The General Rule of Thumb

The general rule of thumb when creating cover pages is to always scope out the competition. This is purely to see what other businesses that are similar to yours in order to create your page in a way that is unique and offers something different from what is already on the market.

Also be sure that your page is available to be viewed on all devices (tablets, phones, laptops) in the highest quality possible. Customers that view the ads on their phones and have to constantly zoom and scroll around the page are more likely to never visit again, as opposed to those who have a pleasant and easy viewing experience.

Always be sure to use simple and direct, yet still informative language. This reduces any confusion for customers and makes it much easier to read.

1. Answer the 4 W Questions.

This is vital for you to have a goal and direction for your copy page.

• WHO is my reader? (Bonus points for your page if it directly addresses the customer by name and/ or what their personalized concerns are; it is also a good idea to know who your target audience is, so that the design and sales pitch of the page is appropriate)
• WHAT are the pinpoints and concerns?
• HOW can you help? (It would be a good idea to showcase the lifestyle and versatility of the product rather than the product itself)
• WHY should they choose you? (Ensure to include your valued proposition, so that they are aware of an end goal)

However, it is important to ensure that this landing page is only for one service or solution. For multiple offers, separate landing pages must be created. This is due to the fact that each product attracts different customers, and they don’t to waste their time reading through many items that they are not interested in. Chances are they will try to find another business with an easier option. Furthermore, by offering only one service per page, it allows businesses to take advantage of a high quality SEO and a long tail keyword to give your page a higher chance of appearing higher up in the google searches.

2. Create a Catchy Headline

The headline is what will draw customers initially, so it must be compelling and inviting. This could include ideas such as:

• Relating itself directly to the copy that customers are interested in
• Having a personal and active voice
• Addressing the problem they are trying to solve
• Being clear and easy to read
• Being short and concise

One example of a catchy headline section would be from the Nick Scali (furniture shop) page, where the use of colors and luring sales and discounts attract new customers.

3. Pitch your Sales

Keep in mind that it is not about you. It is all about your client. Sell your products/ solution by telling the users how their life can be changed from utilizing what you are selling.

It is important that you only advertise the positive aspects of your business/ service to the client so that they feel more compelled to go with you. Using statistics, figures, and facts to support your claims also increases the credibility of your page and allows the client to feel more secure and comfortable with their decision to go with you. Another method to incorporate is the rule of one:

• One offer

With an offer, try and make it as good and inviting as possible, such as a free try or free sample. With this, the customer is more likely to be curious and try it out which is when you have a higher chance of converting them into a permanent client.

• One promise

By promising the client they will achieve/ learn/ gain something desirable, they will purchase your service or business excited and keen for the future. These positive feelings also increase your chances that the customer may recommend your services to their circle of network.

• One big idea

A big idea could be what your business aims to achieve in the upcoming period to make both the business growth and customer experience and service. Although, make sure that this idea, although big- is achievable and not too ambitious and unachievable.

4. Social Proof- Case Studies and Testimonials

One aspect of your landing page that will improve credibility is the feedback from other past and present clients, talking about their genuine experiences. If their feedback is positive, it is much more likely that you will gain the trust of newer customers. This is because customers tend to trust the words of their fellow customers more, purely than just the business site and owners.

Some suggestions could be video recordings of happy customers, messages of the customers or even a photo gallery of previous work of your business in action. If it is a design company or business, even a ‘portfolio’ section of the page is sufficient to show customers that you are able to produce what you have promised.

5. Call to Action

Lastly, you must have a call to action. The call to action must be direct and succinct and offer a clear plan of what the customer should do next to come on board. Without a call to action, after reading the beginning of the landing page, your customer won’t know what to do and more likely leave the page without having interacted directly with the business.

Key Takeaway

If you need some assistance with copywriting for landing pages, or just don’t know where or how to start in general, contact us for advice and an obligation-free chat!

The post Copywriting for Landing Pages – the Step by Step Guide appeared first on eSharp.

Colours invoke feelings and convey emotions within your audience. Colours have such a big impact on our day to day decisions, so below is a quick rundown before you begin in choosing the right colour for your next project!

Connection Between Colour and Emotion

Colours are often affiliated with emotions, those of which can impact your decisions greatly. Before choosing the right colour for you, take a read below of their different meanings.

