04 Feb The Website Copy That Doubled My Client’s Leads
Yes, website copy – not just website design – can make a huge difference to your bottom line. A massive website redesign I recently worked on for a nonprofit saw traffic and leads nearly double less than a month after it launched.
This nonprofit already had a lot going for it. It’s established with a wide reach that is well-known and loved. Unfortunately, the old brand didn’t reflect their expertise, passion or results.
Even worse, their messaging was clear as mud. In fact, the CEO couldn’t clearly explain what they did. <Insert jaw hitting floor here.>
“Muddy” website copy is a widespread problem. As I was finishing up this blog post, I was introduced to a media company that has been actively losing potential clients because their website’s messaging and copy are so confusing.
The website copy that doubled my client’s leads
The new website copy that made the biggest difference for the nonprofit is a lesson in going back to basics.
What you do
On the nonprofit’s old website, it took a lot of digging to figure out and then piece together a full picture of what they do. I think this happened because they move very fast. As the organization evolved, its messaging didn’t.
What you do needs to be front and center on your home page, and it needs to be repeated throughout the website.
Start by answering these three questions: What do you do, who do you serve and what impact do you have? If this is not already clearly stated on your home page and elsewhere on your website, put this exercise on your to-do list.
If it is there, read it to your grandma. Does she understand it? No? Then start over.
Next, weave in how you are different. Do you have a unique method, proven results or unusual niche?
This is also a great time to ask your favorite clients why they love working with you. Their outside perspective can be invaluable. (We found this to be very true when we conducted stakeholder interviews for the nonprofit.)
Benefits of product and services
Like many organizations, the nonprofit focused on features more than benefits and outcomes when talking about their programs. Features are secondary; benefits and outcomes fuel the purchase decision.
Take a look at your product pages. Do you talk about the benefits? If you’re a service provider, do you emphasize outcomes over process?
Results – micro and macro
One of the coolest things about the nonprofit is the extraordinary results they deliver on the larger societal level and smaller individual level. It took quite a bit of untangling to understand what we were working with and how it was all connected.
We created case studies to show program impacts on participants. We tied these results to the larger societal challenges that they are tackling – like diversity, equity and inclusion and workforce and talent development.
Granted, you probably don’t have that many layers of impact and results to dig through. But it’s still important to highlight this information on your website. It gives you instant credibility.
About
As this pandemic nears its one-year anniversary here in the US, our need for connection and community has only deepened. And that’s why you need to give your website’s about page some love.
Look at your website’s About page. Does it answer: Who are you? Who is on your team? What are your values? Why did you establish the company? (Here are some more ideas to get you started.)
The nonprofit’s employees largely hail from the industry they serve. That creates an instant connection. “Oh, they get it! They’ve been in my shoes and know what I need.”
Clear navigation
Navigation is about organization more than copy. However, fabulous website copy is no good if it’s hard to find. Go to your website and click around.
- Can you easily get from your home page to product or service pages?
- Can you jump from one page to another without having to go back to the home page and start over?
- When you scroll to the bottom of a page, do you have a call-to-action or links to other pages so the web visitor can engage with you or continue to explore?
I also want you to click on every single link to see if they still work. You might be surprised as to how many broken links you find.
If this is a daunting project that you’d love to shove off your plate and onto someone else’s, give us a holler. We love writing website copy that can goose your bottom line.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
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