The Ultimate Guide to Creating Powerful Website Headlines That Instantly Convert
Did you know that only a matter of a few words stands between your online business and a higher click-thru rate, conversion rate, and profits?
No, it is not the body of your website copy. No, it is not your call to action. No, it is not the pitch for the products that you offer with your online business. It is your website headline. That’s right! Hard to believe, isn’t it? It is true, though.
Through numerous studies, it has been established that up to five times more internet users will read the headline on your website than any other group of words throughout your site. In fact, marketers everywhere agree that the very first headline on your home page is the single, most important piece of copy that you will ever compose.
Learn how to create highly successful and immensely powerful headlines that will immediately convert!
It is Not About Writing, It is About Your Ability to Captivate
The first and most important step to creating a powerful headline for your website lies not in your ability to write, but in your ability to captivate your target audience.
Oftentimes, website owners get so wrapped up in the technical or the creative aspects of writing that they lose sight of that which they are attempting to do – which is to draw in audiences and have them wanting more.
It is not about grammar. It is not about punctuation. It is not about being creative. It is simply about drawing in your target audience and having them wanting to learn more.
What matters is your ability to influence – nothing more.
“Last-In, First-Out”
This saying is associated with a basic accounting method that assumes that various types of goods are sold in the exact opposite chronological-based order in which those same goods are purchased.
When creating a website headline, you must switch this around and choose to go last-in, first-out. Basically, it means that you should create the website first and then compose the headline last.
Now, you can certainly come up with a headline that states what you want the goal of the website to be in order to start in the creation of your copy’s body; however, your target audience should not see this headline. It should only be for you – to provide basic guidance.
Once you get your copy body written, go back and create that powerful and attractive website headline.
Avoid Trying to Make Everyone Happy
When creating a website headline, avoid trying to make everyone that comes across your page happy. It just is not going to happen. In fact, if you attempt to do this, it is quite likely that none of your traffic will be happy and your conversion rates will plummet.
You must determine the group of people that are to benefit the most from the products and/or services that you offer.
Then, compose the headline for that group of people. When creating the headline, be sure to speak directly to the group of people that you have designated.
Over time, you will likely discover that this “conversation” extends to others. This will lead to higher conversations.
Provide Information
Once you are aware of those in which you elect to converse with through your website headline, you should then place an emphasis on what it is that you want to convey to those individuals – in terms of information. First, you should make certain the headline outlines what makes what you are offering unique.
Then, you should convey your main features and/or benefits. It is also imperative that you focus on expressing how your products and/or services will enhance the quality of life for your target audience.
What problem does it solve? What advantage will be experienced by using it? How does it optimize one’s quality of life?
Unique Formulations
As an internet marketer, there is one critical piece of information that you should remember; that is, you have 7 seconds or less to capture the attention of your visitors. If you fail to do so in this amount of time, they will either hit the back button or that little “x” to close out your page completely.
Many studies are now leaning towards the fact that it is becoming increasingly more important to capture the attention of visitors in 3 seconds or less.
Now, the heat is really on! In order to succeed in this endeavor, you should consider using one of the following unique headline formulations:
- The “Have Your Cake and Eat it, too” Formula – Generally speaking, people are consistently told that in order to enjoy something, they must give up something. Instead of going this directly, simply combine something truly desirable with something good – to inform your target audience that it IS possible to have the cake and to enjoy eating it!
- The “Once and Finally for All” Formula – We are all instantly attracted to that which will eliminate a problem forever. This makes this headline formula very beneficial. By making a reasonable commitment on your page, you are letting your visitors know that they can completely eliminate an issue that they deal with quickly and once and for all!
- The “One Trick” Formula – We all enjoy tips, tricks, and secrets – especially that “one”. When you use this formulation to create your website headline, chances are, the natural curiosity of your target audience is going to get the best of them. They will be aching to know what the “one trick” is – so, naturally, they will read your content. This formulation is ideal for those websites that are offering a product or a service that has one main selling point.
- The “What’s in It for Me?” Formula – When using this particular formulation, the goal is to outline the way that your target audience will immediately benefit if they indulge in and purchase what you are selling. For example, if you are selling a word processing software program, you could utilize the headline “Increase Productivity and Never Be Grammatically Incorrect Again”. The point is, the headline is benefit-focused.
