephen King would go through the normal stuff every author does in an introduction. He talked about the inspiration for the book. He talked about what was going on in his life when he wrote it. He mentioned a few characters, and thanked a few people.  But, where most book authors make the first few pages a dull litany full of “thank yous” and factoids, Stephen King seamlessly folded fact and emotion into the copy.  In essence, King made a book introduction – the most mundane part of every tome – spooky. And expertly set the stage for the rest of the story, placing the reader on the edge of her seat before she reached the first chapter.

Stephen King is a master of eliciting an emotional response through his writing’s tone and feel.

Direct-response SEO copywriting is a type of storytelling. Every Web page – whether it be about industrial blenders, women’s coats or gardening shears – is there to draw the reader into a purchasing frame of mind.  If your prospect is at the consideration phase of the buying cycle, he’s looking for information, comparing features and kicking the virtual tires. If your prospect is ready to buy, she wants to purchase from a company she feels she can trust.

Read the text on your Website, and ask yourself these questions:

  • Would I feel comfortable reading this text to a prospect?
  • Would these be the words I’d use to showcase our services?
  • Does the wording sound way too formal for your “family owned, small business” atmosphere?
  • Do the words inspire trust and confidence?
  • Do you feel energized after reading the copy? Or does your site sound exactly the same as all your competitors?

 
Isn’t it time to erase mediocrity from your SEO content?

Your Website copy is your front-line, virtual salesperson. Never, ever be afraid to be engaging.

Filed under Commentary, Direct reponse copywriting

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How to turn blah headlines into eyeball-grabbing powerhouses

June 12, 2008 • posted by Heather

Direct response headline writing is tricky.

You know that you have to “grab the reader’s attention,” but that doesn’t help much when you’re facing headline-writing writer’s block and nothing is flowing. How can you work your SEO copywriting magic when you don’t even know how to begin?

We’ve all been there – you just need a little jump start. If you’re feeling stuck, here are some tried-and-true headline archetypes, compliments of the American Writers and Artists Institute.

Idea Starters: 52 Headline Archetypes to Get Your Creative Juices Flowing…From The Best of The Golden Thread

  1. How to (accomplishment) by (doing something unexpected)
  2. How to (accomplishment) in (time frame)
  3. How to turn (problem) into (benefit)
  4. How to get (goal) from (something common)
  5. How to improve your…
  6. How to start…
  7. How to have…
  8. How to make (someone/something) do (something great)
  9. (Problem) – how to fix it
  10. How to get free (product/program)
  11. How you can (action) in the next (time frame)
  12. How an uninformed (person/action) make a fortune in (business type)
  13. How an unexpected (event) changed my (situation)
  14. How I (accomplishment) in (time frame)
  15. How I (accomplishment) by (something unexpected)
  16. How I improved my (problem)
  17. (#) ways to (promise)
  18. (#) ways to avoid (problem)
  19. (#) steps to…
  20. (#) ways to…
  21. (#) ways to beat (problem)
  22. Get rid of your (problem) forever!
  23. Buy no (product type) ’til you’ve seen (product name or description)
  24. Read this and (promise/threat)
  25. Dare to be (promise)
  26. Read this or (threat)
  27. What makes…?
  28. Do you make these mistakes in…?
  29. Want to be (better condition)?
  30. (Problems) – Which do you want to overcome?
  31. (Personalized greeting), here are (#) (products) of interest to you. Which (#) do you want free?
  32. Are you ever (problem)?
  33. Tired/fed up with (problem)?
  34. Should you (something your prospect is thinking about doing)?
  35. Are you…?
  36. Are you ashamed of (problem)?
  37. Secrets of (some kind of expert)
  38. What never ever to (common chore/action)
  39. The truth about…
  40. What you should know about…
  41. The one sensible way to…
  42. What every (person) should know…
  43. The secret of…
  44. Why…
  45. What it takes to…
  46. What everybody ought to know…about this (business type)
  47. Little known ways to (benefit)
  48. The wrong way and the right way to (do something directly related to your business)
  49. The secret of (accomplishment)
  50. The secret of…-Yours, if you qualify
  51. Your (something important to you) is in imminent danger
  52. When experts (failure/problem) – this what they do

This article appears courtesy of The Golden Thread, an e-letter from AWAI that delivers original, no-nonsense advice on how to build your freelance copywriting business. For a free subscription, visit http://www.awaionline.com/thegoldenthread

Filed under Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting, SEO Copywriting Tips

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Has your SEO copywriting strategy changed with the times?

June 2, 2008 • posted by Heather

The economy has shifted. Has your marketing message?

In today’s learned helplessness, recession-mindset economy, some business owners are moaning, “People just aren’t buying. There’s nothing we can do.”

