Small businesses don't have the same marketing advantages as large corporations, which means they must get more creative to reach the audience most likely to buy what they must sell. One of the most cost-effective marketing strategies a business can use is generating quality copy for its website. Providing that to would-be consumers can help your website rank higher on search engines while also providing prospective customers with the information they seek to build a genuine sense of trust.
Learn more about what quality copy is and how to avoid the pitfalls of bad copy below!
Why Good Copy Sets Your Website Apart
Almost any customer journey begins when customers realize they have a pain point to resolve. Excellent copy can point out that pain point and exacerbate the problem, shifting customers from pre-contemplation to a deeper consideration stage when they realize how your company can help them. The foundation of good copy is clearly and concisely written articles also called blogs and social media posts that are focused on topics relevant to your customers.
Some industries can get away with copy that contains jargon, but most businesses will have more success with their copy if they stick to easily understandable material. By no means do you have to dumb down a topic to cater to people with no industry experience, but it does mean that your copy should be easy to read. Many companies inadvertently release textbook-like copy, which does very little to encourage customers to stick around.
It's also essential to ensure that your copy is mobile-friendly. Most people spend most of their internet browsing time on their smartphone or tablet instead of their computer. Copy that is not mobile-friendly contains few headers, long paragraphs, and not enough images, which can make your copy look boring and unhelpful.
If you view your blog posts on your mobile device and they look like the kind of articles you would personally skip, why wouldn't your customers do the same?
Establish Your Industry Authority
One of the most significant benefits of posting quality copy on your website is that it's a very low-cost method of showing your customers how much your brand understands your industry. By answering common questions or creating detailed guides about how to do this or that, prospective customers will be blown away by your brand's knowledge and care about the industry.
Quality copy online also tends to have a more extensive reach than other methods of communication. While you may occasionally work to convince a customer that your brand has industry authority on the phone, more people will be convinced by stumbling upon what you offer online without you having to do any more work.
If a customer looks for the answer to a question and finds it on your website, they will also be grateful that your blog was the one to answer their questions. Providing the information they need makes them more likely to turn to you when they need one of your products or services, which often happens sooner than you think.
Finally, producing copy that contains many keywords people would use to search for a business like yours can help your website rank higher on search engines. This is one element of a practice called Search Engine Optimization (SEO), and it helps customers find your website on their own without you having to spend advertising dollars!
The Risks of Bad Copy
While excellent copy has the potential to help grow your brand awareness and customer base, bad copy may have the exact opposite result. Bad copy often contains numerous spelling, grammatical, or factual errors that make it hard for customers to view your brand as an authority. Bad copy may also mean copy that focuses solely or too much on your brand, which can come across as pushy and self-serving. Customers will sense that you're just trying to make a quick buck, and they'll turn and run.
To prevent yourself from creating bad copy, be sure to focus on answering questions about your industry that commonly arise and give a thorough yet clear answer. Remember, the whole point of copy is to give away information without any strings attached. It makes customers view your brand as trustworthy, which can significantly increase the odds of turning to you when they need a product or service you offer.
A Media Partner Can Help You with Your Blog
Learning how to draft excellent copy can take lots of time and effort, but an experienced media partner has the skills and expertise they need to get it right the first time. If you lack the time and resources to create your own copy, reaching out to a media partner for help may be the best investment you can make for your business. Media partners have a step-by-step process to ensure that the right blogs are being written for your website.
