How to Write Web Copy that Sells Effectively: 30 Useful Tips

In the modern world of business, it is useless to be a creative, original thinker unless you can also sell what you create.
– David Ogilvy

Using the list of tips collected here, you will be empowered to create amazing content to sell your product or service, thus making people happier, and changing the world for the better.

1. Get your ideas discovered

Before writing web copy that sells, you need to research your topic to discover useful information and show your potential customers a deep understanding of the issue.

It is important to not only present original and real information but also to announce it in a manner that intrigues your target audience. This strategy works because people like to be involved in interesting projects.

2. Tell a story

Remember that your SEO copywriting is different than a boring lecture. Rather, it’s an enthralling story that persuades the target audience to act and change the world for the better.

Make sure to avoid dull words, clichés and stereotypes. Instead, use compelling phrases to engage your visitors in your exciting story.

3. Employ creative thinking

Try to think outside the box, because customers are extremely tired of clichés and identical selling content to what they’ve already seen.
Use your imagination in everything you write and inspire potential buyers for action! Take a look at some creative copywriting examples that might give you some ideas.

4. Generate a killer headline

The headline is a key element of appealing content that attracts a potential customer by using a creative idea or an offer.

Ensure that your headlines grab the attention of your target audience and evoke a sense of curiosity. That’s what sells. You can try using a free headline generator and see how it works for you.

Here’s an article to start with: Headline writing 101: How to write attention-grabbing headlines that convert

5. Add personality

It’s not a secret that every copywriter has his or her own unique style, voice, tone, and other writing peculiarities.

As a part of copywriting strategy, make these personal features your brand and meet your customers’ wildest desires! Show that you love them and are ready to assist in improving their lives.

Read some outstanding sales copy templates to see what differentiates them from thousands of boring copies lacking an author’s unique style.

6. Show your passion

Emotions rule our world, and seductive sales web copy is no exception. Explain how a product or service you sell will bring emotional advantages such as happiness, relaxation, fun, or, perhaps, even more?

A post you may like: 15 effective emotional triggers to write great web copy.

7. Describe the customer’s life without your product

Answering the question “how to copywrite,” it can be useful to illustrate life without your product or service, namely, your target audience’s current situation.

The core idea is to get the customer to understand how much they lose. This negative approach can considerably increase the interest to your web copy that sells because people always crave improving their lives.

8. Create a sense of urgency

Use persuasive words to convince your web visitors that they immediately need to address the current challenges that you have identified.

You know that your customers are in a hurry—so be on the same wavelength with them. For example, tell them that this bargain is only available for the next 48 hours with a 30 percent discount.

9. Focus on problem-solving

The great web copies that sell pay more attention to the resolution of a key problem rather than to different features of a product or service.

For example, among the current struggles faced by the majority of customers are a need to find true love, earn money, or climb the career ladder quickly.

These problems seem to be more important than just a desire to learn how to become a good manager. Therefore, try your best in showing your customers that you can resolve their deepest pain.

10. Differentiate your value

You should identify a revolutionary benefit in your writing copy that sells compared to other similar items. In other words, the competitive advantage of your product gets illustrated clearly and ultra-specifically.

What’s your product or service best at accomplishing? Why should customers prefer reading your selling web copy among others?

A post you might like: How to write website copy that sells?

11. Write about effects

Guess what:

It’s a terrific idea to explain to your customers about several positive possibilities that will undoubtedly occur after the purchase.

For example, if you sell a book that reflects on how to become a great leader, then you can write that your customers will acquire the leadership knowledge and skills they’ve always wanted.

12. Prove your claims

Customers like to see specific data that back up your arguments because it provides a sense of confidence. For example, following copywriting strategy, you can use:

• Numerical data (statistics, years, or agency ratings)
• Case studies
• Real facts
• Success stories

At this point, provide relevant links to the outside sources so that your web visitors have an opportunity to verify the information presented in your web copy that sells.

Remember, the sooner you add a link, the higher the probability that a customer will read your web selling content until the end.

13. Pay attention to special features

A special feature can be a specific strategy, an innovative method introduced by a prominent scholar, or anything else relevant to your product or service.

Among other copywriting tips, try to discover additional features that may be interesting to your target audience.

To complete this task, you may need to review web copy related to your topic as well as deepen your research conducted at the beginning.

Attention to detail will show your customers that a product is well-developed and of high quality.

14. Stay focused on the sale

One of the most prominent advertising executives today—David Ogilvy states that “If it doesn’t sell, it isn’t creative.”

Even though you tell a story by writing your amazing web copy, it is of great importance not to distract from the fundamental goal of selling. Make sure that your customers also remain focused on the sale.

