Fly on the E-Commerce Cyberwall

Why Verbs Work So Well in Copywriting
Yesterday I shared something I had rewritten on a client's site to make it more effective. I said I would break it down to show what makes it effective. Just to refresh your memory, here's the copy I wrote for my client's etched glass home decor site:

"How do we produce such unexpected detail? Other etchings grind deeply into the surface of the glass, erasing any possibility of fine details and crunching the glass surface into tiny shards that leave a rough surface where it's been etched.

"But run your finger over the etching you receive from us. You'll find the etching so delicate that the etched surface feels almost as smooth as polished glass.

"That delicate etch is what gives you such detail.

"Yet, delicate as it is, your etching is still permanent. Clean it, polish it as much as you like. We guarantee you will never get it to fade or wear away.

"Display your etching in your home wherever it will make the most impact. Gaze at the delicately contrasting shades this process brings to it. Enjoy a feeling of realism beyond anything you ever expected from etched glass."

Notice what it does. The first paragraph hits you with highly active verbs to generate a vivid picture. Grind, erase, crunch. You can almost hear and see the etching process that competitors use, and—may I add—you likely see and hear it in a negative light.

The second paragraph suddenly reverses that negative impression by engaging a third sense into the copy, the sense of feel. I show that the negative qualities that traditional forms of etching have are totally absent in my client's etching process.

Adding the sense of feel forces them to imagine the benefits. I could have described this benefit in a generic way with something like, "This etching process leaves the glass almost perfectly smooth." But a generic feature would fall flat in reader's minds.

"Who cares if it's smooth or not?" would be the likely response. "How does that benefit me?" But by getting readers to imagine actually feeling the dramatic difference between the two styles of etching, we draw them into sensing the quality. And, importantly, it subtly starts them thinking of the product as their own, easing their way into a purchase.

The third paragraph sums up the first two, the fourth attacks a red flag that might arise at this point. Before the question arises of, "If the etching's so delicate, won't it wear off?" we attack it with a guarantee.

But again, instead of simply stating the guarantee, we put the reader into another scenario. We picture the reader actively trying to rub the etching off and finding it impossible to do so.

Again, we do two things with this scenario. First we answer a potential deal-breaking concern before it arises. Secondly, we get the readers imagining actually owning the product.

Finally, with the last paragraph, we put the reader in yet another scenario. We call upon the reader to picture the exact spot where the product will have the most impact in his or her home. We lead the reader to picture how much they will enjoy owning it.

Once again, we assume the purchase has already been made. Hopefully, each scenario should build their desire to make what they've imagined reality. They've already enjoyed feeling and seeing their purchase. They've already mentally placed it in their home. All that remains is to click the "Add to Cart" button and it can be on its way there.

Now, I don't want to leave the impression that this is some magical formula that mesmerizes uninterested people into buying against their will. What it does is make them comfortable with the idea of buying something they already came to the site looking for.

You'll notice also that I at no time in the copy use the word, "imagine." If I'm trying to get them to imagine something, why not just tell them to imagine it? Because this is where human nature gets all funny on us.

If you tell your visitors to imagine how much they will enjoy owning your product, it will put them on guard. It will actually increase their resistance, because they feel you're trying to manipulate them.

Instead, we paint them a vivid picture where they can see themselves enjoying the product. In doing so, we bypass that mental guard dog and tap directly into the desire to buy that can overrule the reservations about buying.

No amount of beautifuls or exceptionals will get past that guard dog. Most adjectives (the descriptive words you use to describe your product) come across as hollow. But verbs stimulate imagination and, ultimately, action. Take a look at your sales copy and see where you can punch it up with verbs. You might be surprised at how much you can do.
Jeff