How to Write Website Copy That Books More Brides | Andrea Shah

[laughs] Yes, absolutely.

When we start thinking about the experience and how do we put the experience into words, so if we can kind of start there, 'cause I feel like there's so much that we can unpack with the topic of copywriting.

Before we hit record, I was like, "We'll talk about all the things," because this conversation can morph into so much because the topic of copywriting can feel like a mystery for a lot of listeners.

So I'm excited to dive in, but I'd like to start with how do we describe the experience when we wanna say it feels warm, it feels hospitable, it feels like you're being well taken care of? Other than using literally those words, how sometimes do you describe what makes your business special? How do we get it outside of just describing what a fitting is like, or like you mentioned, how to get from point A to point B, how to, like, describe the nuances of your own business and put it into words?

So sometimes I think what helps is to take a step back, and instead of trying to put it into your words, listen first to what your past clients are saying about you and your services.

Go back and read your reviews and look for patterns, because a lot of times the language that your future clients will respond to isn't just your words, it's the words of your past clients.

So sometimes you're just gonna lift a little phrase here or there and turn it into a headline or a snippet of copy, and sometimes when people are really hyping you up, you're gonna put that on your website as a testimonial.

You don't wanna say, "I'm the best person for this job in Portland, Oregon." It's a little arrogant if you say it.

[laughs]

But if somebody else comes in and says, "Annie is the best in Portland, Oregon, when you need your wedding dress altered," you can put that on your website, and people will start to believe it.

Especially hearing from other people is really important, but listening to your past clients, and if you're feeling brave, talk to a couple of your favorite past clients and ask them how they felt the experience went, what their hesitations were before doing it, how you addressed that, and what the process felt like from the other side.

I do this with my clients because it's really challenging to sit down and ask your past clients for a candid perspective.

It's just, it's nerve-wracking.

Mm-hmm.

It's nerve-wracking for me when I ask about my business.

But it can really help to learn what they were thinking, especially with alterations.

It's one of what I think of as the black box wedding services, where a lot of times you know what your starting point is, you know what the end point is, but with pricing and with the experience, you don't really know what the in-between steps are, and you know there's gonna be a fairly significant number on that, so people are a little bit nervous, and they're looking to be put at ease by you and your explanation of what you do.

Yeah.

Oh my goodness, that totally nailed it.

Like, I've seen that so often, where you go to a website and then there's even more mysteries once you get to the website [laughs] than when you started.