Check out these writing tips to reassure potential customers and increase conversions.
Whether it’s a new product or service customers aren’t sure they want, or a purchase they are hesitant about because of negative online reviews, explore these top ways to reassure customers and build consumer confidence.
Target Audience or Customers: What’s the Difference?
Customers are random. Your target audience is specific. Quick Sprout recommends gearing your writing around the language and specific subject matter that will reach that particular audience. Your wording will be different whether you are selling to new first-time moms or tech professionals. This approach will help with SEO and it will help build consumer confidence. Consider these two audiences…
New mom audience
With moms, you need lingo and wording geared around babies, bath time, nursing, sleeping through the night, binkies, onesies, and so forth.
Tip: Go to mom blogs like Parenting.com or Babybump.com for wording that can help streamline your writing. Also be sure to watch your wording. New moms don’t want tips on “What to Expect if You’re Expecting.” They’re already new moms, right?
Tech professional audience
With tech professionals, while you might have to nurse them on new tech gadgets, your wording will be completely different. It’s more tech savvy. Check out articles in C-Net or Mashable to help with specific wording to match your client’s audience.
Tip: Be careful with writing articles like “10 Ways to Get Started with Digital Marketing,” if it’s anticipated that your audience is already expert marketers.
Yup. Your jargon needs to be more centered, technical and audience-driven, so make it read like you know this stuff…
Pack Quality Content into the First 15-Seconds
Neil Patel suggests that articles that will convert readers into customers need to be worded differently. On average, about 55% of readers will give only 15-seconds to an article before putting it down. That’s why wording is crucial.
We know firsthand that sometimes keyword phrasing can be killers and so can word counts, but don’t fill articles with fluff that the customer can quickly turn away from. The client reading your description, blog or other type of article will know their stuff, so to build trust, give them quality… especiallyin the first paragraph and the last paragraph. These are essentially where people will do the most reading.
Also think about the reader’s age, gender, education level, profession, and more importantly, the problem they are facing that’s bringing them to your description, blog, or other type of article…and that’s next.
Assess Pain-Points
One way to reach customers is with wording that targets pain-points. Charbeat’s Tony Haile researched that of 2 billion random page views on over 500,000 articles, only about half didn’t bounce or close out the page.
We wrote last week about using negative CTAs that help solve a customer’s problem. A negative CTA can be, “Worried about your subscriptions? Here’s how to get more clicks now!” Likewise, with descriptions, articles and blogs, there may be a pain-point. This can be an area where the customer has a need or problem, but you also have to see it from the standpoint of the client. The client may want to generate more revenue, increase sales, minimize noise in social media platforms, and so forth.
Topics that gear your writing around these pain-points can lead to higher conversions when you give the resolution to a problem. The reader and potential customer wants to be reassured that you understood them and now they’re ready to buy.
Here’s an example:
We know you’re tired of shopping for new tires. That’s why Pep Boys has all-season tires with the deepest treads. 100% guaranteed reliable and you won’t need them rotated or changed for up to 5-years with our full warranty. Take 10% off your online purchase today!
While giving the description, article or blog, always be mindful to not get too wordy or drag on. The goal is to be informative and lead up to a link or CTA that will take them to the next level:
- A free trial
- An e-book excerpt
- Their email on a mailing list
- A new purchase
- Contacting the client to set up an appointment
Give the details. Make it informative. Close with a CTA and/or link. Next up, let’s look at new buyers…
Consider the New Buyer Cycle
Okay, here’s a little Marketing 101. If a client has a brand new business, they may ask you to mirror a competitor. If they are an established client like Home Depot or Netflix, for example, they are more than likely scaling themselves so the writing will be different because they’re at the mature stage of the buying cycle. Let’s explore this further.
New potential customers need to be reassured when a site is selling new products or services because the business may not already be established. Wording should be precise with key words that stand out and can reassure, such as:
- 100% Guaranteed
- Non-GMO
- Fully Certified
- Recycled Materials
- Money Back Guaranty
- Best Selling
- Highest Quality
- 5-Star Reviews
- Won’t blow up and won’t catch on fire in your carry-on (Oh, Samsung)
Established businesses, on the other hand, are already considered reputable with a well-built brand. Think Coca-Cola. Home Depot. Macy’s.
But what about when they have a problem, like Samsung phones that catch fire? Or new Samsung washing machines that have blown up recently? How do you reassure potential customers?
Let’s look at wording that reassures customers next…
Understand What the Customer Wants/Needs
While businesses like Samsung will have to put out a lot of fires, (literally and figuratively), for potential customers that are reluctant about a purchase, you can help. Here’s a scenario:
A potential customer with a broken washing machine is looking online to see if it can be repaired and they turn to their local plumber. You happen to have written an article on their site. The potential customer doesn’t want to spend a lot of money in repairs and they see that you’ve included the following:
Have a broken washer? Bob’s Plumbing offers quality repairs, easy financing, same day service and 100% satisfaction or your money back. Schedule an appointment today!
The potential customer is happy and confident with the solution as it reassures them there’s easy financing and they can get their money back. Their next step is they will contact Bob.
When you instill confidence and give relevant buying information, it can help to convert potential customers into buying customers because your content is persuasive. To do this, keep your writing light and skimmable, meaning let the key words clients need to see stand out. This can help with conversions and increase consumer confidence.
What problems do you have with persuasive writing and reassuring customers? Do you find this area challenging? Would love your input to share with the group…
