I have only one question to ask you: What separates the reputable, trustworthy businesses you believe in from the ones you’d never buy anything from?
I’ll tell you the answer right now. It’s the copy.
Think about it like this. You’re browsing through Amazon (aka my daily morning routine) looking for some decorations for a birthday party that you’re throwing for a friend. Oh look, a great find — a balloon arch kit that includes an inflator and everything else you’ll need.
You click on the photo, which takes you to the item’s listing. It looks great in the picture, but the description reads like this:
Champagne Party Time, 13th 16th 18th 21st 30th 40th 50th 60th 70th Birthday Party Decorations for Women Men Her Him. Balloons of All Sizes and All Color help the Balloon Wreaths or Arches Look Fuller organic. Occasions Bachelorette, Weddings, birthday parties, Engagements. Any Events. Tips is Confetti. Before Inflating, Spray Little Bit of Water in to the Balloons and Rub the Confetti with your hand. Please Check, Check the Items and Tell Us if anything is Missing so We Can Replace It
How does that description impact the way you view the product you’re considering buying? Do you have confidence that you’ll be buying a quality product from a quality company? Do you trust that it will arrive on time, with all the pieces included, and actually look like the photo accompanying the listing?
I used this example because it resembles one from my own life. Recently, I threw a surprise housewarming party for my boyfriend. I ordered a bunch of decorations, including a large balloon arch that was designed to look like a champagne bottle spilling out balloons rather than fizz. As I was looking on Amazon for such a decoration, I read many product listings like the one I wrote out above. And each time, a poorly written description dissuaded me from buying the product.
Whenever you make a purchase, you are exercising some amount of trust. You’re putting your money on the line in exchange for a good or service — and in order for you to pony up that cash, you have to reasonably believe that the good or service will meet your expectations.
Now, back to the balloon example. Let’s imagine that you find a similar product on Amazon, with a listing that reads more like this:
It’s champagne party time! This is a perfect party decoration for women or men. It will look great whether you’re throwing a birthday party (13th, 16th, 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th, 60th, or 70th), a bachelorette party, a wedding, an engagement party, or any other event. Celebrate any occasion with balloons of all sizes and colors that will help the balloon arch look fuller and more organic. Tip for the confetti balloons: Before inflating, spray a little bit of water into the balloon and rub the confetti with your hands. If any piece of the item is missing upon arrival, let us know — we will happily replace it!
Which item do you feel more confident buying? Which item gives you the impression that it’s coming from a reputable company? Which one do you trust to arrive on time, intact, and as expected?
I can only speak for myself, but I’d much rather buy the second item.
(You’ll notice that the second product listing still contains all the crucial SEO terms and adheres to the same character limitations — and yet is 100 times more readable and convincing.)
Okay, but what about outside of Amazon?
Whether you’re selling a product, a service, a bundle, or even yourself, you need good copy on your website and in your promotional materials.
Copy is one of the first things potential customers will notice when they first interact with your brand online. It should be consistent, clear, concise, and aligned with your brand’s messaging.
To quote an old platitude, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
It’s the reason you don’t wear your coffee-stained college sweatshirt to a job interview. It’s the reason you brush your hair before a first date. It’s the reason you put on a blazer for a sales pitch with a new client.
Why should your brand be any different?
Clean copy makes a world of difference in building trust and confidence in your business both when you’re looking to acquire new clients and when you’re looking to uphold a well-established reputation. It’s all part of giving a good first impression — which is essential to building your brand.
Setting up a unique stylebook to fit your brand’s specific needs allows you to ensure that your copy will be clean and consistent — and will meet the high standards that your brand deserves. Codifying the stylistic decisions you want upheld will also enable you to delegate copywriting and content writing duties to others while still being able to trust in the output they produce.
Not sure where to start on the journey to cleaning up your brand’s copy? Schedule your free consultation with WriteHQ. We can help you establish your brand's voice by formalizing your style guidelines.
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