Up until recently, in order to decipher as to which words we could use on a service page that would inspire conversions we were forced to analyze how well our pages were doing based on which wording we used, manually. A painstaking process that wasn’t always entirely accurate and took far more time than it should have.
Wording, and choice of phrase, is perhaps the most important aspect of any page’s creation. The way we present ourselves through images is what pulls people in; it’s the way we approach topics, explain who we are in detail and illustrate our personalities through written media that mean the difference between a click forward and a click back.
Now, after exhaustive research by several prominent marketing companies (the results of which have now gone public) we’re able to craft our presentation and tone based on what we know works.
Calling someone to action? Give them a reason.
Kevan Lee of Buffer.com cites an marketer’s insight on the matter in this way:
Perhaps my favorite study is one shared by Brian Clark of Copyblogger. Social psychologist Ellen Langer tested the power of a single word in an experiment where she asked to cut in line at a copy machine. She tried three different ways of asking:
“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine?” – 60% said OK
“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I’m in a rush?” – 94% said OK
“Excuse me, I have five pages. May I use the Xerox machine because I have to make some copies?” – 93% said OK
The takeaway: When you want people to take action, always give a reason.
Businessman and advertising guru David Ogilvy’s “most influential words:”
- suddenly
- now
- announcing
- introducing
- improvement
- amazing
- sensational
- remarkable
- revolutionary
- startling
- miracle
- magic
- offer
- quick
- easy
- wanted
- challenge
- compare
- bargain
- hurry
Marketing site Quick Sprout also tells the story of one headline change that led to a 40 percent increase in conversion:
So, what was the original headline? It was: KISSmetrics helps you get actionable metrics for your business.
And the new one is: Google Analytics tells you what happened, KISSmetrics tells you who did it.
Furthermore, ever wondered why “free trials” are offered absolutely everywhere (even places they do not make sense) online? The word “free” is perhaps the top converting word of all time.
So whether it’s a “free” eBook, a free trial offer (we provide one as well, for slightly different yet still powerful reasons) or a free puppy, give these go-to words a shot. Let us know what happens.
