Customer Awareness: Write Copy that Connects at Each stage
Learn the Problems You Need to Solve that Your Customer Doesn’t Even Know About Yet.
When visitors come to your website they are searching for a solution to a problem.
As humans we do this sort of seeking behaviour throughout the day: When you feel hungry, you eat something. When you are tired you have a nap, or drink another mug of strong coffee.
Some problems, like hunger pangs or a big bloody gash on your forehead are obvious.
Others are a bit more nuanced. Like in the example above with feeling tired there are a couple of solutions, depending on a number of variables such as whether you have to work or not.
Other times you may have a problem, but you don’t know it yet. Like when a pipe freezes in winter, it’s not until the thaw comes and water spews out that you realise it’s burst. Then you are fully aware, very quickly.
In marketing we talk about levels of customer awareness. And there are five stages.
The Five Stages of Customer Awareness
1. Unaware. Totally oblivious that they even have a need, a problem, or a desire.
2. Aware. They feel a lack, an itch or a frustration, but don’t know how to fix it.
3. Seeking the solution. Actively looking for something to ease the pain or offer fulfillment.
4. Growing awareness of solutions – of which your product may be one!
5. Fully aware of the options available and ready to choose.
How This Relates To Planning your Website
When someone visits your website it’s likely they are actively looking for a solution to a specific problem.
They are already aware of their problem and they know the type of thing that could help. So they are around stage 3 or 4.
What this means for you is your copy has to answer the questions they have, as it relates to your particular solution.
So you must know their pains, frustrations, desires.
You need to show that your product or service is going to help through writing copy that empathises with their pain and offers them the solution to a better life with you as the catalyst.
The other reason for addressing customers’ specific and heart honest questions is that the right words will optimize your website for search engines. You will have honed in what your ideal audience is searching for. This helps with keyword research. Double bonus!
Whether visitors find you through a search engine or word of mouth, when they land on your website they are aware you may be the solution.
This means, they are primed (like your next door neighbour’s petrol lawnmower before he rips out the cord to ignite the engine) to believe you offer something of value to them. As they scan your copy, you want that internal trigger to spark their choosing-engine into life and drive them to stage 5.
Not have them stall and turn away in disappointment.
Knowing how to answer the questions that arise at each stage of awareness will help you when writing your copy.
Clear, engaging copy writing that helps your customer see that you are the one.
And when you help your customer to see that you offer a solution to their problem you attain your goal to make more sales.