~~~Search Engine Marketing Copywriting~~~
Wow, can you believe we've spent a month discussing the Nobscot.com
site? It just goes to show how detailed this search engine
copywriting and optimization stuff really is.
In this, the final part of our case study (at least for now), I'll be
discussing the copywriting nitty-gritty, and evaluate Nobscot's
copywriting and total marketing message. Let's curl up with the last
installment, and discover what Nobscot.com can do to make their copy
sing.
Tone and feel:
Never underestimate the power of the written word. How you
communicate with your prospects - and whether that resonates with your
audience - is a crucial conversion component. If you're speaking your
prospects' language, addressing their needs, and offering a solution,
your surfers will convert into spenders. However, if your copy does
nothing to excite your prospects, you may as well hang it up. Your
sales will be much slower and you won't convert the way you want.
The first thing I notice about this copy is that...well...I'm not
excited by it. I'd like to be. I want to be. But leading sentences
like, "Web enable your HR processes with self service interviews,"
don't really satisfy me. Although this site is really trying to get
its benefits across (as we'll discuss later), much could be done to
energize the writing. Simple writing tricks, like energizing verbs
(such as saying something like, "boost teacher retention X percent"
rather than "improve teacher retention") would help.
Another issue I have with the writing is that it sounds choppy, which
really interferes with the tone and feel. For instance, the
sentences, "Improve your student enrollment and increase student
retention and StudentExit student surveys. Improve your curriculum
and implement merit-based reward systems," don't exactly roll off the
proverbial tongue. In fact, the word "improve" starts two sentences
in a row, which is a copywriting no-no.
The best thing you can do to combat choppy writing is to read your
work out loud. You'll immediately notice what lines extol your
benefits beautifully - and what lines cause your marketing message to
"clunk." It will take a whopping five minutes of your time, but those
five minutes will tell you exactly what's right (and wrong) with your
writing.
Call to action:
Have you ever had somebody say, "If you wanted me to do that, why
didn't you TELL me"? Call-to-action statements are your opportunity
to tell your prospects exactly what you want them to do next. It
could be downloading your free software, contacting you for more
information, or clicking on a hyperlink. Whatever it is,
call-to-action statements need to convey a benefit and an action. And
if you don't tell your prospects what you want them to do, you just
can't get upset when they don't do it.
Unfortunately, the Nobscot site does not utilize call-to-action
statements well. Yes, there are hyperlinks - but no sense of
excitement or urgency is relayed. For instance, rather than just
having the hyperlink, "Exit Interview Systems," they could say
something like, "Learn how you can save time with our exit interviews
now." See? The prospect can read another benefit, the words "exit
interviews" would be hyperlinked (especially as a keyphrase), and the
copy is suddenly a bit more compelling. It's as easy as that.
Benefit statements:
Judging from Nobscot's copy, they have two main benefits:
1. Their product saves time by streamlining interviews, student
retention and job postings.
2. Their product saves money by improving employee and student
retention and by providing more complete data.
This is good. Very good. However, what this copy is lacking is
specific information to back those benefits. I'm not saying there
needs to be a five-paragraph benefit statement after every heading.
In fact, that would be overkill. However, specifics would help add
spice to the copy and make it more compelling.
For instance:
"Reduce employee turnover with WebExit." Does Nobscot have any
specific numbers they could use? Could a company expect to reduce
turnover 10%? 20%? What would this mean in terms of dollars saved?
"Save time and money with an interview system that has been designed
and developed by Human Resources professionals." My first questions
are who are the professionals, and why are they so experienced? A
simple link here to the "about us" page would help overcome this
objection while providing more specific information.
"Full featured Executive Reports included." The copy implies that
this is an added benefit, but I have no idea what it means to me. A
small teaser providing a benefit statement would help me get more
jazzed (and curious) about this feature.
"Savings Calculator (located on the upper right hand side). OK, I
give. What IS this? Why will it help me? Why should I click on it?
If it's a cool feature (and it is), please let me know why I should
click on it. Otherwise, it's just another graphic and NOT an
effective sales tool.
I could go on and on...but I'll close this case study with these final
thoughts. As you can see, copywriting is an incredibly integral part
of your marketing campaign. Yes, the search engines need to see their
spider-happy text. But beyond that, the words on your Web page can
translate into fantastic profits - or a ghost town of lost
opportunities.
If you know your site needs help, an experienced copywriter can put
the "zing" back into market-zing (OK, that was pushing it, I know...)
For those who want to take the copywriting plunge and are
interested in hiring a word-smith, check out my article, "7 Tips for
Finding an Online Copywriter You'll Love". Or, if you have a
strong in-house writer who just needs a little direction, invest in
them as you'd invest in your brand. You'll get a tighter, more
effective marketing message as a result - and have a well-written site
that drives your prospects to take the action step you want. Right
now.
Thanks! I'll be answering your questions next week, so send in your
online writing and SEO writing questions!
Heather
~~~Send Us Your Questions~~~
If you have questions about online copywriting or search engine optimization (or both!), just zip us an email to questions@rankwrite.com. We've had some folks ask if their question
was "too basic" to be printed - and you don't have to worry about
that! There are no "stupid" search engine optimization or copywriting
questions, so ask away!