Red

Red is often associated with heat, fire, or blood- more generally speaking a strong feeling of passion and power. It can induce feelings of desire and strong emotions, confidence, warmth, or excitement. The colour red is perceived differently amongst different cultures:

• China; It is used for good luck, happiness and prosperity
• South Africa; colour of mourning
• In some countries, red is the traditional colour worn by brides

Because of its strong relevance in society, and powerful ability, red is used in the logos of famous brands such as Audi, Colgate, Canon, Red Bull, McDonald’s, Target, etc. It is also used in thousands of other famous retail, fast food, and machine industries.

Orange

Orange is usually associated with warmth and positive feelings of excitement and positivity. This colour invokes happiness and energy, often attracting attention right away. [traffic signs]. Orange can also be related to a sense of amusement or entertainment. Orange has a few shades that reflect various ideas

• Red- orange; passion, pleasure, desire
• Light orange; friendly and soothing

It can also create a feeling of refreshment and rejuvenation in our minds. Because of its hugging and warm presence, orange is used in the logos of famous brands such as, Fanta, MasterCard, JBL, Shell, Timberland, just to name a few.

Yellow

Yellow is often associated with happiness and warmth and catches the audience’s eye, as it is the most luminous colour on the spectrum. It is also known to increase concentration, perseverance, and optimism. It can also assist in promoting creativity and supporting enlightenment.

Yellow has a different significance in every culture, for example

• In some cultures, peace is represented by the colour yellow
• Japanese; yellow represents courage
• India; yellow is the colour of merchants

Due to these varying traits, a few famous brands with the colour yellow is Ikea, Post-it, Subway, Lays, etc.

Green

Green is most often associated with nature and a sense of renewal. However, digging deeper, green can be connected to feelings of relaxation, health, and soothing sensations. Furthermore, green can be associated with wealth, good health, and strong ambitions. Green has many shades, each which hold its own different meaning:

• Dark green; representative of ambition and wealth
• Olive green; traditional colour of peace

This is why green is used in the famous brands of; Spotify, Starbucks, Woolworths, TicTac, and Sprite just to name a few.

Blue

Blue is often associated with the positive effects it radiates to the body. It can also represent the meaning of loyalty, truthfulness, wisdom, confidence in oneself, and a strong sense of intelligence. However, make sure to note the type of blue you are using, as there are different meanings for different shades.

• Serene/ Sedate blues (commonly used)
• Electric/ Brilliant blues – engaging and powerful colour that implies exhilaration

Blue is perceived differently amongst different groups in society. For example, in many cultures, blue is significant as it is believed to bring peace and keep the bad spirits away. In Iran, blue is the colour of mourning while in the West the blue bridal tradition represents love.

Purple

Purple is a royal colour, usually being associated with royalty, nobility, power and ambition. It is also reflective of the wealth, extravagance, grandeur and devotion present within society. Purple has various effects on the mind and body, such as calming it down and increasing nurturing and sensitivity. There are different shades of purple, reflective of different things:

• Light purple; feminine colour, graceful and elegant
• Bright purple; riches and royalty

Pink

Pink is a fragile and delicate colour, representing cheerfulness, romance, feminine and tenderness. It is also the universal colour for love, reflecting friendship, connection, harmony and inner peace. While pink is the ‘official’ colour for girls, our modern day society is slowly growing out of this stereotype. Now, pink is being more regularly used in male clothing brands such as Champion. Gemstones which are pink in colour are placed in homes as they are believed to bring about serenity, relaxation, contentment as well as softening frustration.

Due to these traits, pink is used in the brands, Donut King, Cosmopolitan, Priceline, Victoria’s Secret and Airbnb, just to name a few.

Colours in Interior/Exterior Design

When designing the inside/ outside of a house or a building, choosing the right colour is one of the most important aspects. In order to be confident with your choices, having an understanding of the different colour meanings is vital.

For example, primary colours such as red, blue and yellow, especially when used together- create a bold and fierce appearance. As such, you will want to limit the surfaces with these colours. Perhaps, you paint the smaller areas, such as windowsills or doorframes with these primary colours.

With the colour orange, it can be used as an interior design colour if the aura of the room is that of positivity, happiness and acceptance. It also radiates a charming and welcoming feeling, perfect for waiting rooms or even classrooms!

