How small copy changes can double your conversions today.
Your launch was Monday. Months of meticulous work rests on the excitement of the week ahead.
But, instead of excitement, it feels empty. Like the dark bottom of a rain barrel with a hole in it.
You refresh your browser. Check your wifi. Wiggle some wires. Yikes. Full bars, and still nothing.
You've whiteboarded every funnel scenario. Architected your rollout with SEO, front and centre. That expensive CRM sits empty. Primed for its first lead. Months of work drags to an agonizing halt.
Your launch was terrible, and it's gutting.
More than that, you're spending 1000s on Meta ads to deliver traffic. People are visiting, but no one wants the next step. No sale. No demo. No download. It's lonely.
Let's be honest, you did your homework, and have something really good. It's just not converting.
Never again.
Bring these 11 tactics to add more conversions to your marketing. Let's start by focusing on your copy (the writing used in your materials to drive action). It's not the moonshot you think it is.
Here's your painless game plan.
1. Have a clear H1.
Don't be cute or clever. Clarity makes the best first impression. Let a sixth grader understand your headline.
Focus on your value proposition, instead of the benefits or features of your work. Your value proposition is connected to your buyer's BIG win. A desired outcome or goal.
H1s live above the fold (before you need to scroll) in the hero section of your site.
2. Let your website, newsletter, or email be scannable.
Keep your content scannable. Introduce whitespace, content chunking, and a sentence rhythm like 1/3/1 or 1/4/1.
There's nothing worse than long sentences in stuffed paragraphs. Buyers have limited attention. They're impatient and don't want to think. Help them by keeping your copy readable.
Write with your eyes.
3. Match the message.
If your ads (Meta, social posts, email, etc.) are screaming that hats are 20% off, take the buyer to a 20% off hats page. Use the same message on your ad and your destination page. This tells visitors they're in the right place.
Match the message in the top part of the page (before you scroll). Just taking them to your homepage is like walking a dark alley in a strange city. Now, buyers need to stumble through your site to find hats.
It doesn't feel right.
You had them, now you've lost them. Quantum leap their ass back to the hats section.
4. Use contractions. You are to you're.
You're not writing an academic English essay. Sorry, Mrs. Halliburton (my high school English disciplinarian). Speaking conversationally makes people feel comfortable, casual, and accessible.
Change "you are" to "you're", "it is" to "it's", "let us" to "let's".
Remind yourself to write like you'd talk at a BBQ, on the golf course, or on a walk with a friend.
Stay conversational. Stay approachable.
5. Make your content about the customer.
Nothing's worse than a know-it-all pounding their chest as the hero. Be the guide. A helper. A trusted advisor. Build your content to be about your buyer.
Stop using "I", "we", or "our". Start to use "you", the royal "we", or "your".
You build products for others, not you.
6. Have a clear Call-to-Action (CTA).
You must include a call to action. Actually, have it everywhere. One in the top right, one in the middle of your hero section, one down the page. Keep the text in each CTA the same. You're confusing buyers if you deliver mixed messages.
Watch phrases like start (eg., "Start your trial"). People have been conditioned to avoid work, and "Start" might say that there's more work on the other side.
Try "Yes, I want [your offer]!"
7. Follow the VBF framework (Value proposition, Benefits, Features).
Have 1 value proposition (your H1), 3 benefits that make the value proposition possible. Then, include 3-4 features that back up each benefit.
Don't include more. The more you add, the more you water down your product. People start to average your offering.
Stop. Think about that for a second.
Weak features pull down your best ones. That's awful because you have great features being watered down by promoting that your tool has a dashboard, looks great on mobile, or has a 99% up time.
Keep your product f**king awesome. Skip average.
8. Tap into your buyer's pains and desires.
Before someone uses your product or service, does their current situation make them feel sick?
If your you're targeting individuals (B2C), then hit their internal problem. How is this problem making them feel? Are they losing sleep? Do they feel sick to their stomach? Are they embarrassed?
If you're chasing businesses (B2B), then choose to focus on: money, time, or risk. Are they losing money? What about time? Or, are they putting their company at risk every day that they don't use your product?
Know your reader.
9. Include some smart behavioural economics.
Drag in some social proof. Testimonials or logos of companies using your product goes a long way.
Or, lean into your authority. What qualifies you to be the expert? Are you the market leader? Are you a doctor? Are you backed by science?
For time restricted offers, consider a countdown timer or a certain number of seats. Once they're at zero, the offer's gone.
Help people hop on your train.
10. Write for 1 of the 5 stages of awareness.
Depending on what stage your reader is at, have your marketing written to the proper awareness level. These are:
Unaware
Problem Aware
Solution Aware
Product Aware
Most Aware
If you're a Wondersome Insider, you already know what to do at each stage (3 minute read).
11. Use Saxon words.
Start by using little words, not BIG complex words. Think of Saxon words as simple vs. Latin's fancy words. Or short (Saxon) and long (Latin).
"Saxon words are also more concrete, which makes them easier to picture. Consider the difference between light (Saxon) and illumination (Latinate), or burn (Saxon) and incinerate (Latinate)."
~ David Perrel
People are busy and beyond distracted. Don't f**ck around. Nothing more Saxon than that.
Trust that small copy changes will make a huge difference.
If you use any of these tips, you're ahead of most people. Blaze your own trail and lift that conversion rate. Simple changes will mean more buyers, more downloads, more signups.
In the end, remember, businesses and customer avatars don't read your messaging, people do. These are everyday people you're talking to. Think of the BBQ.
With these tactics you've moved lurkers to buyers, the undecided to signups, bystanders to activists.
You've made it. Welcome to the world of conversion.
That’s all for this week.
🔗 Take a deeper dive. 7 helpful references related to this tactic.
↪ CrazyEgg, "The 13 Most Effective Ways to Increase your Conversion Rate", Jun 20, 2023, https://www.crazyegg.com/blog/increase-your-conversion-rate
↪ Caroline Forsey, "11 Conversion Copywriting Tips that Grew Our Revenue by 240%, According to Lately’s CEO", Apr 25, 2022, https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/copywriting-tips-improve-conversions
↪ Josh Gallant, “How to increase conversion rates: 26 effective tips and strategies”, Jun 29, 2024, https://unbounce.com/conversion-rate-optimization/how-to-increase-conversion-rate
↪ Nadia Bashir, “5 stupidly simple copy changes that boost conversions”, Jan 10, 2020, https://www.inpressionedit.com/2020/01/10/simple-copy-changes
↪ David Perell, “Balance Saxon and Latin Words”, https://perell.com/note/balance-saxon-and-latin-words
↪ David Welch, “English is made of Saxon words and Latin words. Here’s how to use them.”, Nov 10, 2023, https://medium.com/@watsonwelch/english-is-made-of-saxon-words-and-latin-words-heres-how-to-use-them-56e3a079b96
↪ Emma Stratton, "Make It Punchy", Page Two Press, 2024, 1997