Is Copywriting Important
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Your site is your "salesman." I mean really think about that. Your online business is NOT like an offline business where someone can "walk in" and you can talk to the potential customer and sell something to them. People visiting your site do not have that face to face interaction with you...so with that said, what do you think you have to rely on to get that sales process happening??
Yes, your copywriting becomes your salesman. Your personality, belief in your products/services, and knowledge comes through in the words you use. From there a prospect, depending upon how you come across, will decide to do business with you, or not.
Now, if you site is your "salesman" then hang with me for a second and go through this little exercise with me. Let's say our site is actually a store on Main Street. A customer comes in and is looking around at the products/services you have to sell. You go over and talk to this person and start asking questions and start communicating with them. Through this communication you are exchanging information. You are answering questions that your customer has so that they can make a more informed buying decision. This exchange is building trust and rapport with them. Through the exchange they feel and see the belief you have in your products/services and they know that you are quite knowledgable in what you are selling. You are certainly someone they "need" to keep around.
Ok, having said all that and using an offline approach, all those points and traits I just went through are exactly what you site now has to do. Your site has to show how knowledgable you are, either through information you write yourself, or information you obtain and post from other sources, and/or a combination of both. People online are looking for INFORMATION first before they buy.
Just like in our little exercise above. Yes, there are times when a customer knows exactly what they want, however, these impulse buyers are rare. People STILL will go through the process of gathering information, and why not, I mean that's what the internet is all about, right??
So, people search for information and of course solutions, which is basically the same process they go through offline, right? You go into a store, talk to the salesman, ask questions, the salesman offers a solution and a sale is made.
Online we provide the information and the solutions as well, through:
Content:
Give them the information they are looking for by converting your knowledge into content related to the theme of your business or interest.
If your business is selling Paint Pellet Guns, then write everything you know about Paint Pellet Guns, what to look for in a gun, perhaps rate the ones that are out there. Write about what a newbie to Paint Pellet Guns should start with.
One you have written that, then look at things that go hand-in-hand with the selling of your Paint Pellet Guns. I mean they need accessories right? So, set up another section within your site on accessories that are needed.
Your visitor is totally gobbed-smacked because you have just brain- dumped all you know about paint pellet guns and you have even gone so far as to recommend accessories they would need. This is the very same information that they would have received if they had gone to your Main Street Store, but you aren't on Main Street, you are online so you improvise.
BUT...don't stop there, think a little more outside the box. A prospect has the gun, the accessories, what else do they need?
How about a place to fire it off? So, you go out and search for places that have paint pellet war games and firing ranges (if they even have such a thing as a range). If there are weekend retreats etc, find out and have another section on your site that lists them.
You could even set up a little discussion board for your visitors where they can touch base with others who are into paint pellet guns and the war games so they could set up little meets between two teams, etc. Are you starting to see just how powerful YOUR KNOWLEDGE is and how copywriting plays an important role in the exchange??
Writing down what you know is not hard. Basically it is a brain dumping of everything inside you...you knowledge about a specific subject. Where you might get a little hung up is taking that knowledge and putting it into an order that will be effective for you.
In that regard there are copywriters who can help with that process and they can take the essence of what you are expressing and tweak it for you so that it does have the emotion and impact your "salesman" (site) needs.
To find a copywriter you can go into google.com and do a search. Or, go and seek out Phyllis Schwartz who is usually available (she is quite busy these days) to help you along the way.
Phyllis is at Better Copywriting
I will say this from my own experience that I strongly believe and recommend that everyone use a copywriter. If you don't have a flair for words, a copywriter can certainly help you. If you want to save
yourself a little money, then write your own of what it is you want to convey
and have the copywriter tweak it for you. That way you aren't starting from scratch, because remember your copywriter's time is your money.
If your site is your "salesman" doesn't it make sense that it says all the right things and be your "voice" when you can't meet these people face-to-face?
Denise Ryder copyright 2003
Marketing Coach
Check my Coaching Services at Profitspace
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Fred Farah Recommends
It is important that your site look professional, and even more important that it says ALL the right things in a way that projects confidence, trust and enthusiasm. One way to save yourself a little money is to actually write the sales copy yourself and then have a copywriter review and edit it for you.
To help further along is "Make Your Words Sell" This masterpiece is really worth your time to read. Great, great piece of work.
Click here for "Make Your Words Sell"