The reality is that companies (and individuals) are buying products and services every second of every day. However, the marketing message that worked a year ago may not be applicable now. When money is tight, prospects want to know they’re getting a good deal (read: value) from a company they like and trust. Additionally, your prospects may have different objections than even six months ago – objections you need to overcome if you want to make the sale.

Although this article is written for salespeople, the principals apply to Web site sales copy – and how we all need to look at our messaging a little differently.

How has your company changed messaging (or developed new content) this year?

Filed under Commentary, Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting, Marketing strategy

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What’s the “best” word count for SEO copywriting?

May 30, 2008 • posted by Heather

The email from a SEO copywriter read, “My colleague’s SEO company is insisting that I write at least 500 words per page. But you said that the best word count is 250 words. What should I do?”

Stuff like this drives me nuts. I call it the Easy Bake Oven approach to SEO copywriting. That is, write 250 words, focus on your keyphrases X times each and pop it into HTML. Voila! You’ll have a top-positioning document.

It’s just not that simple.

The “how long should a Web page be” debate has been flaring fast and furious for years. Long ago, I wrote that a good rule of thumb for SEO content pages was 250 words because:

- It’s easier to gain keyphrase relevancy with a longer word count
- The tone, feel and conversion flow could still be maintained
- I was seeing success (as well as other copywriters) with a 250ish word count

I still preach this rule of thumb. However, it’s just a rule of thumb. It’s true that short copy (think catalog copy) doesn’t seem to position as optimally as copy that’s more fleshed out. And the more content you have, the more opportunities you have to position for a wide variety of keyphrases (especially long tail keyphrases.) But that doesn’t mean that there’s a magical word count for search engine positioning.

Unfortunately, many SEO copywriters think that they have to write exactly 250 words (or more) on every page. This is fine when the writer has a lot to say – articles, FAQ pages and some product descriptions can easily maintain a 250 word count without sounding fluffy. Fluffy, bloated copy can kill a conversion flow just as fast as too-little copy.

However, there are some pages where squeezing 250 words out of the content is impossible. There’s just simply not enough to say. Conversely, some pages actually benefit from a longer word count. It’s not the search engines that should dictate your per-page word count. It’s your customers. What works for them? What word count conveys your information in the best way for your target audience?

Think about this when you’re writing the copy: Have I said everything I could? Have I overcome all objections? Have I showcased the product or service? Is the keyphrase usage seamless? Does the copy encourage the next conversion step? Have I placed my keyphrases in the search engine power positions?

If your answer is “yes,” you’ve done your job. It’s really as simple as that.

Filed under Commentary, Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting, SEO

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So, what’s in it for me?

May 27, 2008 • posted by Heather

When faced with an offer, an action step or a request, we all want to know one simple thing: What’s in it for me?

For instance, how many times have you received an email like this one:

“Thank you for (staying at our hotel, talking to our customer service rep, buying something from us.) We’d like to invite you to fill out a form so we can improve our customer service….”

And how many times have you junked that email as soon as it hit your in-box?

Chances are, your first thought is, “Why should I spend my time filling out your survey.” And really, why bother? Even if it takes “just five minutes,” that’s five minutes you could spend working, answering email, or watching The People’s Court reruns.

In short, filling out the survey wouldn’t benefit you one iota. So why bother?

But even as we laugh at the survey example, how often are we violating the “what’s in it for me” rule on our own Websites? It’s easy for us to rest on our online laurels and figure that “hey, everyone knows our brand,” or, “our specials are listed on the ‘specials’” tab” – why list them again?

Think about this behavior offline. Imagine walking into a store looking for new tennis shoes. Would we want the salesperson to grunt and say, “All shoes are on that wall. Pick the ones you want.” Or would we want her to tell us about the different brands and how they’ll make us run faster, tone our legs while walking and improve our game?

If you really think about it, you’ll realize that we’re often missing the benefit boat. We don’t tell our customers what’s in it for them. We don’t mention how our service will exceed expectations. We sit back and hope that our prospects will figure it out.

This point really came clear during the DMA’s ACCM conference last week. We evaluated many catalog sites with:

  • Pages chock- full of thumbnail pictures with no benefits nor calls to action
  • Benefits like “free shipping” hidden towards the bottom
  • Feature-based product pages with no benefits

If you consider the inverted pyramid style of online writing, your most important information (think benefits) should be near the top of the page. Additionally, we know from Jakob Nielsen that people first scan Web pages horizontally and across the top of the content. So, it’s not just that people need to know what’s in it for them. They need to know right away.

Scour your site for benefits and see where they appear. Do you shout your benefits on every page? Or do you hide them below the fold? Just one “what’s in it for me” statement could make the difference between sluggish sales and a top-converting page.

Filed under Commentary, Copywriting, Direct reponse copywriting

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