Is This Important Power Word in Your Web Copy?

Today, Heather expands on last week’s “power words” vlog with harnessing the power of that magical customer-centric word: “you.”

You. Such a seemingly simple word packs an incredible punch, as it centers your web copy around them. Coupled with customer-oriented web content, using “you” in your copy is a proven strategy for engaging the prospect and improving conversions.

Tune in to this video and find out how to make your web copy rock with “you” and customer-oriented messages.

As discussed in another post, the use of “power words” long precedes online writing as an “old school” strategy of direct response copywriters to improve conversions. 

These power words have been tested throughout “copywriting time” and have been found to increase conversions because they help to elicit an emotional response from the reader.

Words like:

• Now
• Exclusive
• Save

are among the longstanding favorites. So strategically placing these power words within your copy can help boost your conversions and engage your customers.

But there is one power word that trumps them all…

• YOU.

Yes, you.  Using the word “you” in your content is really powerful and incredibly important, because…(drumroll, please)…

PEOPLE are reading your content…

• And they want to know what’s in it for them/their customers.
• So focus on your target customer – not your company.

Website owners tend to forget this. They write all about THEIR company and THEIR wonderful staff and THEIR mission statement and so on, but at the end of the day, the folks reading the copy want to know if the company they’re evaluating can help them meet their needs, whatever their needs may be.

• This is a truth applicable to both B2B and B2C sites: the copywriting rules are the same.

So whenever you have that simple, powerful word “YOU” in your content, it helps to build that connection with your prospect. It takes the focus off of your company and puts it on your target customer, where it should be. You are speaking to your target customer and explaining the benefits of your products/services that matter to them.

How to evaluate your writing for customer-centric messaging

First, look at your content. Does it talk about your company? Or does it talk about your customer?

• Check out your website and see if you’ve fallen prey to writing more about your company than your customer. It’s a very common thing to do, but also a very easy mistake to fix.

Evaluate how many times the word “you” appears in your web copy – or if it even appears at all!

• If you find the word “you” scant or completely missing from your web copy, then this presents a great opportunity to re-write your content to put the focus back on your customer.

A fun, free tool to check your website’s customer focus: the WeWe Calculator

A tool offered by FutureNow, Inc., the “WeWe Calculator,” is fun and free. It evaluates the words on your website to find out how customer-focused your content really is, and is definitely worth checking out for an objective view. (I’m sad to say that this tool is no longer. I miss it. It was a good one.)

photo gratitude to vitevu