How can you tell if your negative copy is sending visitors away?
When people come to me for advice regarding their website’s negative copy, their concerns are usually with how the search engines interpret what their text says in order to ensure proper ranking. If you think about it, Google’s AI is built to emulate humanity as closely as possible. So how can you use that same power of speech to ensure a positive outcome in business? There’s no denying that speech has a power that most of us have felt sometime in our lives. If you’ve ever read a story that moved you emotionally, or if you’ve sung along to a song with lyrics that evoked heartfelt memories, you know what I mean. Of course, the power of speech isn’t limited to fiction novels or top ten hits… it’s also an integral part of doing business both on and offline. Sounds like something straight from the mouth of Captain Obvious, but the implications aren’t just regarding the use of persuasion in advertising.
In the ongoing pursuit of the perfect way to properly describe product or service benefits, many advertisers like to employ an additional sense of “urgency”.
Urgency is often born from negativity which statistically, does garner more immediate attention and consideration when used for the tone of a headline (like the one on this post for example), however, copy that is written for more wide-spread and general use should convey a POSITIVE attitude.
In today’s hustle-bustle world, people are continually bombarded with bad news from the television, social media channels, and even their cell phone notifications. Time is money which adds even more stress to the situation causing a downward spiral that begs to be altered. The good news is, it’s easy for anyone to change things around! You don’t have to be a psychiatrist or a cheerleader and selling your building in trade for a cotton candy factory is not required. Just small tweaks to your normal correspondences and the copy that you use for your business will add a lot of shine to your approach.
In a nutshell, instead of identifying and pointing out the problem, concentrate on what can be done to solve it. Here’s an example:
A.) “Filing taxes can be a huge burden of confusion and anxiety with problems you may not anticipate. Call us for help.”
or
B.) “We’ll take care of all the details and quickly get you the tax return you deserve. Call now!”
Which of the above is more appealing? Which organization or professional would you rather contact? Although there may be instances when a negative situation has to be addressed, choosing positive language will always be the most effective way to ensure the best engagement. Discuss not only your positive outlook on solutions but also how your solutions have improved things for others in the past. Talk more about your reader and less about your self.
A great way to check out new copy can be to measure the ratio of negative terms that are included in your articles. Words like never, cannot, won’t, are the kind that should be kept to a minimum. Negative phrasing can carry a tone of blame or stress negative consequences. More positive phrasing will talk about what can be done and will offer alternatives. It’s more encouraging than bureaucratic and makes a better impression on others. There are many alternatives to negative words and phrases and rewriting copy to use them is always the best way to start. Try to focus on what’s possible to keep your reader from feeling a negative connotation. Even a neutral tone can be interpreted as negative by the reader because it can come across as too cold.
It’s good to remember that our tone of voice cannot be conveyed in print and instead, we set the tone with our choice of phrasing and verbiage.
Try your best to avoid words like – delay, difficult, doubt, error, or fail.
Choose words like – benefit, bonus, bright, easy, or effective.
Positive copy creates a positive environment that works to foster positive results!
In general, people choose the word “designer” to express the notion that they’re a creative who uses their vision of what the finished product should look like to guide their preferences while working on projects. Some web designers work at a lower rate because of their lack of coding experience and some charge extra because of their design prowess. Most web designers will be able to at least alter existing code when necessary and can do a lot of filling in for missing graphic designers. Some web teams are required to work with whatever media is provided by the graphic design team and some are expected to obtain or create the media in a manner that would be user-friendly to viewers online.
Some web developers charge less when performing web design duties and a little more for complex scripting or programming. In general, developers tend to charge more because of the many benefits they provide. For example, they can integrate software or scripting that works on your own server eliminating the need for third party subscriptions to services for mailing campaigns, analytics, chat, or form processing.
3. You’re not the only shy one. Everyone can be intimidated by new people or situations. It’s not a giant label on your forehead and everyone doesn’t know as soon as they look at you. You appear just as confident and in control as everyone else there because we’re all a lot alike. You might notice someone who is sitting or standing alone. They could be shy too and might welcome a gentle greeting.
