What can we learn from this?
Fundamentals always trump templates.
Annie's first tagline violated a "the benefits you mention need to be real" principle (here's how you distinguish benefit a fake and a real benefit, by the way).
So, when you use a formula, make sure you don't violate the fundamentals (in this case, fundamentals of good copy: Clarity, relevance, value, specificity, real benefits, etc.)
Tip #2: Why you shouldn’t put testimonials right after your value proposition on your homepage
...and why I do it anyway.
I know some of you have testimonials right after your homepage header, and something tells me you got this wonderful idea looking at my homepage.
I also know that not everyone's done it right, because it's not as simple as it may seem.
How so?
Putting a testimonial right after your value proposition on your homepage is not a design decision. It's an important copy decision that can backfire.
Here's why.
Before you tell your prospects anything else, you must tell them what you do. Not just in general, but specifically.
Are you a B2B copywriter?
Awesome! What’s your specialty (web copy, ads, etc.) and industry?
You help websites convert better?
Swell! Are you a SEO consultant or a copywriter?
The way you communicate this info is up to you.
- An ultra-specific tagline.
- A tagline + a paragraph of explanatory text.
- Or even a song (if you add subtitles and a video transcript).
Anything goes. But you have to convey this info first.
Which means you can put a testimonial right after your value proposition ONLY IF:
✔️ Your VP offers specific details on your offer and clarifies what you do *exactly* (then, you can put whatever testimonial you like after it)
OR
✔️ The testimonial that follows your VP fills out the blanks - says the same things you would be saying yourself if you had no testimonial.
Why do I have a testimonial right after the VP on my homepage?
On my homepage, it’s the latter. My value proposition:
“Turn Your Underperforming Website into a Lead-Generating Machine”
…doesn’t tell you how I help you achieve this.
I could be just a copywriter. Or a conversion expert who does A/B testing. Or an SEO-er.
So, the testimonial that follows prominently mentions my website reviews and tells people what it is that I do. If it was some generic "Gill improved my website but I won't tell you how she did it" testimonial, I won't be putting it there.
Bottom line: Want to have a testimonial right after your VP? Make sure that the combined copy of your VP + your first testimonial tells your prospects
specificallywhat it is that you do.
Tip #3: Why you should change your default "featured products" section
So, featured products on your homepage.
Finally, a website no-brainer! You've probably just dropped the default "featured products" widget there and called it a day.
Would you look at these perfectly equal columns with a products' picture, price and "add to cart" button!
What can possibly be wrong with that?
🤔 Quick question.
Why should your prospects click "add to cart" if they don't know anything about that product yet?
Also, if none of the 3 featured products appeal to them, should they just move on?
Here's how to do it better.
- Add a sentence with a product description after its title that says what it is & what its main characteristics / benefits are.
- Remove individual "add to cart" buttons. Instead, make the pic, title, description & price clickable, leading the the corresponding product page. Your prospects know that if they want more info, they should click on one of these.
- Add "View all products" button below the "featured products" section so that your prospects can easily navigate to your Shop page to discover more products.
- Mark the items on sale clearly with a drop of contrasting color on the image (a strike-through on the old price doesn't stand out enough).
Pro tip: If it's not obvious, add a sentence saying where you ship, especially if you ship worldwide. Because it's one of the most important questions on your prospects' mind, and if you tell them you ship to their destination, they can cross it off their mental list and devote their mental energy to your beautiful goods.
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