Do you remember that scene from Seinfeld when George was in the restaurant and his girlfriend was breaking up with him and to soften the blow, she said, “It’s not you, it’s me”? Classic scene.
The wording and choice of words that we use on our websites is important. You have to describe your product or service in a way that’s compelling and helps the customer know why they need it. You can’t go on and on but at the same time you don’t want to be too brief either. Writing your copy takes time and skill. But there is one thing that you can do that will make all the difference in the overall effectiveness of your home page.
Look over the copy on your home page and see how many times your copy speaks in first person: I, me, we, our … etc. and then compare that to the number of times you speak in third person using words like: you, yours, etc. Remember, when the customer is viewing your site, they don’t care about you (okay, maybe a little) as much as they care about themselves. They want to know what’s in it for them. You can go on and one about how great your product is, but you need to let them know why it’s great for THEM!
When you’re talking about your product or service, don’t tell your customer “I create beautiful and creative websites” but rather turn the table and make it about them. Instead, try saying “Your website will be beautiful and creative” or something along the lines. Make it about them. Make them see the benefit as it relates to them, not you.
Fortunately, you’re not breaking up with anyone at a corner diner. But you’re still in a situation where your choice of words are just as important. Remember, it’s about them, not you.
