Website Copy That Converts (Before You Touch Design)
Does your site have as much traffic and clicks as water in Death Valley? If you’re dealing with a conversion drought, there’s a chance that your site is all show and no go. By that, we mean your site lacks the content that pushes people to take action. And it doesn’t matter how “well-designed” it is.
Website design in San Diego is important, but it’s really just there to support your messaging and positioning. When it comes to these two aspects of your online branding, you need website copy that converts.
Find out how conversion copywriting captures your customers’ hearts and minds — as well as clicks and purchases.
The Message Stack
What’s the first part of your site that your audiences reach? If you’ve dialed in your local San Diego SEO, there’s a good chance it’s your hero or landing pages.
Think of these parts of your site as your San Diego business’s calling card. The site design is the trimming and card material, while the words on the card are your web copy — the things that do the ACTUAL talking.
When it comes to website copy that converts, it should have the following:
- Audience and results AKA your value proposition messaging (“On-demand rideshare for busy San Diego pros”)
- The problems you solve (“Say goodbye to slow booking times and chatty rides”)
- CTA with benefit (“Download our app and experience fast bookings, low booking fees, and comfy rides”)
Follow the above homepage copy framework, and you’ll grab your audience’s attention and position your offer in less than three seconds.
“For” / “Not For” Filters
We see this all the time. Businesses in the city are confused about how to clarify who their offers are for, but need to do so in a way that doesn’t seem “too exclusionary.”
Luckily, we’ve found the solution.
If you want to avoid sounding smug, the best way to be explicit about your target audience is by including it as part of your value proposition messaging (see previous section).
On top of that, you can also enumerate who can benefit from your offer by writing a “who’s it for” section.
Doing this may mean casting a narrower net. But when you’re selling to the right people, you’ll be amazed at how much time you and your site’s users will save.
Let’s also not forget how conversions can go up because of how you’re offering to people who are already interested.
Service Pages That Do the Heavy Lifting
Once you’ve gotten your audience’s attention, you need to answer this question: “How can you solve my problem?”
If your service page copy isn’t answering this question, you’re leaving conversions on the table.
The Three Must-Haves of Service Page Copy
When you’re writing service page website copy that converts, you can’t go wrong with these rules:
- Highlight Pain Points:
It’s one thing to say your business is an HVAC company in San Diego. But if you say that you “provide 24/7 repair services for when something breaks at night,” then you’ve got a pain point with a solution.
- Talk About Outcomes:
Double down on your offer by saying what your potential customer can experience, such as “HVAC repairs done anytime while you wait.”
- Show Your Approach:
Remember the pain points from a while back? There should be a corresponding approach to each one. For example, if a pain point is “emergency HVAC repair,” you can highlight your 24/7 hotline and how technicians are always on standby. Do this three to four times, and you’ll be on the money.
Proving Your Offer’s Worth
Let’s face it. Anybody can systematically include pain points, solutions, and answers to the “how” question. If you want to set yourself apart, you can’t go wrong with the following:
- Mini case studies
- Testimonial snippets
- Mentions from well-known clients
All of these show that you’re running a legit San Diego business that delivers results. Trust us —
case studies and reviews are king
when you’re earning trust and trying to drive conversions.
CTAs That Don’t Feel Pushy
At some point, you’ve been a customer yourself. If you have, there’s a chance you’ve come across websites that are too hard-sell. These are the very same ones that struggle with conversions. So don’t make the same mistakes their site owners did.
To Be Clear: Many CTAs ≠ Pushy
Now, we’re not saying you can’t ever have multiple CTAs in a single page. However, there’s a fine line between being too pushy and being subtle. Cross it, and you’ll come off like a sleazy car dealer.
Instead, you’ll want the same, consistent CTA, but with soft and hard options.
The “hard” ones (like “book now”) are direct actions, and should be in visible places like easy-to-see buttons. When it comes to your softer CTAs, they should be in:
- Your case studies
- A contact form
- Somewhere in your blog section (linking from your articles isn’t a bad idea)
- “About Us” page
Writing Your CTAs
Nobody will admit it, but everyone loves being told what to do.
