Great copy grabs a reader’s
attention and holds it by intensifying her interest in what is being presented.
It d-r-a-w-s the reader further down the page and lands her “open-to-buy” right
at your order form (or your income-generation source).
As long as the information is
realistic, relevant and answers the question -- “What’s in it for me?” -- the
reader will continue to scroll for as long as it takes. Slip even once, though,
and the mouse finger clicks. Your words alone increase the perceived value of
your product or service. And it’s your words that persuade your reader to
become a customer. What you write has to reflect your knowledge and passion
about what you are selling or representing. Insincerity, unsureness, and a lack
of enthusiasm will easily be detected “between-the-lines.” Hype is in a
(sub)class of its own... fatal.
So become the expert on your
product or service. Build a sense of trust and credibility in your visitors so
that they won’t put up a hurdle between you and their credit card. “Isn’t that
obvious?” Yes and no... You know your product from your perspective, for sure.
But you must know it inside and out, from every possible angle...
• Ask for opinions from other
people. Do they see it the same way? Have they discovered a new dimension? •
Compare your product with your competition. How does it measure up?
• Look at what’s happening in the
marketplace. Where is its position? Be a real sleuth. Uncover as much detail as
you can -- positive and negative. And then... you guessed it! Get out that
pencil and paper again (or your keyboard and word processor will do!).
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Write down all the features
(i.e., what your product does or is) of your product or service. This will be a
very long and objective list if you spread your sleuthing net far enough.
Finished? No feature left unexamined? Great job!
Now bring out that thumbnail
sketch of your customer and put it beside your just completed “features” list.
Imagine that your ideal customer is examining those features. Will she be
persuaded by what she sees? Will the features immediately trigger a “must-have”
reaction? Sadly, the answer is no… at least not for the majority of customers.
And why not?
Because most folks don’t have the
imagination to immediately see “what’s in it for them” just by seeing features.
People buy with their emotions, not with their logic. So you have to transform
that list of features into a list of benefits. Only benefits tap emotions. Only
benefits answer the critical question... “What’s in it for me?” So make the
change. Do the transformation. Take that thumbnail sketch and become the
customer. Work through the features and figure out how each one benefits you,
the customer. Don’t rush. Really become your customer. Get the mindset right.
Here are some examples to get you started...
• Does a certain feature save
time, especially if someone is presently overextended at work? That’s a
benefit.
• Does a key feature encourage a child to
read, just for the fun of it? That’s a benefit.
• Does another feature provide
independence, a chance to make decisions for oneself? That’s a benefit.
In summary... Features are
elements of a product (or service) that do, or that are. Benefits are the
results that do for your customer. They connect at an emotional level by
delivering a gain or curing a pain. Let your benefits list grow and grow. You
can never have too many. All benefits add to the perceived value of your
product or service, the higher the perceived value, the greater the chance you
have for a sale... or a download... or a subscription… or contract, depending
on your Most Wanted Response. Always keep this foremost in your mind.
A long benefits list provides the
key information you need to write persuasive copy on your Web site.
Benefit-laden words strike visitors “where they live.” They fulfill wants and
provide solutions for your ideal customer. They guarantee that you will keep
her attention and increase her interest. And that puts you well on your way to
a sale! So what’s the key to using the Web to multiply sales or contracts?
Provide high-value, benefit-oriented copy, not a straight sales pitch.
This type of copy builds
motivated traffic and develops a sense of warmth and confidence in you as
someone who knows their pains or dreams. People buy from folks they like and
trust. It’s as simple as that. Targeted PREsold visitors will click through to
your order page (or other revenue locations). The sale is 99.9% of the way
home!
The benefits list has a second
function and this function is really just an extension of the first. It will
help you create your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
Your USP tells your reader what
differentiates you and your product/service from your competitor. It is your
single best benefit that every visitor to your Web site will perceive as being
unique to you. It tells your visitor why they should buy from you and not the
business on the next site. Your USP is your service or product’s most powerful
benefit, in combination with a strong, unique feature of your business. It
answers that critical question... Why should potential customers buy from or
hire you? Here’s a simple exercise to help you develop your USP...
1) Write down what your business
provides.
2) Outline the key benefit(s) to
your client. What pain does it cure, what solution does it provide? Just the
most important benefits(s), please.
3) Identify your unique feature.
What makes you stand out from the competition? Keep working on this until you
can clearly separate yourself from the field. There must be a convincing reason
for doing business with you, instead of your competitor. If not, create a
unique positioning statement.
4) Summarize all of the above
into one tight, powerful, motivating phrase that will persuade your client to
do business with you, to trade their money for the benefits you can deliver.
As you start to work through
these four steps, you may find this to be a lot harder than it looks. It is!
But don’t give up! Your competition is only a click away. Use your USP to
differentiate yourself! As the Net expands, a compelling VPP will be essential.
Your business has to be able to stand out from the crowd. Ready for a homework
assignment?... Go back to your benefits list. Start by narrowing down your
choices, one by one. Whittle them down until you are satisfied that you have
identified the very best benefit. Not sure? Ask for a second or third opinion.
Then package this benefit into...
• a sentence or phrase that
persuades
• a collection of words that
highlights an outstanding benefit that a visitor/ reader can’t ignore
• a message that makes her think…
“Your product/service is the only one for me.”
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