Writing website copy from the customer’s perspective: how to persuade

From “we” to “you”

Many sites describe the company: “We have been around since 1995 …”. What visitors want to know first is how they will be helped. Change the perspective: “You get …”, “So that your customers …”.

Structure of a good section

1. Headline with a benefit: “So that your customers find you” instead of “Our services”.
2. Name the problem: The customer’s situation in one sentence.
3. Show the solution: What you do, specifically.
4. Proof: An example, a figure, a process.
5. Next step: A clear call to action.

Rules for language

• Short sentences and paragraphs
• Specific rather than general (“in three weeks” rather than “quickly”)
• Explain technical terms
• No empty superlatives
• Active verbs

Before and after

An example for a painting and decorating firm. Before: “We are a long-established family business offering painting work of all kinds.” That says little, and any firm could write it. After: “Your stairwell gets painted without you having to move furniture or cancel appointments: we cover everything, work cleanly and tidy up every evening.” The second sentence describes what the customer experiences. It contains no claim that cannot be checked, but a concrete commitment the firm must also keep. That is exactly the difference between self-description and benefit.

Typical mistakes

• Company history first: It is of interest, but later. Begin with what visitors are looking for.
• Technical terms without explanation: What is obvious to you is new to customers.
• Everything in one paragraph: Anyone reading on a phone needs structure, subheadings and short blocks.
• Several calls to action at once: “Call, write, book an appointment, subscribe to the newsletter” is too much. One main task per page.
• Copied manufacturer copy: They often appear identically on many sites online and help neither visitors nor findability.

Myth versus fact

Myth: People do not read long texts, so everything has to be short. Fact: People skim, but they read carefully exactly where they are looking for an answer. A service page can be detailed if it is well structured and answers questions. It is the sentences that should be short, not necessarily the page.

Turning questions into content

Collect ten questions that customers actually ask in conversation, for example about the process, duration, preparation and costs. Answer each in two to five sentences. This gives you text that is directly useful and also matches what people search for, see Search intent. The headings should match the content; more on this under Headings.

Checklist before publishing

1. Does the headline say what the visitor gets out of it?
2. Does “you” appear more often than “we”?
3. Is there at least one piece of proof: an example, a process, a verifiable detail?
4. Is every technical term explained or replaced?
5. Is there exactly one next step, and is it visible?
6. Have all commitments been checked to see whether you can keep them?

Finally, have the text read by someone who does not know your business. Their questions show where customers would get stuck. It takes five minutes and usually reveals more than another round of revising at your desk.

Headings and the first sentence as the deciding point

Many visitors decide on the basis of the heading and the first sentence whether to keep reading. Put the answer to the question the visitor came with right there. Someone searching for “How long does a website take?” should find a timeframe in the first sentence and only then the influencing factors, not an introduction about the importance of the internet.

Read a section aloud and ask: as a customer, would I know what to do? More on landing pages and content.