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You’ve recently invested in a brand-new website and are disappointed by the fact that it’s just not converting like you thought it would. Or the one you spent a lot of money on a few years ago isn’t working the way it used to. In the first case it’s easy to blame the design or search-engine optimisation (or lack of it). In the second case it’s easy to think you just need a brand-new website – and then all your problems will be solved.
But then you get the brand-new website and – well, you get the picture.
Often the problems don’t lie with the design. And the SEO problem is often tied up in the copy. Either there isn’t any proper on-page search-engine optimisation, it’s been added after the copy was written, or it’s targeting all the wrong keywords and phrases.
The good news is there are various common copy-related reasons a website will fail to convert. A website copy audit can give you the answers you need, but in the meantime, check out these seven reasons your website copy might not be converting.
7 reasons your website copy isn’t converting
1. You’re focused on you – not your visitors
Too many service-company websites are fixated on what and who they are as a company – and what they do. They forget there needs to be plenty of focus on the client and why what they’re selling matters to them.
- Is your copy too inwardly focused?
It’s rarely interesting or engaging. Instead you should be telling people what they want to know, not what you want to tell them – especially if it’s all about you. - Is there a lot of ‘we’ and not enough ‘you’?
Shift from ‘we’ to ‘you’ by focusing on outcomes and benefits. Use empathy and put yourself in your target client’s shoes. That’s why you have customer personas and a target audience. - Are you trying to be something you’re not?
Certain professions try to be overly formal, clever, or quirky, just because they think that’s what everyone else does and therefore what people expect. You’ll either put people off or there’ll be a mismatch when you get to know each other. Your brand voice should reflect your brand and resonate with your target audience – whatever those two things are. Make sure your website copy reflects both.
2. There’s a lack of clarity
Who you are, what you do, who you do it for, and what you stand for should all be easy to understand. Quickly. And if you’ve got too many options for different services, or nothing is clear it can be overwhelming and confusing. People will just give up and look for something simpler and clearer.
- Have you fallen into trap of assuming everyone knows what you mean?
Just because you talk in words and acronyms everyone in your industry or company uses doesn’t mean your target clients will too. Write in language your target audience will understand. - Have you assumed a certain level of understanding of your service or its benefits?
Remember that what’s obvious to you might not be to your customers. You shouldn’t be condescending, but your services might need to be explained in a way that makes sense to them. Take a step a back from your copy – and ideally ask someone who doesn’t know – and ask them what you do. If it takes longer than a few seconds to work it out, it’s not clear enough. - Do you answer frequently asked questions?
You’ll know what people tend to ask – so pre-emptively answer their questions for them. It’s helpful for visitors and can help prequalify potential clients, saving you time and effort.
3. You’re not guiding your website visitors to take action
Present people with a lot of information but don’t tell them what you want them to do with it, and they won’t do anything. Missing, unclear, and multiple calls to action (CTAs) will confuse visitors – or just lose them. You might think it’s obvious that people should book a call or sign up to work with you when they’ve read how amazing you are, but it’s not. And even if it is, no one is going to start hunting for information on how or where to do this.
- Have you got the right CTAs?
Check that you are encouraging people to take the action that’s relevant to the customer journey at that point on your website. If you want them to book a call, make it easy. If you want them to download a guide, make that your CTA. - Are your CTAs in the right places?
One call to action at the bottom of the page is unlikely to be enough: not everyone gets to the end of a webpage. Repeated or multiple CTAs every paragraph or so for no apparent reason can be annoying. Make sure you’re giving people a few opportunities to take action – when it makes sense in the copy.
4. Your copy isn’t building trust
Buyers of services want to be reassured that you’re capable and the right company for the job. Testimonials and reviews go a long way to establishing this trust but it’s not just about posting quotes. They also want to see that you know what you’re talking about and take your business seriously.
- Do you have reviews, testimonials, and case studies?
Make sure you’ve got enough proof that you can do what you say you can – and allow people to see themselves using your services too. Add badges, affiliations, qualifications – but only the relevant ones. - Are you providing valuable information and helpful content?
Your website should be giving back, not just a sales page. Have you got well-written, engaging blogs to help drive organic traffic? They’re not an overnight fix but they are an important part of the big picture – and it’s never too late to start.
5. The copy and the design don’t work together
While this might not technically be a ‘copy’ issue, design and copy are interrelated and need to work together. Layout, the amount of white space, heading hierarchy and so on all affect readability and flow. Even good copy will struggle if it’s hard to read, broken up poorly, or just doesn’t align with the visual journey.
- Are your layout and copy fighting each other?
Speak to your website designer and copywriter to ensure design and copy work together. Collaboration between website designers and copywriters is a key success factor.
6. SEO is missing or not aligned with your copy or business
Copy that attracts the wrong visitors is not going to convert. Whether you’ve optimised it or not, the search engines will index it according to their understanding of the content and who it’s for.
- Have you given enough thought to search engine optimisation?
Align your copy with what your target audience is searching for but be realistic. Ignoring search engine optimisation or targeting the wrong keywords can mean you could get no traffic or the wrong visitors. Shoving keywords in wherever you can leads to terrible copy that no one wants to read – and therefore won’t convert either.
7. Your copy doesn’t reflect your business any more
Businesses and services evolve but copy often stays frozen in time.
- Is your copy up to date?
Review and update your website copy regularly. This is good for search-engine optimisation. It tells the search engines your website is current – and it means you’re on top of new services, prices, and messaging. Old copy that doesn’t reflect these will bring in the wrong visitors and fail to convert the right ones.
Do you need help with your website copy?
Just because your website isn’t converting now doesn’t mean it can’t. A mismatch between the messages that are out there and the audience you want to reach can be fixed. Avoiding the mistakes people make with service-business copywriting will make a difference.
Check for clarity, relevance, trust, and calls to action. If you’re concerned about why your website isn’t doing more, we can look at all the issues that could be holding it back. Why not book a website copy audit to see what simple changes you can make to start converting more customers? Get in touch!