So when you’re writing website copy that converts, be as clear as you can with the next step you want your audience to take.
Do you want your site’s visitors to “learn more” or “schedule a consultation?” The former is pretty vague, but the second one tells your visitor “you’re getting a free conversation when you reach out.”
Social Proof That Matters
Getting reviews is easier these days, with platforms like Google and Yelp allowing users to just pick x number of stars. Yes, five-star ratings can say something about how reliable and legit your San Diego business is, but it won’t automatically make you the go-to choice for your customers.
How do you stand out with social proof? The solution is selecting and displaying reviews that showcase specific results.
When you’re choosing reviews from your lovely customers, go with the ones that talk about specific transformations. For example, a positive five-star review saying “Their team showed up at 1:00 AM and fixed my boiler in minutes” is superior to one that simply says “Great service.”
The former shows what a business did and the result, unlike the latter, which doesn’t really say much.
The proof is in the pudding. The more you can show your offer’s results in your reviews, the better.
Internal Linking for Flow
Website copy that converts keeps your users clicking. If you want those clicks to keep coming and remain on your site, take your users on a journey with strategically placed internal links.
What Internal Links Are and Where To Add Them
Internal links are clickable elements on your pages and content that direct users to other areas of your site. There are many places where you can incorporate them, including your About Us and blog sections.
Where Your Links Should Go
There’s really no hard-and-fast rule about where to direct your users. After all, where you want your traffic to go comes down to your business goals.
If you’re reading this, we’re willing to bet that you want more traffic and conversions. Given these targets, your internal links should direct your users to:
- Case studies for proof
- Service pages for their desired solutions
- A contact form or page
should your users want to reach out
About Using Anchor Text
Think of anchor text as your keywords used in your content (like your less-than-perfect blog posts). What gives them that “anchor” function is that they’re also links.
What does this mean for your conversion copywriting? It means you should only turn a text into a link if it describes where your user will get redirected to.
For example, if you run a local coffee business, you can turn an in-passing mention of “coffee roasting in San Diego” into a link if it directs users to your coffee roasting service page.
The Formula: Attract With Web Design. Show Value With Your Words.
Anyone who tells you to prioritize design over your conversion copywriting has it all backwards. Website copy that converts should be the first thing on your conversion optimization to-do list because it’s what makes your offer as clear as day.
You already know what your business does well. All you need to do now is get clear on who you’re writing for and how to position your offer.
We get it if you need help with writing website copy that converts. For conversion copywriting that supercharges your website design in San Diego, reach out for a conversation.
You can also check out our case studies to see how our wordsmithing has turned clicks into customers for many San Diego SMEs.
FAQs
What’s the Process for Writing Website Copy That Converts?
Whether you’re doing it from scratch or making changes to your site, follow this workflow:
- Present your main offer and who it’s for in your hero and landing pages.
- Highlight pain points and your solutions for each in your landing and service pages.
- Have soft and hard options for your CTAs.
- Add social proof to your landing, service, and reviews pages.
- Add internal links to your site content that direct readers to your “money-making” pages.
There Are Tons of Five-Star Reviews on My Google Business Page. Which Ones Do I Display?
Go for the ones that talk about specific transformations. If one review shows what you did and how it benefited the customers, it’s a clear winner for either your site’s reviews or case studies section.
If Having Too Many CTAs Is Pushy, How Many Should Each Page Have?
It’s not about sheer number. When you’re thinking of a CTA strategy, it’s great to have a consistent one, but you need to have soft and hard options.
Hard CTAs are direct and prompt willing customers to make a purchase or reach out. Buttons are the best places for these (not too many).
Meanwhile, your softer CTAs should be in parts of your site where conversions aren’t the main goal. Right off the bat, these parts of your site can be:
- Your blog section
- About Us page
- Case studies page
