6 Ways Your Web Copy Is Stopping Parents From Purchasing

Words play a fundamental part in the online sales process; whether you like it or not, the words you’ve uploaded to your website or e-store are having an impact on your sales. Yikes! Here’s what to look out for if you’re worried your copy and content is preventing parents from clicking ‘buy now’:

1. You’re not using their language

If you’re not a pro writer and you don’t have a background in marketing, you can be forgiven for writing from the heart with little thought for your reader. ‘Winging it’ is common practice for start-ups and brands that want to keep things cheap. But if you want to boost sales you need to get specific with the words you use. What language do the parents you target speak? Do they like to keep things simple and playful? Or are they looking for knowledge and reassurance that needs a more authoritative tone?

If you’re not positioning your website copy and blog content with their specific needs and desires in mind, and tailoring your language around this, it’s likely you are not resonating with browsers enough for them to want to make a purchase.

2. You’re not attracting them with SEO

Oh SEO… Yuck yuck yuck. I know you don’t like it but unfortunately search engine optimisation is one of the most powerful strategies to get parents to your website and buy! The right SEO means the right sort of traffic, the right sort of traffic means the right sort of customers, the right sort of customers means the right sort of interactions, and the right sort of interactions means… the right sort of profits!

How to improve your SEO? Use relevant keywords and phrases in your web copy and blog content and meta data, and focus on building quality back-links by making your content quality, relevant stuff, that people will want to share.

3. You’re not answering their questions

We all ask questions before we buy. Many of these questions are subconscious. How much does this cost? Is it good value for money? Can it be trusted? Will it last? If our questions aren’t answered through the copy we read, our confidence won’t build enough to feel comfortable making a purchase. You know how it is, as parents, we don’t spend as frivolously as we once did. We still love to spend (especially on the little people we adore) but we do want to know our money is being spent well! Make sure you are using your web copy to answer questions and gain trust.

4. You’re not telling them what to do next

Arriving at your website for the first time is an important moment for a customer. It’s make or break. If you’re website is a turn-off, you risk losing that browser for good! Yes, the pressure to get it right is huge. And one of the ways in which customers need you to get it right (and help them out) is to tell them what to do while they’re visiting. Guide them through your copy. Your headers, your button text… your calls-to-action! Calls-to-action are simple instructions which encourage people to DO SOMETHING. These include:

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The possibilities are endless; if there’s something you want your customers to do, don’t leave it for them to work out what it is – tell them what to do!

5. You’re not building their trust first

We’ve already touched on the importance of answering questions (which is part and parcel of building trust) but there are other ways to build customer confidence. Trust is also built through consistent communication. Using a brand voice which can be understood and depended on. Get clear on how you want to communicate with your audience (your tone) and stick with it through all your copy.

Don’t forget simple details like keeping with the same ‘point of view’ throughout your website. Using ‘I’ on one page and ‘we’ on another is very confusing and subtly breaks down trust.

6. You’re not standing out from the crowd

Why should parents buy from you? It’s obvious to you but have you made it super clear to people who browse your site? Images are extremely important online, yet words have a powerful ability to tip customers over the edge (in a good way!) and convert them to buyers. Help your business stand out from the crowd by:

Getting clear on your messaging
Developing a style/tone that’s ‘you’
Using unique product descriptions
Telling your story