How to structure your copy to increase engagement and sales

Any extra word can cost you a potential client.

With the average consumer attention span reaching the one of a goldfish, you need to be quick and resourceful in doing your pitch. On the average web page, visitors will read at most 28% of your words. By following these easy steps, you’ll tweak your copy structure to have your potential client hooked.

Lesson 1: Structure your copy with the ‘grab them by the (eye)balls’ signs

How do you read online? You scan a website while speeding forward to the next online destination. The only things your eyes are noticing are the attention-grabbing signs – the headers, sub-headers and quotes in bold. Make sure these hold the most essential information and your CTA’s.

Tip 1: Numbers, lists, questions and bold promises tend to score the highest hooking the visitor to read on. Personally, I love quotes.

Tip 2: You can start with dotting the main ideas of your copy as sub-headers; then, you fill the gaps in between.

Lesson 2: Leave out the intro

My dad always tells me: “Start from the end.” He knows the essence of what I am about to say is at the end of my message. A lot of people tend to fluff-fluff their copies with smart words. Don’t do that. You’ll lose your reader on the first sentence. Throw away the intro. Get straight to the core.

Example: Let’s say you are writing your home page. Forget about “Hello”, “Welcome”, “Thank you for visiting”, and other polite but message-empty introductions. Your visitors need to know at a glance what they are about to read.

Lesson 3: Make a good start with a summary 

Explain the audience what is to come. What is your copy about? For whom is it written? What benefits will the visitors get from reading your copy? And what should they do afterwards? Keep it short, though. And don’t forget to put a clear Call To Action.

Tip 1: The first six-seven words should contain a key fact.

Tip 2: The first sentence structure must be simple: no commas, no sub-clauses.

You don’t necessarily need to make your copy short. You can write long and mouth-watering pieces of texts but keep them for the ‘body’ of your copy (second, third, fourth paragraphs).

Lesson 4: Separate your topics in paragraphs

It may sound self-evident but believe me, not everyone does it. Dedicate a paragraph for each topic you write about. Make sure you highlight every segment with an on-point sub-heading. Take a page out of journalist’s book and spice up your copy with quotes, images, graphics and captions.

Lesson 5: Repeat yourself

Message merits repetition. Don’t be afraid to say something twice. Not overdone but consistent repetition creates persuasion without annoying the reader. Depending on the length of the copy, I tend to insert the same key message twice or even three times. Plus, one extra as a quote.

Lesson 6: Make a powerful ending

An ultimate goal of any copy is to create some action: make the reader think, buy, subscribe, download, come back, etc. Your final sentence must be an art of persuasion or a glorious cliff-hanger. Whatever it will be, make sure you are very clear about what you want the reader to do next. Just say it.

Tip: Add immediacy with timely words if you are offering a service or a product.

Tap into consumers desires, tell stories. But keep your message short and clear

Bonus Lesson: Be yourself

People come to read you, to hear your voice, to find out your opinion. Give them what they came for. Remember, nobody can sound like you.

Tip: Instead of confusing your readers with multiple choices of ‘follow me here, here, here and here’; offer a single link to your absolute best marketing channel. 

Not sure how to craft a copy that converts and engages you audience? Leave me a line here, and we'll work it out.