Click Through or Delete?
WORD DIFFERENCES
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Small subtle “TWEAK” changes in your website wording can make a monumental difference in your site visitor traffic, the all-important numbers of “quality” visits, search engine rankings, inquiries, sales leads, revenues, revenue streams, and profits.
First of all, talking about “small,” here’s some free advice that should be obvious, but it is obviously not: human beings older than 30 do not like to have to squint to read a sales pitch. Period. A gift certificate or love letter, maybe. But not a sales pitch.
Your website’s job one is to make it as easy as possible for prospects to become customers.
Tiny text? Unless you’re building a family practice in ophthalmology or optometry, give it up! And don’t let some artsy techie convince you that people are used to reading .7 size type, and that the smaller it is, the more space that’s available for design impact.
If you need more design space, cut back your text. Most sites talk too much anyway.
Now, here’s the biggest difference you can make a difference about, that word differences make:
Get rid of all language that could even be remotely associated with being a distant relative to your Uncle Braggadocio! This means killing any words in any marketing materials, broadcasts, news releases, traditional media, websites, emails, banners, billboards, sandwich boards, matchbook covers, skywriting . . . you get the idea . . . that suggest, sound, or look like:
I~ME~MY~MINE~
WE~OUR~OURS~US
Oh, sure, well that’s easy. Easy, perhaps, depend-ing on where you live, but not in most places on this planet! Pull up any ten small business website home-pages. Odds are good that the text content language contains more than a couple of these kinds of references. In fact, there are probably as many strewn across corporate giant sites as well, come to think of it.
The point is this: NOBODY CARES how great you are or how great you think you are so stop talking about yourself and lock into answering each prospect’s and customer’s only concern: “What’s in it for me?”
RE-phrase your messages to instead emphasize words that suggest, sound, or look like:
YOU~YOUR~YOURS~
YOU’D~YOU’LL-Y’ALL
Instead of “Our team of trained professionals,” try “Your team of trained professionals.” Instead of “Our program is designed to help our clients…” try “Your program is designed with your needs in mind… ” Instead of “We analyze your needs,” try “Your needs are assessed based on the results you seek.”
Instead of “You can count on us,” try “You can be certain.” Instead of “My paintings will look great over your mantle,” try “Your friends will envy your great taste when they see the paintings you select here.” Instead of “We work as your partner,” try “You get a partnership attitude, not just a sales pitch.”
As many words as you use to tell your story and deliver your message, there are that many opportunities to tweak what you have and make it work better. If you see your son consistently stepping out of the batters box as he swings for strikes instead of hits, wouldn’t you want to see a knowledgeable experienced person help him adjust his stance and his attitude at the plate?
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Make today a GREAT day for someone!
“The price of freedom is eternal vigilance!” [Thomas Jefferson]
Hal@Businessworks.US 931.854.0474
Guidance to 500+ Successful Business Startups
Creating Record-Sales for Clients Since 1981!
What can I say? Brilliant.
As usual.
Judy – Some people are a breath of fresh air; you are a gush! I am so honored to have your visit, that your sweet little comment is like icing on the cake. I appreciate it very much. I appreciate you very much. Thank you.
[…] believe anyone who tells you she or he can write you sales-winning words without becoming thoroughly engaged with every level of your business. It doesn’t happen, even […]