15. Incorporate keywords

The proper keywords will magically attract your target audience. Using the same words and phrases your customers do, you will undoubtedly win because your selling content is more likely to be found in Google or any other search engine.

So, help search robots detect your product or service naturally. That’s crucial to reach effective sales.

16. Speak the same language as your customers

If you want to convince somebody of the necessity of purchasing something, you should speak the language of your customers, thus building a close relationship.

A post you might like: How to speak your customers’ language

17. Get rid of unreadable

Don’t waste words and don’t add unnecessary information. Get rid of excess word count in the text by accurately re-reading it.

You can use specialized services such as Online Utility or Readability Score to remove unnecessary or vague information. These tools provide a huge step toward amazing web copy.

18. Simplify the content

Albert Einstein was sure that “if you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.” Choose simple words to become closer to your target audience and write understandable messages.

As a result, your web visitors will trust you and your arguments since you are convincing and, at the same time, easy to understand.

19. Try a 16-word rule

According to Robyn Bradley Robbins, a freelance advertising pro copywriter, “Less is more. Really.”

In other words, copywriters striving to learn how to craft content should avoid long sentences to keep customers interested.

20. Be clear

Make sure you avoid any mistakes, be it grammar or style. Web visitors will leave your selling web copy if it’s vague or unclear. This is the heart of effective copywriting.

Avoid “I” and use more “you” along with “we” to let your customers see that you are not a narcissist. People usually don’t care about what you think and do. Instead, they prefer to read and hear about themselves or proven facts.

21. Break rules moderately

In case you feel that you need to break some grammar rules to be on the same wavelength with your customers—it’s OK.

However, please don’t go overboard, find a middle ground.

A small hint: go organic!

22. Use active voice

Why would you write in the passive voice? The active voice usually sounds stronger and looks shorter than passive voice.

According to productive copywriting strategy, active voice is much easier to read and understand.

Must-read article: Passive vs. active voice: Time to end the copywriting madness

23. Work on visualization

Make your content visually appealing to your target audience:

• Vary the text using bolding, underlining, or italicizing
• Use bullet points, indented paragraphs, and headings

Besides those strategies, try specialized services such as iCharts or Infogr.am to create:

• Charts
• Infographics
• Diagrams
• Other visualization means

Ensure that your customers will properly perceive all your visual content.

24. Introduce imagery

Imagery promotes the understanding and proper perception of a product or a service, thus revealing their benefits.

Present the world through vivid metaphors and distinctive epithets. Invoke senses such as smell, sound, or touch, and make dreams come true!

25. Prevent self-plagiarism

Some copywriters are aware of plagiarism rules, yet they forget about self-plagiarism ethics. You cannot reuse your previous work in new web copy.

Read more about self-plagiarism: What is self-plagiarism and how to avoid it

26. Organize the content

Systematize your appealing content to make it more comprehensible. You may consider changing some parts or choosing other words to make the content more persuasive.

27. Include remarkable testimonials

Most great web copies that sell include several positive comments given by customers that significantly increase the level of trust for a product or a service.

At this point, testimonials should be convincing and reliable, thus making web visitors consider your website as a credible one. Testimonials should reflect incredible positive emotions experienced by customers after they’ve purchased your product or service.

Including customers’ photos will add even more credibility to your seductive sales web copy.

28. Offer a bonus

This is one of the most effective copywriting tips when promoting products. Offering one or even a few free bonuses, you will instantly win customers’ interest.

It creates a startling effect when you offer a gift at the end of your writing, thus encouraging people to buy.

A post to help with this tip: Adding bonuses to your copywriting offer

29. Inject an action

Create a convincing call to action such as “Register now and receive a free sample!” or “Buy now and get a 10% discount!”.

This final step is likely to prompt your web visitors to take some action immediately.

Look:

Write exactly what to do now!

Read more about call-to-action strategies: How to write web copy that sells even if you’ve never written anything – part 4: Call-to-action copy

30. Optimize the content

Re-read your writing copy that sells thoroughly and point out both strong and weak aspects. These steps will allow you to identify the areas to improve and develop the final web copy.

Try to optimize every component of your writing, paying attention to the following checklist: headings, value, introduction, conclusion, arguments, and credibility. Proofread the writing and correct typos. Remember that your core goal is to keep your web visitors’ attention.

Review, refine, and sell

When writing web copy that sells, you should understand what works for your product or service and what doesn’t, because it may depend on various factors.

It’s essential to continually review your web copy and change some points if they seem to be ineffective. It may be necessary to add more emotional words, make your web copy more specific, or implement more testimonials.

Always check good copywriting examples to get inspired.

Among the most important tips, there is the idea that your selling web copy should be natural and easy to understand so that the web visitors feel comfortable when looking through it. Summing it up, remember that good web copy must be useful, specific, simple, and appealing.