“Users don’t care about you, they care about themselves and solutions to their problems. Write copy accordingly.” – Peep Laja
The quote expresses simply yet powerfully why companies must focus on content. Well-written content is an effective way to let customers know that your company has the solutions to their problems, which in turn would allow the company to increase conversions. Great content – written and visual – is not the domain of top ranking or rich companies – every company can and should use content in order to increase conversions. Given that smaller businesses may not have the resources or the budget to spend on advertising campaigns, promotions and designing their website / social media sites, however well articulated and interesting written content would be as effective as visuals. For visual content, one can turn to the internet that has myriad tools and resources that would enable even a small business to incorporate it into their campaigns. These resources are free and serve the purpose of complementing engaging written content to increase conversions. Many companies enlist the help of writers to create unique content that allows their company to stand out from the rest.
There are a number of ways to use content to increase conversions. It may seem counter-productive but sharing the content put out by your competitors is a great way to increase conversions. They would have a customer base but the possibility that some among these customers could be unhappy or and need the services and products offered by your company. By sharing content and information from a competitor, what your company is really doing is helping prospective customers – when a company is able to help customers in any way, they are more than happy to explore an association and this leads to an increase in conversions. Any content that catches the attention of customers and which they can use would encourage them to reach out to a company and possibly start a business association.
We have mentioned several times and it is something that companies know – the website of a company is the ‘face’ and prospective customers would first visit the website to get a feel of the company. We have also written about the importance of the landing page of a website – this is the first ‘page’ that readers see and hence high quality content – both written and visual – are quintessential to this page and would help to increase conversions. Interesting content would lend a feel of being credible, trustworthy and highly accomplished in the chosen field, ensuring that casual ‘visitors’ look at forming an association with a company thereby increasing the chances of becoming a customer. This landing page could also have a tab with existing customer testimonials – this is great content to increase conversions. The fact is whatever content a company does send out / exhibit, it must be relevant and useful for customers and should be such that it gets the maximum returns for the company. To increase conversions through content, ensure that it appeals to the target customer base and makes them believe that doing business with your company would be the best thing for their business.
Visual content is great for conveying an idea succinctly. However, this does not suffice. Visuals complemented by apt words / written content clearly explain to prospective customers what your company offers, why it would be the most useful and appropriate choice and how doing business with the company would hugely benefit the customer. To increase conversions through content, it must be hard-hitting, simple yet effective enough to convey vital information to grab the attention of the readers / prospective customers. No company, even if small, has any reason not to use content to increase conversions. The size and stature of a company has no relevance with regard to great content – it is how a company uses this critical resource to increase conversions and gain sustainable success.
Well written content appeals to customers – not just from a business perspective but also from an emotional aspect. In order to increase conversions, ensure that all messages that go out from your company draws people in – makes them want to have the product / offering. Content will increase conversions when it is enticing and brings out strong emotions. We have mentioned that people often buy for emotional reasons – but even before the product is out, great content would help to build a connection with the product – whether the product will make them look good, give them ‘bragging rights’ over their peers or help them improve on a personal level. People do not like feeling left out or missing something that their peers and associates have. Creating content that would elicit interest fired by fear of losing would certainly grab eyeballs and would be a great way to increase conversions. As customers we have all, at some point, received communiqués that urged us to buy or take action now, else, it would be too late and many of us would have responded by making a purchase. This is what great content does – it creates a sense of urgency and immediacy leading to an increase in sales from customer groups that were not inclined initially to buy.
Great content would help to increase conversions by being relevant and appearing personalized for the target audience. Referring back to the quote, if the content helps to provide a solution for problems faced by a target audience, it would be more appealing and would lead to conversions. As mentioned before, a company that has invested time in understanding its target audience would be in a better position to send out communication that would be specific, relevant and personalized, which in turn would lead to responses and possibly an increase in conversions. It is correct to assume that if the target customer base is able to perceive focus and commitment on the part of the company, they are more likely to engage with it and become customers. Customers are more likely to trust a company that seems to know exactly what they need, want and expect and then not only would they buy, they would encourage others to do so too.
The other thing about great content is that it is lucid and precise. Customers do not have the time to decipher the meaning of communication sent to them by companies. In order to increase conversions through content, ensure that it clearly spells out the benefits and value customers would receive from being associated with the company. Sending out content in a bid to increase conversions must not be mere information – it should be specific in terms of the benefits and positive affects for the customers. The content must clear to understand and should be free from industry / company jargon – by using complicated terminology and big fancy words, customers may not understand the actual idea behind the content and end up feeling annoyed rather than wanting to engage. Content should increase the awareness around a company and ‘educate’ prospective customers about the brand such that they can make an informed decision, without feeling coerced. Even if certain customers may not need the product right away, interesting content would lead them to pass on the information and ‘share’ the communication with some others who might need the product. Not only can this increase conversions but it is also free and powerful advertisement for your company and its products. Great content eliminates or at least reduces doubts and apprehensions that people usually have about a new company or a new product. Great content is an inextricable part of superlative customer service – it is a great service to provide all-round information to customers such that it becomes easier for them to do business with your company.