Website Headline Wizard
There are 3 things you need to remember when writing a headline.
1. What is the ultimate goal a client wants if they are searching for services you provide?
There is an old metaphor that says:
Q: “Why do people go to the hardware store to buy a drill?”
A: “Because they want a hole”
This is true but it is only the tip of the iceberg.
People may want a drill to make a hole, but why do people want a hole? They want a hole for a reason and it might be very practical, for example “To put something in it or to fasten something”.
You can see where I’m going with this… People don’t want a hole for the sake of a hole, in the end they are seeking to achieve a goal that will allow the person to GAIN PLEASURE or AVOID PAIN.
Depending on your target market, the kinds of people who you sell a drill to may want it for more efficient and faster hole drilling or they may want a budget solution because they only need to drill one hole. They may want a drill that lasts forever and has a million features, or they may just want a drill that is the easiest to use for DIY handyman work.
In the end, every decision we make and every action we take is to avoid pain or to gain more pleasure and this an IMPORTANT feature when you’re writing a headline.
2. Headline patterning
Your headline must follow a pattern. It must present a problem and presuppose that by reading the following text that they are about to have the solution to their problem.
Here’s a few examples:
“How to write good headlines to increase your websites sales”
This example doesn’t look like it has a PAIN element, although the presupposition behind the headline is: “the reader isn’t getting as many sales as they would like”.
“The mistake most people make with their websites”
This is a great headline as it plays on FEAR. People are terrified of making mistakes and have a massive fear of loss. You can see this when you drive, if a person in front of you is driving slowly and you want to overtake them then often the person speeds up. This is because humans are geared to move away from loss.
“7 facts you need to know before spending any money on a website designer”
This headline also works with fear in a more SUBTLE way. As you can see it gives a feeling the person has a wealth of knowledge to share and they have condensed it into 7 points. (a little secret, the number 3 & number 7 are the best numbers to use when making points).
Here is the pattern.
1. Attention word at the beginning. In my examples above I have used: “The Mistake”, “7 Reasons”, “How To” (or “Why you” is also good).
2. Target object (People, Money, Actions, Circumstances) In my examples above I have used “good headlines”, “most people” and “gathering knowledge before spending money”.
3. Target outcome or circumstance. In my examples above I have used: “increasing sales”, “the clients website” and “website designers”
3. Here is the Headline Writing Wizard
If you see the article “Content Wizard” you’ll have some psychology to back up your headlines.
The example below is based from PERSONALITY PROFILING psychology and focuses on “People, Places & Things”. Have a read of the examples below and I will explain why it is important to write your content like this in a minute..
3 things you have to ask yourself before getting a website.
1. Is the design of your website going to be suitable to represent the people who work within your organisation? It is important that the culture and talent of your people is projected in your website so your clients can connect with you on a more personal level and get a good feeling for you and your employees.
2. Will your website be promoted in different places? This is important because the location of your marketing will determine the demographic who visit your website. When you get a website made, it needs to be made to suit the target demographic.
3. How many things will you list on your website? We suggest you consider most of your products on your website as it helps with your exposure in Google. The more things you list, the more Google can show the world your products and services.
You’ll notice that point #1 focuses on people because some people value “people” more than “places” or “things”. The #2nd point focuses on “Places” and the #3rd point focuses on “Things”. Depending on the individual, one of these points will be more important than the other two. Everyone is different and that is why it is so important to appeal to all three!
For dental you can say something like:
3 Reasons Why People Get Cosmetic Dental Work
1. Impress people. First impressions last and even though everyone is against judging on appearance, it still happens. Many people get cosmetic dental because they are around people a lot and they want to feel more confident around those people.
2. To get places in life we need to present well. Many of our clients are looking to get to a better place in their career, in their relationships, want to fit in and feel confident when they go to new places.
3. We all have things we want in life and on many people’s bucket list is “to have great teeth”, you may not want to impress anyone, you may not want to further your career but, good teeth is just one of those things you wish you had!