- The “Excitement Generation” Formula – When creating a website headline using this formulation, you are basically combining words that will immediately get your reader excited and encouraged to engage. These types of headlines will utilize synonyms and adjectives in order to push the point. They may also include highly complimentary descriptions.
Experiment
By now, you likely have at least one headline composed. Now, it is time to experiment with it just a bit. Take that one website headline that you have created and turn it into – no less – than 20 different headlines.
While this may seem like a lot, it is a very important step to take.
Do not limit your word count (but, don’t get carried away, either!) Pull out your thesaurus and exchange words out for compelling synonyms. Then, attempt to put together words in such a way that they create mental images.
By creating a very sharp mental image in the minds of your readers, you will find that your message is more concrete and memorable. Search for words and various types of analogies utilized by other marketers and put them to use. Utilize data, humor, and other types of information to push information onto your target audience.
Eliminate the Bad
Now that you have your 20 headlines created, it is time to review all of them and decide which ones are just, well, “bad”. Remember, your headline is about your visitor – not you.
So, if you come across any that seem to be more about you and less about them, delete it.
If you headline is simply too long, delete it.
If it is too short, delete it.
If it appears to be meaningless, delete it.
Once you are down to about 5-10 website headlines that you feel are productive to your goals, leave them and move on to the next step.
Consider the Context of Your Page
Now, review your page. Consider its context. By now, a few of the headlines should be jumping out at you. Plug them in to the page.
How do they sound? How do they look? Do they convey a strong message?
Eliminate any that simply do not line up with the overall context of your page. You will have to experiment a little at this point in the game.
Only keep those headlines that have the highest level of potential. Remember, you are not attempting to target 100% of your target audience – only a small portion. If your headline is solid enough, you will – eventually – attract a larger amount of your target audience.
Conduct Testing
Now, you should pick two of the website headlines that you have created.
Test each of them.
Many refer to this as the “A/B Test”. There are many online testing tools that will allow you to test and review the metrics of your website. In addition to this, you may also utilize your own tools – such as a click-thru/clickbait or email signups – in order to determine which headline appears to be more successful.
You should avoid using conversion rates associated with actual sales to test out various headlines because this could result in your testing efforts taking much longer than they would originally take.
Don’t Forget Your Keywords
Once you have determined which headline is clearly the “winner” per the previous testing step, it is time to plug in the keywords that you want to rank for in the headline.
Remember, go for high-demand, low-supply keywords that really harness what your website is all about. The headline – itself – is critical to the search engine optimization of your website.
What makes it even MORE important is the utilization of keywords. Combined, these two elements are sure to have you ranking exceptionally high in all major search engines.
A Single Word
Research has established that headlines are considered to be worth 90% or more of the dollar amount spent in advertising. It has been established that one word in a single email campaign has the potential to increase click-thru rates by up to nearly 50%!
Knowing that a headline – and the words involved in that headline – have a measurable difference on the click-thru rate and your overall success means that this one component of your website has the highest level of significant impact on your total bottom line – that means your headline is more likely to impact your profits than the products and/or services that you offer on your website.
That means one single word could make you more money that your most expensive product or service. That means your website headline is the most critical component to your success.
To Push or To Pull?
“To push or to pull?” – That TRULY IS the question. Website headlines are the very first lines of the copy portion of the website that your customers come into contact with.
This headline is able to create a first impression. This “first impression” will either push away your target audience or will pull in your target audience. If your headline is poorly written and executed, it will result in poor conversions – even if your copy throughout the website is absolutely amazing.
The purpose of the headline is to PULL IN the attention span of your target audience. If it pushes them away, your bottom line will suffer.
We Can Help
We here at Brick Road Media know and understand the importance of crafting compelling headlines that will attract your target audience (and maybe a few others, too!). If you are ready to increase your bottom line and maximize your profits, let us help! Your business is your passion, but you are OUR passion! We have the capability of constructing a completely optimized website that will attract, pull, and convert! If you would like to learn more, contact us today!