The Art of Persuasion: How to Boost Your Conversion Rate

Laura Hand

We all want to create content that has people eager to click through and read more about what you have to offer. But sometimes, that’s easier said than done.

Copywriting is more than just putting words on a page. Thinking about what makes your potential customers tick can open up a whole new way to reach them and increase conversions.

We’ve outlined 6 tips below to help you get inside the mind of your target audience before you craft your next piece of content — and attract some new customers along the way!

6 easy tips to write great copy and increase your conversions

Ultimately, persuasion is at the heart of what copywriters aim to do.

We want our readers to take action — whether it’s to buy something, sign up for a newsletter, or hire us to write for you (not-so-subtle hint to check out The Content Lab for all your copywriting needs!). In short, we want our copy to convert!

It’s safe to assume that you’re reading this because you want the rundown on how to increase conversions, turning casual website visitors into paying customers.

Sure, you could cover your product pages in a flood of ‘Buy Now’ buttons, spam potential customers with pushy Google ads, and try to push them through the conversion funnel… Or you could try out some of the tricks I’ve gathered for you with the help of Robert Cialdini’s Six Principles of Persuasion.

1. Reciprocity: Give a little, get a little

According to Cialdini, when someone gives us something or does something for us, we’re psychologically wired to want to return the favour and avoid feeling like we owe them one.

A free food sample offered in the supermarket makes us want to buy a whole box of tasty treats… A free trial of a streaming service to get us hooked on a bingeable series… You get the gist. It’s a ‘you scratch my back, and I’ll scratch yours’ type of mentality.

How can you use this concept in your copywriting to boost conversion rates?

Like the above examples, a free trial of your service or sample of your product is sure to get people interested. Who doesn’t love free stuff? Offering free advice or a newsletter full of valuable information can help you increase conversion rates and retain happy customers.

2. Scarcity: Going…going…gone!

Picture it: you’re browsing through your favourite clothing website, and you see that pair of jeans that you’ve been eyeing for a while, but have never made it out of the basket and into your wardrobe. You click on the jeans and see “only 5 left in stock” in bright red letters. They could be out of stock for who-knows-how-long! Now could be your last chance to grab them! And that’s what finally convinces you to whip out your card.

This scarcity mindset is a powerful tool, giving products or services an extra sense of value and exclusivity.

How can you harness the power of scarcity? You could put a limited-time offer on your sales page, advertising a product or service for a discounted price until a specific date and time. Or you could launch an email campaign to your email subscribers, using phrases like “limited availability”, “20 people are looking now” or “offer ends in…” with a countdown to urge them to take action.

It really works — just ask the 94% of Americans who reported they would take advantage of an exclusive offer.

3. Authority: Back yourself

You have to make your audience believe in your product or service as much as you do.

How? Refine your unique value proposition — what sets your services apart — and spread the word.

For instance, if you’re a yoga teacher, your content should convince even the most rigid person that becoming your student will transform them into a human pretzel in no time. They’ll never know how great you are at what you do if you don’t tell them first.

And let other people tell them, too! A vote of confidence from another respected figure in your field can go a long way toward establishing your authority and convincing those who may be on the fence to convert from curious readers into loyal customers.

Backing up what you’re telling your audience with evidence from past or current clients or customers through reviews and testimonials is an effective step toward conversion rate optimisation — and a great way to get people more engaged with your content.

Which leads us nicely into…

4. Social Proof: There’s safety in numbers

If you’re anything like me, reviews are your first port of call when deciding whether or not to buy something.

It’s human nature to want to do what other people are doing — and common user behaviour illustrates this all the time.

For example, imagine you’re looking for a Stanley water bottle dupe that only costs a fraction of the price of the real thing. You’re more likely to buy the one with over 1,000 5-star reviews than those with fewer ratings to back them up.

Online fashion retailer ModCloth allowed their shoppers to vote on which styles should be put into production. These styles then received a “Be the Buyer” badge, which doubled the conversion rate of these items compared to ones that didn’t have this badge.

Highlighting reviews from customers or case studies from clients who have availed of your services will strengthen a potential customer’s trust in you and your business.

5. Commitment and Consistency: Aligning words and actions

One of the most essential qualities that your current and future customers appreciate? Consistency!

From mobile users browsing your website to your social media following, you can’t foster a trusting relationship with your audience if they’re not sure what they can expect from you from one platform to the next. And flip-flopping in the voice and tone of your content certainly doesn’t help.

Being consistent with your messaging, tone, and writing style reinforces your sense of credibility and authority, which can ultimately increase your conversion rate.

And commitment is just as important. You want to nudge your readers down the sales funnel and get them engaged to the point that they want to buy from you.

Asking questions to which the answer will be a clear ‘yes’ can help this. For example, “Want to stop wasting valuable time and streamline your copywriting process?” will likely elicit an affirmative response from someone in the market for this service.

This small ‘yes’ paves the way for a bigger ‘yes’ down the line. From an engaging initial question, you can get a landing page visitor to sign up for a free introductory call. This can then lead to bringing a new client on board and another successful conversion!

6. Liking: More human, less robot

While it may seem obvious, coming across as likeable in your copywriting is vital. From your website to your landing pages to your social media presence — sprinkling a little personality into your content will make (the right) people warm to you and your brand.

Think about it. Why do some online influencers have their followers immediately buying out their latest product the minute they’ve launched it? They’ve created an audience based first and foremost on their personality.

Someone on Instagram could be giving fantastic fitness and nutrition advice, but if they have the likeability of a wet sock, then you’re probably not going to follow them — or buy whatever they’re selling.

When it comes to conversion optimisation, adding some genuine humanity and life to your content can make a huge difference in how much people want to engage with you. It’s best not to force or over-think these. Let it feel natural, and be consistent with your authentic tone of voice. (And there’s no harm in cracking a joke here and there, if that’s how you roll!)

For more information on why personality is so important for increasing your average conversion rate, check out this blog by our wonderful Eithne.

Attract, engage, and convert more customers with compelling copy from The Content Lab!

Even just a few of these tips can radically improve your audience engagement, your website’s conversion rates, and your business’s bottom line. Creating content that your audience will be interested in will give you a much higher chance of turning them from readers to customers.

Don’t have the time to dedicate to your website copy?

That’s where we come in. At The Content Lab, we provide high-quality conversion content for websites, blogs, email campaigns — you name it. Get in touch and let us work our magic.