Great copy grabs a reader's attention and holds it by intensifying her interest in what is being presented. It d-r-a-w-s the reader down the page and lands her “open-to-buy” right at your order form (or your income-generation source). As long as the information is realistic, relevant and answers the question, "What's in it for me?", the reader will continue to scroll… for as long as it takes.
Slip even once, though, and the mouse finger clicks. Your words alone increase the perceived value of your product or service. And it’s your words that persuade your reader to become a customer.
What you write has to reflect your knowledge and passion about what you are selling or representing. Insincerity, unsureness, and a lack of enthusiasm will easily be detected "between-the-lines." Hype is in a (sub)class of its own... fatal.
So become the expert on your product or service. Build a sense of trust and credibility in your visitors so that they won’t put up a hurdle between you and their credit card."Isn't that obvious?"
Yes and no...
You know your product from your perspective, for sure. But you must know it inside and out, from every possible angle...
• Ask for opinions from other people. Do they see it the same way? Have they discovered a new dimension?
• Compare your product with your competition. How does it measure up?
• Look at what's happening in the marketplace. Where is its position?
Be a real sleuth. Uncover as much detail as you can -- positive and negative. And then... you guessed it! Get out that pencil and paper again (or your keyboard and word processor will do!).
Write down all the features (i.e., what your product does or is) of your product or service. This will be a very long and objective list if you spread your sleuthing net far enough. Finished? No feature left unexamined?
Now bring out that thumbnail sketch of your customer and put it beside your just completed “features” list. Imagine that your ideal customer is examining those features. Will she be persuaded by what she sees? Will the features immediately trigger a "must-have" reaction?
Sadly, the answer is no… at least not for the majority of customers. And why not? Because most folks don't have the imagination to immediately see "what's in it for them" just by seeing features. People buy with their emotions, not with their logic. So you have to transform that list of features into a list of benefits.
Only benefits tap emotions.Only benefits answer the critical question... "What's in it for me?"
So make the change. Do the transformation. Take that thumbnail sketch and become the customer. Work through the features and figure out how each one benefits you, the customer. Don't rush. Really become your customer. Get the mindset right.
Here are some examples to get you started...• Does a certain feature save time, especially if someone is presently over-extended at work?
That's a benefit.
That's a benefit.
That's a benefit.
Starting to get the hang of it? Want to see some “live” benefit-focused content? Check out one of the following sites (or all three if you are keen)…
Benefits for information publishers… http://infopublishing.sitesell.com/
Benefits for network marketers... http://networkmarketing.sitesell.com/
Benefits for local business owners with local clients… http://localbiz.sitesell.com/
Same product. Different benefits. All the time.
In summary...
Features are elements of a product (or service) that do, or that are. Benefits are the results that do for your customer. They connect at an emotional level by delivering a gain or curing a pain. Let your benefits list grow and grow. You can never have too many.
All benefits add to the perceived value of your product or service, the higher the perceived value, the greater the chance you have for a sale... or a download... or a subscription… or contract, depending on your Most Wanted Response. Always keep this foremost in your mind.
Confusing features and benefits is the #1 copywriting problem. That’s where MYWS! comes to your rescue. It will help you develop a huge list of the most relevant benefits quickly and easily through its “SWAT?” technique. You just keep swatting those features until they are rock-solid, irresistible benefits. The SWAT? technique is indispensable for all small business owners, online or off, experienced copywriters or not. Why?
Because benefits will always be the bottom line that sells!A long benefits list provides the key information you need to write persuasive copy on your Web site. Benefit-laden words strike visitors "where they live." They fulfill wants and provide solutions for your ideal customer. They guarantee that you will keep her attention and increase her interest. And that puts you well on your way to a sale!
So what's the key to using the Web to multiply sales or contracts?Provide high-value, benefit-oriented copy, not a straight "sales pitch." This type of copy builds motivated traffic and develops a sense of warmth and confidence in you as someone who “knows” their pains or dreams.
People buy from folks they like and trust. It's as simple as that. Targeted PREsold visitors will click through to your order page (or other revenue locations). The sale is 99.9% of the way home!
The benefits list has a second function and this function is really just an extension of the first. It will help you create your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
Your USP tells your reader what differentiates you and your product/service from your competitor. It is your single best benefit that every visitor to your Web site will perceive as being unique to you. It tells your visitor why they should buy from you and not the business on the next site.
Your USP is your service or product’s most powerful benefit, in combination with a strong, unique feature of your business. It answers that critical question... Why should potential customers buy from or hire you?
Here’s a simple exercise to help you develop your USP...2) Outline the key benefit(s) to your client. What pain does it cure, what solution does it provide? Just the most important benefits(s), please.
3) Identify your unique feature. What makes you stand out from the competition? Keep working on this until you can clearly separate yourself from the field. There must be a convincing reason for doing business with you, instead of your competitor. If not, create a unique positioning statement.
4) Summarize all of the above into one tight, powerful, motivating phrase that will persuade your client to do business with you, to trade their money for the benefits you can deliver. As you start to work through these four steps, you may find this to be a lot harder than it looks. It is! But don’t give up! Your competition is only a click away. Use your USP to differentiate yourself!
As the Net expands, a compelling VPP will be essential. Your business has to be able to stand out from the crowd.
Ready for a homework assignment?... Go back to your benefits list. Start by narrowing down your choices, one by one. Whittle them down until you are satisfied that you have identified the very best benefit. Not sure? Ask for a second or third opinion.
Then package this benefit into...• a sentence or phrase that persuades
• a collection of words that highlights an outstanding benefit that a visitor/ reader can't ignore
• a message that makes her think "Your product/service is the only one for me."
Building the perfect USP will be the hardest thing that you'll ever have to do. And it will be one of the most important. (Yet another reason why the SWAT? technique is an indispensable tool in your Netwriting toolbox, available in Make Your Words Sell!... it does more than help you identify the maximum number of benefits. It will help you build the best possible USP.
When you are working on this assignment, the key is to keep your customer's mindset up front and center at all times.
In the next Chapter, we'll see why it's worth some extra "cyber elbow grease" to get your USP exactly right... the absolutely best it can be…
