5 Deadly Copy Mistakes That May Kill Your Sales (And How to Avoid Them)!

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While having your own business and running your own website gives you lots of control and flexibility, there are still things you have to do right to maintain and grow your customer base.

If you don't avoid the common pitfalls of online marketing, your sales will suffer dramatically. The benefits to being self-employed can only truly be enjoyed when your business is successfully growing and making you money.

The following list details what some of those most common copy mistakes are, and how to avoid them. Read on, and then take a look at your business and see if things need changing!

#1 Not Grabbing Them with the Headline

Statistically, 80% of people who read your copy won't make it past your headline. You might be wondering why that is.

Well, actually it's because you haven't given them a reason to keep reading. Headlines are a key element for increased engagement. You need headlines that will pique their interest and draw them in. Let's face it, reading is work. If you want them to do that work, you have to pay them to do it. Let that pay come up-front by giving them something of interest to read about.

If you're having trouble coming up with excellent headlines, try a free tool like Askacopyexpert that does the work for you. Brainstorming for headlines is a great exercise to get you going and think about what your readers are seeing.

Make a list of potential headlines, then pass them to a friend, and ask which are most likely to be articles they might take a look at. The answers may surprise you. Difficult as it is, you have to think like a reader.

#2 Expecting Them to Read Everything

Readers are lazy. That's just fact. There is a barrage of information online, and we are all assaulted by it on a daily basis. Think of the number of elements on any given webpage that you don't see, just because you're not interested or won't bother devoting time to investigating.

Even emails, how many times do you click "delete" without even paying attention to the subject?

We are inundated with reading material and everyone is trying to get everyone's attention. So if your headline is enough to draw them in, consider yourself lucky! Then realize that most readers are only going to browse, or skim through, your copy.

Knowing this will allow you to make use of cosmetic enhancements. Yep, just what it sounds like, make up for your blog. Use colors, bolding, font sizes and choices, underlining and highlighting to draw attention to key points you want your audience to focus on. Think about where you need your readers' eyes to go, and bring them in!

#3 Rigid, Boring Language

Let's assume that you've captivated your readers with your headline, drawn them in with your cosmetic key points, and now they want to know more. Once you have them invested, don't scare them off with monotone corporate speak.

Reading a website that's dry and not entertaining will hold their attention about as long as reading a dictionary. Your copy has to be engaging, whether you use humor, wit, drama, or a conversational tone, you have to compel them to want to read more. People want to read about things that matter to them personally, or make a difference in their lives, or solve a problem. Be somewhat transparent, but always be authentic. People buy from people!

#4 Talking About You and Not THEM

Just like at a party or a social event, no one wants to listen to someone prattle on about themselves.

One of the best tips to good conversation is, ask the other party to talk about themselves.

Why? Because that's really what people care about.

They care about their own lives, their own experiences, their own families. While it may sound like we're all a bunch of egomaniacs, that's not really the case. It's a matter of being mindful of where someone's interest really lies, and that is with him or herself. So, knowing this is a powerful tool for your marketing strategy.

If you focus on you, you, you, you're going to lose, lose, lose your reader. It's great to talk about yourself, but do it from the standpoint of drawing similarities between you and your reader. Show them what you have in common, and ask them questions that they can answer in their mind as they read.

For example, "can you relate?" or "what would it take for you to be less stressed?" are simple questions that can play to your advantage. Ultimately, this will help you to help them conclude that they need what you're offering.

#5 Making Your Copy Work Too Hard

Your products or offerings should be simple, and similar. Don't try to sell two product lines that require two totally different sales messages in the same web space. You wouldn't want to sell socks and roofing shingles on the same page, just like you wouldn't see cheese and shampoo on the same shelf at your local grocery store. It doesn't make sense to do that.

Keep your readers' path simple and clear, and direct them to the action you want them to take, whether that be buying an item or signing up for a service. When you have products or services that give different benefits, they will likely require separate audiences, and need to be handled separately. Don't let your readers get confused. Even the most sophisticated consumer can be led astray by distracting copy. A good rule of thumb for sales is to bring it down to about a fifth grade level.

It's the time to review your site and see where you might be falling into these common marketing potholes. Some of the changes will be simple, and some you might even find enjoyable. It's worth doing a little extra work to get the results YOU want. Remember, be genuine, be human, and use your page to talk to your customer the way you would if they were standing in front of you!
#avoid #copy #deadly #kill #mistakes #sales
  • Profile picture of the author TomAndrews
    Good post.

    Agree with No.2 especially.

    A great way to ensure these "skimmers" get the gist of what you're saying, is to make your sub-heads tell their own story.

    What I mean by this, is that if someone only reads your sub-heads (which is what a lot of people will do), they should still know what your copy is about.

    Too many copywriters write their sub-heads as almost an after-thought. In reality, they should be treated as very important parts of any piece of copy.

    Tom
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    Let's connect on Facebook because it's always good to meet fellow marketers. Send me a friend request: https://www.facebook.com/tom.andrews.7927

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  • Profile picture of the author Raydal
    5 Deadly Copy Mistakes That May Kill Your Sales

    If they are "deadly" mistakes then they Will kill your sales, not "may".

    -Ray Edwards
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    The most powerful and concentrated copywriting training online today bar none! Autoresponder Writing Email SECRETS
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    • Profile picture of the author angiecolee
      Originally Posted by Raydal View Post

      5 Deadly Copy Mistakes That May Kill Your Sales

      If they are "deadly" mistakes then they Will kill your sales, not "may".

      -Ray Edwards
      Agreed - if you're going to use a power word like "kill", why on earth would you use a weasel word like "may"?
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      Aspiring copywriters: if you need 1:1 advice from an experienced copy chief, head over to my Phone a Friend page.

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  • Profile picture of the author DABK
    I liked this: "Be somewhat transparent, but always be authentic."
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  • Profile picture of the author HCDdaking
    Overall Good article.I read this and I will try to not killed my customer audience,Thanks for informations.
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  • Profile picture of the author onehalf
    I wish you'd practice what you preach.
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  • Profile picture of the author shim333
    Thank you for tips, About testing headline - if you use ppc - you can also try which get best CTR
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  • Profile picture of the author DavidGWelch
    Excellent advice!
    You're so absolutely rights with this points!
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