CXL Institute Conversion Optimization Mini-Degree Scholarship Program Week 12 Review

I left off last week’s blog post covering part of the Intro to Conversion Copywriting course module for the Conversion Optimization Mini Degree training. This week, I will continue that discussion starting with remainder of step 3 of the process of writing great copy.

So, we know that copy should be specific and that we should provide complete information for what is necessary for someone to make a buying decision for what we are selling. Now, when, where, and if at all should you show the price to your prospect?

Some people believe that showing the price of what you are selling will drive people away. Because of this, they may try to hide the price or make it hard to see. While sometimes this may be worth doing, that is not usually the case.

Let’s consider this:

1. People always want to know how much things cost.
2. If you don’t publish the price, have a “get a quote” form instead. But if your competition does, they may get the client.

You should always make the price easy to find BUT for more complex or expensive products, it is usually more ideal to communicate the value of the product or service BEFORE communicating the price. This is to avoid objections of price before they fully understand how much value they may be receiving from buying and paying a higher ticket price.

Here is an example. You are selling a copper vase. It is priced at a shockingly high price of $990. That is way too expensive to buy you think — until you learn that it was designed by the legendary Andy Warhol and previously used by Kurt Cobain. Maybe you do not know who any of these two artists are, and thus you likely do not value the copper vase at $990 since those people do not have any importance to you in your mind. BUT, if you know who these people are and respect them, this changes everything, and it might seem like a steal instead. Not just a steal but a MUST BUY. This is a limited edition collector’s one-of-its-kind collector’s item if you are a huge fan of these two people.

The main point of all this? Communicate value FIRST. Before the price.

If the price of what you are selling is cheap, you want people to know that (although trying to offer cheap pricing as a unique selling proposition is not the most profitable thing you can usually do for the long-term).

If the price of what you are selling is expensive, the price will qualify the right people who are convinced to buy. Giving price details also convinces your reader of the image and brand value of your product. Keep this in mind when trying to craft marketing copy and messages too since this can change the trajectory of your business and who your brand specifically serves.

4. Conversion Boost

Once you have the content of your copy in place, it is time to give it a conversion boost. The goal of website copy is to convert the reader into a buyer (or email list subscriber, lead, etc.). There are certain things we can do to improve the conversion rate (the percentage of readers that take action) of the copy:

- Optimize for clarity — it’s plain obvious what you sell, why that is good and who it’s for
- Optimize for information — no question unanswered
- Persuasion boost — apply a persuasion technique that’s applicable for your particular context

5. Revise And Rearrange

Once you complete the conversion boosting stage of writing copy, it is beneficial to take some time away from it and revisit it later.

A fresh look at your copy a day later will help you spot inconsistencies, missing information, and flaws in the general flow of the copy. During this time, add more information, rearrange the order of different blocks and fix the typos (spelling mistakes can decrease trust and be perceived as lazy, which can cost you customers).

Before you publish your sales copy, you should get two or three other people to read it and give you feedback. You want feedback from your ideal customers. Do they get any questions that were left unanswered? Is there any part that needs to be made clearer? And for your peers (other marketers or entrepreneurs), what could make the offer better and more credible?

Once the editing is complete, you can make the copy live on your website.

6. Test

Do not guess whether the headline or value propositions you use in your copy are as good as they can be. There is no good way to predict how well the copy will do. Sometimes the conversion rates can skyrocket overnight. Sometimes the new copy turns out to be a downright dud. The only way to know is to test it!

We have now completed the 6 steps of writing copy, and I will now end this post by briefly covering the value propositions module of this course.

A value proposition is a promise of value to be delivered. Think of it as an offer. It’s the primary reason someone should buy from you.

In a nutshell, value proposition is a clear statement that:

- explains how your product solves customers’ problems or improves their situation (relevancy),
- delivers specific benefits (quantified value),
- tells the ideal customer why they should buy from you and not from the competition (unique differentiation).

It is something real humans are supposed to understand. It is for people to read. More specifically, it needs to be conveyed in the language that your customer speaks. Not yours. Not mine. Not Uncle Joes. It should join the conversation already going on in their mind. Know the language your customers actually use to describe your offerand how they benefit from it.

A value proposition formula you can use is:

- Headline. What is the end-benefit you’re offering, in 1 short sentence. Can mention the product and/or the customer. Attention grabber.
- Sub-headline or a 2–3 sentence paragraph. A specific explanation of what you do/offer, for whom and why is it useful.
- 3 bullet points. List the key benefits or features.
- Visual. Images communicate much faster than words. Show the product, the hero shot or an image reinforcing your main message.

Evaluate your value proposition by checking whether it answers these questions:

- What product or service is your company selling?
- What is the end-benefit of using it?
- Who is your target customer for this product or service?
- What makes your offering unique and different?

Here are a few bullet points of what makes a good value proposition:

- Clarity! It’s easy to understand.
- It communicates the concrete results a customer will get from purchasing and using your products and/or services.
- It says how it’s different or better than the competitor’s offer.
- It avoids hype (like ‘never seen before amazing miracle product’), superlatives (‘best’) and business jargon (‘value-added interactions’).
- It can be read and understood in about 5 seconds.

Consider these things to craft a compelling value proposition (or multiple of them, which you should test anyway) for your product and keep in mind the process of writing and drafting copy as part of the overall process of optimizing conversions.

-David