Conversion copy is copy that nudges the reader towards taking action. It narrows the focus to just one goal, so that all other distractions are discarded and the reader is provided with the easiest and simplest path towards taking the desired action.

Writing ‘content’ can come in the form of guides, articles, blog posts etc. Many of these (not all) are in the ‘discovery’ part of a customer’s journey. They may not be aware of you, or they may be aware, but not know much about you and be looking for further information. At this stage, you don’t really want to be giving them the hard sell or pushing your product or service. That will most likely turn them off. If they have questions and they can’t find them on your site, they’ll probably go elsewhere. That means there’s huge value in this type of content, but it can be hard to track, because typically, a customer may read something on your site, go away for a bit, come back and read another article, go away again, come back again and on and on. It’s not a simple linear journey and so it’s harder to see the direct impact this type of content has on your bottom line.

Conversion copy, in comparison, assumes that the reader is in a stage of awareness, either of their problem or the solution that you can help with. Conversion copy narrows the focus to just one goal for the page, so that it can speak more directly to the needs and wants of ‘one reader’.

Do I need conversion copy?

Yup! If you have a landing page, with one goal, chances are, you need conversion copy to optimize the wording used and maximize the profitability of the page. If more people convert, whether that’s to subscribe, buy, register interest or some other goal, you’re going to see improvement.

Is conversion copy a guarantee?

No. Conversion copy (or any copy or content) is never a guaranteed ‘win’. This is because there are too many external variables and unknowns that can also affect the page or website, that a writer has no control over.

What can be guaranteed is a learning.

With conversion copy, we use data, proven psychological tactics and persuasive language to tap into logic and emotion. It’s not about making things fluffy and pretty. Everything is backed by data and science. It involves a lot of research.

And then we test.

The tests show us what performs better and so we can optimize even further, giving your product or service the best chance of success.

What do I do next?

• Make a list of the pages on your website that are driven by one goal. It might be a sales page, a subscription sign up page or something else.
• Check the copy on these pages. Does it speak to the Rule of One? Does it answer the questions a reader might have at the stage of awareness they are in?
• Does it remove anything that might distract them from completing the one goal?

If you need help with reviewing your sales and landing pages, drop me a message at danielle@writersofthelostart.co.uk.