Boost Your Sales With better Copywriting

Posted by Mary T. Decker on January 28, 2010

It doesn’t matter whether your site is offering products or services, better copywriting can help you to increase your sales. For example, if you have a retail site, visitors are usually treated to a photo of the items you sell, but this by itself will not guarantee sales. He knows that it doesn’t give him enough information, like the product’s materials or size, and he may wonder what options are available. But subconsciously, what he really wants is for you to provide a reason that he just has to have the product. Effective copywriting should provide that reason. This may be even more important on a site for services. Your copywriting should convince your visitor that you are a far better choice than the competition, and a simple list of your qualifications and experience is not enough.

If you are seeing sluggish sales despite decent traffic, take a hard look at your copywriting. Does it not only give a good description of the product but also create a longing in the visitor to own it? Is there any sense of urgency conveyed, or is a potential customer left with the idea that he can buy it anywhere, anytime? Then try to put yourself in the visitor’s shoes. If you were viewing the item for the first time, how likely would YOU be to purchase it? If you don’t like the answers, you need to improve your copywriting.

If you find that you need professional copywriting services, you can locate many online. If they don’t have samples or links to their work posted on their website, ask for them. A dependable copywriting service will not object, and will more than likely be quite pleased to show off their skills. Also, you might want to choose a copywriting service that has some experience in your line. Although a true professional can provide copywriting for almost any purpose, there are some who are stronger in certain areas than others, such as a copywriter who excels with new tech gadgets but has trouble writing copy for cosmetics.

There are several online sites that allow you to place an ad for copywriting services so that members can bid on the job. Every site has hundreds of members, and bids on copywriting jobs can be very attractive. You have to register and enter an ad that tells what the job is, and then when bids are made you choose the best bidder for your job. One thing you should remember when using such sites is that many bidders are international. This means that communications can be delayed, since they may be working during the hours you are sleeping.

Proofread all your copywriting carefully, whether you write it yourself or hire it done. The obvious mistakes, like a product that is 6″ tall being listed at 6′ or a price of $10 on something that sells for $100, are easy to spot. But you also need to look at the whole feel of the copy. Does the description of the product make you interested in buying it? Are all statements factual, or are any so misleading that customers will complain? Is the copywriting well organized and to the point, or is it long and boring?

For a quick course on good copywriting, peruse some of the catalogs and flyers that national retailers mail to you. These companies spend a lot of money on advertising and have professional copywriting departments. Examine the terms they use to describe a product’s great qualities without making a false claim. Notice how phrases such as “Quantities are Limited” or “Offer Expires Soon” lend an urgency to the purchase. Then use the tips you pick up from them to spruce up the copywriting on your own site.

Mary T. Decker Mary T. Decker has been Copywriting for many years. For more insights and information, go to http://www.copywriting2day.info