This 1 simple writing tip will improve any business website

Imagine a luxury hotel in a popular family seaside resort. It’s a gorgeous period building with décor that exudes more 20’s charm than the Orient Express. And the owner has won an award for hospitality. Chin-chin!

But guests are dwindling.

The owner thinks she needs a better online presence. So she gets a website that’s almost as gorgeous as the hotel.

There’s pictures so stunning it would make a travel blogger weep with joy. An About page detailing the hotel’s history.

In bold font, the Sandbanks Prestige Award she won in 2014. An invite for readers to email or call to book a room.

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6 Fiendishly Persuasive copywriting secrets – and the psychology behind them

Is copywriting really magic? It can’t compel someone to do what they don’t want to. And if a business is trying to pull the wool over customers’ eyes, they’ll know – and they’ll run a mile.

But here’s the thing…

There are ways you can give people a little nudge when they’re already tempted. There are tricks that entice even the most discerning person into signing up, buying or taking action.

Yes, even you.

You see, we’re not as logical as we like to think. We tend to (unconsciously) make decisions based on emotion, then justify them afterwards with rational reasoning. And we’re all prone to our emotions being influenced, without us even knowing about it. (Cue evil cackling.)

Here’s a rundown of psychological tricks you can use in your writing to persuade people:

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3 key features of a compelling web page

Isn’t it tough to stand out on the web these days?

Prospective buyers are ruthless in their research, jumping from site to site on their quest for the ideal product, spoilt for choice but starved of time.

Maybe you’ve upped your game and made your website look great and load fast, stretch and shrink to fit the screen of PCs to smartwatches. But your visitors still rocket away from your site faster than you can say ‘’welcome’’, and you suspect your content is the culprit.

So what will make your content stand out from the rest?

Many techniques for online writing work better on some websites than others. Hiring a professional (nudge, nudge) is a sure-fire way to utilise these. But there’s 3 basic things that will improve any webpage and keep visitors in your orbit:

1. Make an impact from the start

Your title is THE most important part of your content. Get this wrong, and click. You won’t see your visitor for dust. The content you worked so hard on won’t get a first glance. A great title is short and snappy, and does two things:

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What the heck is a copywriter, and why do I need one?

Wondering what a copywriter is, exactly? You’re not alone!

It’s not a term that’s in popular use, and you might assume a copywriter has something to do with copyright law (nope, confusingly the words sound the same). Or maybe you’re thinking the sleazy world of Mad Men (nope, too busy working for those shenanigans).  Here’s what a copywriter really does, and how one will help your small business grow:

In a nutshell, we write words or text that persuades people to do something.

That something might be to click on a link, to buy your product, to donate, to visit, to sign up for a newsletter…you get the idea!

There’s a copywriter for anything that needs persuasive words; letters, billboards, radio ads, jingles. The list is endless, but most copywriters will specialise in one area. Online content (like me), direct mail experts, technical or legal writing, and so on. So it’s a good idea to shop around for a copywriter who will write the stuff you want.

If I’m writing content for you, here’s what I do:

1. Tons of research

And I mean tons. I’ll look at your industry, the people who buy from you, why they buy from you. Their demographic, and their hopes and dreams if I can. Then I analyse your competition to find out what makes you different – and better than your competition. I’ll look at the keywords and search phrases your customers use.

Read moreWhat the heck is a copywriter, and why do I need one?