6. You and your business are an integral part of our culture and society. Present yourself with the confidence of someone who has value equal to all of the others around you, because it’s true! When networking, be a good listener and do your best to remember names, faces, and stories. Don’t walk around giving everyone unsolicited advice on your subject of expertise. Just share the basics respectfully and provide your business card with contact information. These are your future contacts and first candidates for products or services that you might need later on.
9. Bring a friend but only if he or she is relevant. Inviting your web developer or bookkeeper to a business conference might be better than bringing your old bowling partner. I mean, he’s got great nacho recipes but he might light a cigar or have a pizza delivered which probably wouldn’t go over well. Having a friend with you when you’re shy can really help though… especially if your friend is extroverted! They can help you get new conversations rolling and also fill in those silent awkward moments.
An analog type person or company is not accustomed to doing business online because they typically do everything offline. These are highly skilled tradesmen, retail or construction services that are delivered or experienced in person from start to finish. An analog type is usually a brick and mortar business like a local emergency repair or service provider. They get a lot of foot traffic and they may have been too busy offline to consider the value of an online presence before and may have no idea what’s involved. They normally need to know a few definitions that the rest of us take for granted and ask for many of the same ones over and over. Here’s my list of web development terms. Let me know any others that you think should be included here!
Hosting – If your website is the house, hosting is the land it sits on. Your website host provides the disc space, the bandwidth, and everything server related that is necessary to hold your website data. Hosting can be shared or dedicated to your site only and plans are renewable every year.
Menu – The “menu” is the navigation element that is normally found across the top of the site or underneath a hamburger (three stacked lines). Page names are displayed and can be clicked to transport the viewer to specific areas of sites or pages.
Free platforms like Wix hide the complexities involved in coding and site preparation. Sounds great right? Not. The fact that all of these complexities are hidden means that they are out of sight and out of mind. As a result, many users do not even complete the set up for proper coding, responsiveness to mobile devices (not just shrinking tiny), search engine optimization, titles, tags, or descriptions… all are completely ignored and neither the user or the platform provider care. Google, however, does take notice. Their algorithm is set up to rank sites according to compliance and completion of many of these hidden elements that are ignored. As a result, your site is not ranked at all or will never see the first page of search results. A website that can’t be found will definitely cost you more than you’re saving in lost revenue. Let’s do the math:
If you have a free website, you’ll most likely have to advertise for the platform provider. You are probably getting the hosting from the same place. Is the server response fast? Do they provide you with an SSL? Chances are, your answer to both of those questions is no. People pay a premium price for fast internet connections to process data through their devices. If your site’s loading speed makes them wait, they will not stay. Load time and site security are a couple more things that Google takes into serious consideration when deciding who to rank first.
3.) Today’s business happens largely online with billions of active social media users. Make a post or two showcasing your new media with a thank you and a link to your developer. This is a lasting way to show your appreciation while recommending your developer’s services to other entrepreneurs. Type out their title and web link, and make a personal statement about some of the more positive accomplishments with your project(s).
It’s the best way to promote business growth and that’s what can make the difference between failure and success. Most entrepreneurs understand that the wider audience you can appeal to, the better. But not targeting sufficiently and pleasing customers will result in wasted time and effort or a bad expectation. So how can you properly sell to completely different people of all kinds in a welcomed way? Yes, each individual is completely different, however, there are general groups that can be targeted to better ensure that your message is received with a positive response.
4.) Follow Up – Stay in touch with the customer, or at least make sure that your contact information is readily available for them even after the sale. The only thing worse than not getting what you wanted is to end up stuck with it. On the other hand, getting the wrong thing and having the ability to have discourse with an understanding individual to receive a return or refund can turn a bad purchase into a great impression.
So what would drive your visitor to get from A to B on your landing page? The sales funnel is so much more than a form. A proper sales funnel is comprised of an argument. An argument on why the potential customer should proceed with the purchase or sign up. You must first ensure that you’ve stated who you are and what you’re offering in a clear and attractive manner. Then why should the visitor purchase from you specifically?
If you’re looking for an inquiry, make things short and simple. Leave the details for the resulting conversation when you are immediately present to offer answers more in-depth. A sales funnel should be comprised of an easy to manage presentation without long diatribes of text or multiple videos slowing progress with device loading and sending impulse visitors away to something more engaging.