The colours pink and purple are ‘softer’ colours, with their light hues perfect for the inside of quiet rooms, such as a nursery or consultation room. This is because the feelings associated with these colours are less fitting to the insides of a frantic and chaotic household.

Green is a colour heavily affiliated with nature and can be used to paint the interior of rooms to resonate with nature. Depending on the shade of green used, it can provide very different effects – some of which can stand out.

What do I do now?

Before choosing the right colour for your next project, you must ensure that the connection of colour is accounted for. That way, you can avoid any unnecessary drama with your project. From then, let the connected feelings grow!

The post How to Apply Colour to Your Next Project appeared first on eSharp.

Why choosing the right colour is important

Colour is the first impression that customers will have of your brand, playing a vital role in consumer action. It is known that 62- 90% of the first impression of a brand is based on colours. Consequently, colours can act as the brand’s ‘identifier’ and thus must be chosen appropriately to make a memorable impression. Choosing the right colour is important, as although it may seem obvious, the colours you choose must blend together well. This assists in giving off a feeling of comfort to the audience. Thus, this makes them more inclined to inquire further into your brand. For example, if your colour combinations are ones that cause sightly more discomfort than familiar combinations, this may impact the consumer actions towards your brand.

The psychology of colours

Different colours have different meanings and connotations which you must take into account when choosing. There are some famous brands that instantly evoke a colour when you think of them. Some examples of these are:

• McDonald’s (red and yellow); McDonald’s is a world-renowned brand, with its signature colours of red and yellow bringing customers through the door. The sunny yellow welcomes people, while red invokes urgency, correlating to the constant hustle of your local Maccas store. Indeed, it has been scientifically proven that red creates an emotional feeling of being active.
• Facebook (blue and white); Facebook uses simple colours of blue and white to inspire creativity and individuality. This makes sense, as Facebook is one of the most used social media sites which encourage expression and connection.
• Chanel (Black); Chanel is a highly sought- after and well- known brand within the fashion society. Thus, to mirror this, the colour black is used, representing sophistication. Hence, this allows consumers to feel good about themselves as they continue purchasing goods from Chanel, thus boosting their business.

In all of these brands, all these colours create a lasting impression in our minds, so that we remember them. This can also be known as the psychology of colours. When colours in a very strategic manner purely for marketing purposes, this pushes the audience to perceive the brand the way the marketers want. Try this on people around you! You may not consciously pay attention to the colours of your favourite brands, but you may be surprised about how well they are stored within your unconscious mind!

What to consider when choosing the colours to fit your brands

When starting to consider the colours for your brands, there are three things you must take into account:

• The Industry you are in
• Your target audience
• Brand perception

Within the industry, all brands have different colours. However, based on an analysis of the top 100 brands, blue is the most popular colour, showing up on 33% of the top 100 brands. Furthermore, 95% of these top 100 brands only use one or two colours. This simplicity is what makes them memorable and stand out amongst their competitors. It should also be noted that red is used in 29% of brand logos, and black or greyscale is in 28%. Lastly, 13% of brands incorporate yellow or gold. Thus, when considering the colours for your brand, be aware of the rest of the business industry and try to use colours that stand out, and do not clash too much with others.

To consider:

Your target audience can be crucial in determining your colour scheme used to sell your brand. It is important to note that the psychology of colour means that all individuals will perceive the colour you use to advertise your business, differently. Each colour can have many different associations, each quite different from the rest:

• Mental association
• Direct association
• Objective Impressions
• Subjective impressions

Hence, this makes the point that not only must you worry about the lasting impression of your brand incited by the colour, but also the first impression of the colour.

As stated earlier, colour can influence the brand perception of the audience. Whatever colour you choose will mould the audience’s thoughts and feelings about what you are trying to sell. So, to avoid any negative repercussions, always remember to create a list of what you plan to convey to your audience. Then, pick out the key points and the important parts of your brand before then trying to match a colour to your intentions.

In summary…

It is vital to consider the meaning behind different colours when trying to choose the right colour for your brand. There is always a way to get audiences to remember and perceive your brand how you want it to be perceived. This will make you more memorable, and stand out from your competitors. Remember that if your brand does not gain a second look by people, consumer actions will decrease. If you are unsure of how to get started or want to see how you can further your brand, contact us today!

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