Are You Talking About You...Or Talking To Them?

I have blogged numerous times about the power of powerful copy, but until now, have not been able to provide resources, (other than hiring a copywriter), that will assist you in preparing more powerful and compelling messages geared toward the consumer, rather than about you or your property. In other words, making it about them, and not about you. (If you have ever had a friend or colleague that can't stop talking about themselves, you know what I am saying here. They rarely understand what a true turn-off they are.)

Future Now offers a WeWe calculator that will help you discover what your word choices say about where your focus really is, and provides a sense of the impression you are making on clients. The tool won't make you a powerful copywriter, but it will allow you to see whether your messages are about the client...or about you. I tested 10 random apartment sites, and not one scored above a 46% in utilizing customer-focused words in their messaging. In other words, every community talked more about themselves using words like "I", "we", "our", and company name (just like a "we"), than they used words like "you" and "your". According to the tool's inventor, there seems to be a clear difference in the clients that score above 60%. That said, other influences can have an effect on your copy,and it's not always what you say, but how you say it, so use the tool simply as a fun exercise in seeing your words through the client eyes.

Have fun. Test each part of your site. Then, take a close look at your text, and make whatever changes you need to make to ensure your visitors feel your only focus is their satisfaction. If you want the consumer to perceive that you are focused on them, talk about them, their needs, their wants, and how they can get those needs and wants satisfied. Make it more about them...and less about you.