Copywriting Makeover: Distinction and Benefits; Part 2 of 2

In part 1 of this series (seen here: we wereErgonomic Chair Design Based On Years Of
introduced to Kneelsit.com, an AustralianResearch Lets You
manufacturer of ergonomic computer chairs whoSit For Hours With No Back Pain
was in search of a high conversion rate. AfterThe Opening Paragraph
spotting several trouble areas within Kneelsit'sThe original copy started out just fine by naming
original copy (viewable here: I set out to rewritesome important benefits, but it didn't back them
the home page with specific goals in mind.up. After pointing out the relief of stress and pain,
The Rewriteit went directly into an explanation about the
I really felt for the users of these chairs. Theychair's patent.
had back problems and medical issues, tryingThe new copy took a cleaner path. It started by
desperately to find relief. I can only imagine how itpointing out that others (users and professionals)
must feel to sit in pain all day, every day. And,liked the chair, and then it proceeded (in the next
after seeing so many false claims for other chairs,section) to explain why.
I could understand how they might be skeptical.The original copy tried to educate readers about
So, after reading the new home page copy, Ithe importance of continuous movement and
wanted the site visitors to have confidence, tonatural balance. There is nothing wrong with
see the difference in the Kneelsit chair and toeducating your customers; however, you need to
understand the benefits this chair would offer.give ample space to do that. Because the visitors
Of course, those in chronic pain were not the onlyhad limited information about these two benefits
visitors to the Kneelsit site. While they were theon the home page, they may have been
primary segment, the audience also consisted ofconfused or - at the least - unpersuaded.
those with mild back pain, those with inconsistentThe new copy held firm on one feature: the
problems or simple fatigue, and those who simplyswivel axel mechanism. It explained how this
wanted a comfortable chair that wouldn'thelped with customization of settings to fit every
contribute to any future back problems. The copybody type and more. With minimal education
also needed to meet their needs and provide theneeded, the customer was able to understand
information they were seeking.that this one, patented feature offered multiple
You can see the revised copy here:benefits.
The HeadlineRather than simply listing shipping details for the
The original headline did, in fact, list benefits. Itclose of the copy, the new version of the home
stated:page pointed out some additional benefits
Superb Comfort, Perfect Posture, Gentlepertaining to quality and stylishness.
Movement, Natural BalanceAs I wrote, I looked for places to use the
However, only one of those benefits spoke tokeyphrases chosen for this page. This was
audience members... Superb Comfort. Whileabsolutely not a numbers game. My goal was not
posture may have been a secondary thought,to use the keyphrases as often as I possibly
gentle movement and natural balance didn't strikecould. That approach is not SEO copywriting, in
a chord simply because of a lack of knowledge.my book.
As it happens, these two benefits are important,Basing your copywriting strategy simply on the
but the general population doesn't understandsheer volume of times you can include
what they mean. It would require educating thekeyphrases makes the copy sound forced and
site visitors about these two before they wouldridiculous. In fact, on this home page, the
grasp their full meaning. That education couldn'tkeyphrases were only used a total of four or five
take place within the headline (not enough room!),times. Yet, to the amazement of some, the
so those two benefits needed to be removed.home page ranks in the top 10 (and often top
The headline needed to evoke feelings of trustfive) for its chosen key terms.
for the skeptical and a sense of stability for theThe Results
hesitant. It also needed to provide an obviousDid it work? Did the changes bring out the results
benefit - one that would catch the reader'swe wanted? They sure did! When asked about
attention.improved conversions, the owner of had this to
Also, because it made sense to do so, I includedsay, "Our conversion rate has definitely improved
one keyphrase in the headline. The new headlinesince the rewrite... probably by around 35-40%!
read: