Ashlyn Carter—founder of the Ashlyn Writes, a website filled with smart tips and tricks for creating snappy and effective marketing copy—calls herself a “conversion copywriter,” because she writes sales copy with conversion in mind.
To help others do the same, she recently posted a list of 89 (which she mistakenly billed as 88) words and phrases she believes, when deployed artfully, can boost a business’s online sales.
“The words accompanying your visuals are what actually help someone decide if what you’re offering will serve them or not,” she wrote in the same blog post. “Helping them discern this—helping them figure out if something is for them or not—that’s simply good customer service!”
Carter categorized the phrases and words into four “buckets” that compel consumers to action. They are: imply exclusivity (create the feeling that not everyone can have an item); imply scarcity (create the feeling that there are limited numbers of an item); lower risk (call out safety nets in your business, including free returns); and power words (language that thrills and inspires).
Here are the 88 words and phrases, listed by category.
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Lower Risk:
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Best-selling
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Money-back guarantee
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No questions asked
Ironclad
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Backed
Results
Secure
Battle-tested
Tried-and-true
Try before you buy
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Endorsed
Professional
Popular
Expert
Easy
Reliable
Refundable
Power Words:
Premier
Pioneer
Complete
Signature
Save
Plus
Bonus
Create
Improve
Better
Best
Immediately
Instantly
Discover
Profit
Learn
Know
Understand
Grow
Powerful
Win
Hot
Secret
Inspires
Promote
Increase
Develop
Reduce
Unlock
Fundamentals
Announcing
Introducing
Ultimate
Sure-fire
Unsurpassed
Complete
Breakthrough
Instructive
Superior
Unparalleled
Bottom-line
Helpful
Reading the list, I’m impressed with how un-“salesy” it is. There are plenty of nudge-y action words and phrases, but they can easily be integrated into the informal-feeling messaging consumers are acclimated to on social media and beyond—even from established brands.
Do you have phrases or words that you feel have worked wonders on your website or social pages? Let me know in the comments below.
(Photo: Pexels)
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