To create effective web page content, it’s not enough to know what you want to say. You have to make sure that anyone who reads it is interested. To understand the motivators and forces that transform a shrug into avid interest, you must understand the wants, needs, and desires of your customers.
It’s not about you, it’s about your customers
Many companies write their website copy as if they were talking to themselves. This type of writing reads like a hymn to the glories of the company or product. You can always spot such writing by the number of times the company refers to itself and how the text reads like it’s just about them…and not you.
The problem is that most business owners and entrepreneurs gravitate towards this type of writing. It’s easy to write about what you know and as an entrepreneur or small business owner are passionate about about your business, your products, or your services. However, what interests you most, your business, is not what interests the people who read your text, or at least not yet. They have to know and like you first, but in order for them to make the first move and meet you online; they should be attracted to something you say in your marketing materials or on your website.
So consider this: what are your customers interested in? What do they want and need to know? Start with their benefits in mind and put yourself in the shoes of your customers. If you can get inside the mindset of your customers and understand what motivates them to buy your products or services, you’ve found an important clue that will help you write compelling marketing messages.
Create a list of features and benefits
I like to start any writing project by starting with a list of features and benefits. Features are facts. In many cases, the features don’t sell the product, but customers still need to know the facts about the product to make a buying decision.
When writing marketing copy, the benefits are often what the reader is first interested in. That’s because benefits are about your wants, needs and desires. Effective marketing messages almost always incorporate product benefits first and are supported by features.
When I start with my list of functions, I then write a corresponding benefit statement next to the function. A list of features and benefits for a blue pen may look like this:
- Feature: blue ink
- Benefit: Blue ink is a standard ink color that is suitable for business or personal writing. This pen can be used anywhere and anytime when you need a reliable writing instrument.
The benefits of blue ink (a feature) are an appropriate color for multiple uses (benefit) and dependent performance (benefit).
If this benefit statement is to be transformed into a marketing message, it would need to be modified to make it clear, simple and compelling. “Get the New Blue Pen for Reliable Performance” might work, or even a compellingly priced headline: “Only 99 Cents for Reliable Performance Blue Pens.”
This is a very simple example, but it should give you enough information to understand the differences between features and benefits. Benefit concepts can be included in headlines and body copy alike; including the supporting feature with the benefits statement helps make the messages clear.
Writing from benefit statements takes time and practice. An expert marketing copywriter or copywriter can save you time and effort, or you can hone your own writing skills and practice creating benefit statements. Be sure to test and analyze any new statements, and be prepared to modify or adjust them until you see the desired results.