How to Write Engaging Web Copy - Tell Your Story
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Okay, you know your audience's needs and you've made them a promise guaranteed to attract their attention. Now you need to show them how your product, service, article or whatever will fulfill that promise. You start that process by telling them a story.
I don't mean that you give them a song and dance. We've all seen that far too often. I mean you show them how your offering will give them what they need. For example, I have a friend who used to sell encyclopedias for a living. He told some of his prospects about children who grew up with a set of these books in their home going on to excel in school and business, because they had such a handy resource at their fingertips. While this was one of many sales techniques he used, he was probably the best salesman in his region during the three years he worked for the company.
Simply telling a story isn't enough, however. Visitors to your web site have five senses, and if you really want to draw them in, you need to stimulate all of them. I don't mean that you should go crazy with music or Flash animation. I mean you should paint a picture with your words, one that appeals to more than just the eyes.
My salesman friend used to put a leather-bound volume of the encyclopedia he was selling in his prospect's hands as soon as he could. It made them feel as if they already owned the set. They could run their hands over the smooth, warm cover, feel the weight of the volume, smell the leather, hear the rustle as the pages turned when they looked something up, see the beauty of the craftsmanship that went into each book...do you see where I'm going with this?
Just because you might not be able to literally put your product in your visitors' hands to try out, doesn't mean you can't do it figuratively. After all, this is the Internet. Everything is virtual. Paint your prospects a full picture of what their life will be like with your product or service in it, and you're halfway to converting them.
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