Website copy mistakes that are killing your conversion rate (and how to avoid them).

1. 7 website copy mistakes
That are killing your conversions
Tasty knowledge nuggets served up by Ami from Damn Write

2. What we’re going to cover...
1. Common copy mistakes
2. Why they matter
3. How to fix or avoid them
4. Resources for improving your
copy + website

3. But first...
It’s not your fault.
Copywriting is the opposite of
what you were taught in school.

4. 7 common copy mistakes:
1. Your copy is too hard to read
2. It’s all about you
3. You came up with it
4. It’s vague AF
5. Your headline isn’t enticing
6. Your voice is inconsistent
7. You lack social proof

5. Common copy mistake no.1
It’s too hard to read

6. Why readability matters:
👉 The harder it is for the eyes + brain to process
something, the less likely that it’ll be read
👉 Higher cognitive load distracts from your message (and
the users end goal)
👉 Eye strain is the devil
👉 Most people skim read

7. How to improve readability:
👉 Increase your body text size
(recommend 14 or 16pt)
👉 Use headings, subheadings, bullet lists and images to
break things up
👉 Avoid long paragraphs — “walls of text”
👉 Use a easy to read font
👉 Contrast is your friend (eg. black font on a white
background)

8. Common copy mistake no.2
It’s all about you

9. Why customer-focused copy matters:
👉 When you talk about your service or product without
bringing it back to what’s in it for the reader, you’ll lose
them
👉 They don’t care about you #sorrynotsorry
👉 They only care about how you can help them (this taps
into the old/lizard brain — which is where decisions are
made)
👉 Your customer is the hero of the story, you’re the guide

10. How to write customer-focused copy:
👉 Use “You/you’re” more than “I/we/us”
👉 Try rewording sentences so that they start with “You”
👉 When stating something about your business or what you
offer, try tying it back to why the reader should give a
shit…
○ “What’s in it for me?”
○ “So what?”
👉 Eg. If you’ve been in business for 20 years, what’s the
tangible benefit to the customer?

11. Common copy mistake no.3
You came up with it
(rather than using your customers
words)

12. Why Voice Of Customer works:
👉 It’s easier for your customer to understand
👉 Less of a mental leap for them (reduced cognitive load)
👉 They feel like you understand them
👉 It’s often sticky, detail-oriented copy
👉 It tells you exactly what is going on in their head

13. How to get VOC data:
👉 TALK TO YOUR DAMN CUSTOMERS!!!
○ Survey them (there’s no need to offer an incentive)
○ Interview 5-10 of them
👉 Go through customer service enquiries — emails + chat
logs
👉 Look through the places they hangout online (Insta feeds,
Facebook groups, Reddit, etc)
👉 Amazon reviews for products that are similar or have
similar benefits

14. Common copy mistake no.4
It’s vague AF

15. Why details matter:
👉 Details are compelling
👉 They’re more memorable — the brain stops and plays
with them
👉 They invoke the reader’s imagination — they can
“picture” it
👉 Because they’re concrete, they add legitimacy to what
you’re saying
👉 They help you stand out amongst all the blah vague BS

16. How to get specific:
👉 Paint a word picture…
○ Eg. it’s not tempting, it’s “harder to say no to than
another piece of salted caramel chocolate”
👉 Get to know the pain points /problems you solve for
people
👉 Ditto the benefits
👉 Use Voice of Customer snippets

17. Common copy mistake no.5
Your headline isn’t
enticing

18. Why your headline matters:
👉 It occupies premium website real estate -> above the
fold on the home page
👉 Visitors will decide extremely quickly whether to stick
around or hit the back/close button
👉 Your headline needs to convey a lot in a small amount
of time
👉 It needs to hook the reader and make them want to
find out more

19. How to improve your headline:
👉 Clearly state what you’re offering + who it’s for
👉 Include a benefit
👉 Focus on the customer — what’s in it for them?
👉 Give them a next step without scrolling (a Call To Action
button)
👉 Use a formula (see next page…)

20. Headline formulas
<Get this benefit> <by doing this>
<Get this benefit> <from this>
<What it is> <for who>
<Who for> <benefit they get>
Also, give the Headline Analyzer at CoSchedule a whirl!

21. Common copy mistake no.6
Your voice is inconsistent

22. Why consistency matters:
👉 Because it builds trust
👉 Or on the flipside, inconsistency shows a lack of
attention to detail = trust destroyer
👉 Inconsistency in voice tends to be really noticeable (ie.
pages written at different times)
👉 Your brand voice is essential for engaging visitors and
standing out from competitors

23. How to keep it consistent:
👉 Start by defining it — your brand personality and what it
sounds like
👉 And then document it via a Brand Voice Guide
👉 Include words or phrases you naturally use all the time
👉 You can also include a list of words or phrases you would
never use
👉 Don’t forget to include voice of customer
👉 Use the guide to go over all of your website copy and edit
accordingly

24. Common copy mistake no.7
Lack of social proof

25. Why social proof matters:
👉 Because it builds trust… faster than any other way
👉 Humans are pack animals
👉 Plays into our need to belong / keep up / not be
shunned
👉 Other people talking you up is way more powerful than
anything you can say
👉 Reduces the perceived risk of hiring/buying from you

26. How to use social proof:
👉 Uh, first you have to COLLECT IT
○ Follow up purchases with a review request
○ Have it set up as an automated email or bake it into
your client offboarding / project process
👉 Then you have to actually USE IT (weird, I know)
○ Put it on your home page, services, work with me,
product pages etc
○ Have a star rating near the add to cart button for
products
○ Share it on social media

27. 3 resource for improving
your website:
1. Hotjar — screen recording + heatmaps
2. Hemmingwayapp.com — will help you write
better copy
3. Baymard Institute — PILES of research and data
around web design + UX
4. Books:
● Building a Story Brand, Donald Miller
● Finding the right message, Jen Havice

28. Improve the experience
and everyone wins.
- Dharmesh Shah
WWW.DAMNWRITE.COM.AU