Donnie Bryant: How to Avoid Fool’s Gold Copy on Your Website (Part I)

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In the mid-19th century, tens of thousands of adventurous men headed towards California in search of instant wealth. News that gold had been discovered on the western frontiers spread quickly. While this “gold rush” made a few fortunate souls filthy rich (often both filthy and rich), many prospectors went home empty-handed. Others were shocked to learn that what they dug up was not gold, but pyrite, a.k.a. fool’s gold.

Fool’s gold looks like the real thing, but it is a completely different, far less valuable substance. The two have their own distinct chemical properties.

Online businesses today face a similar dilemma. Is the copy on their websites real gold or fool’s gold?

At first glance, it can be hard to tell the difference between good copy (which converts readers into buyers) and weak copy (which confuses readers and turns them off).

Twenty-four karat gold copy has several properties that distinguish it from pyrite:

Lubricity (reduction of friction)

Strong website copy reduces and eliminates the resistance that readers have in their minds. When visitors arrive on your site, they have questions, objections, and doubts. It is the copy’s job to remove those barriers to conversion.

Badly-written copy can itself become a hurdle in the sales process.

• Does the copy on your website make it easier for readers to make the decision you want them to make?
• Does it answer questions, ease the fear of risk and convince of the superiority of your offer?
• Are there any mental barriers you haven’t removed?
• Are you leaving out anything that could reduce friction even more?

Luminosity

Copy should enlighten readers. There are billions of websites, and millions of vendors trying to convince people to buy something. Education truly differentiates your company, product and/or service from the competition.

What would happen if your customers were smarter and better-informed just for having visited your website? You can teach them why your offering is the obvious choice to solve their problem or satisfy their desire.

When you become a teacher, you gain instant credibility. People will happily listen to information relevant to their needs, but no one willingly sits through a sales pitch.

Humans make buying decisions emotionally, but they use their logic and reason to justify that decision. Are you giving your prospects enough intellectual fuel to feel good about buying your product?

• Does your copy sound more like words of a used-car salesman or a trustworthy advisor?
• Are you providing as much information as possible to show all the value contained in your offer?
• Can people who read your copy go and share something they’ve learned with their friends?
• Will visitors return to your site for information on future purchasing decisions?

Next week learn some more lessons for your website’s copy.