7 Conversion-Killing Words
Most of the time you read advice about words that are good to use in fundraising … like ‘you’.
But here’s a fascinating article on seven words to avoid on your website conversion pages.
And guess what, ‘you’ — actually ‘your’ — is one of them!
The other six …
- Submit (implies ‘yielding’, something not many people instinctively like to do)
- Synergy (actually, this is really a placeholder for all jargon)
- Spam (such an evil word, it hurts results even to say you won’t do it!)
- We (a word referencing the messenger not the recipient, thus distracting the reader from him- or herself)
- Free (here the article reverses field, arguing more conversions isn’t necessarily better)
- Save Time & Money (avoid meaningless generic terms)
Now, back to ‘you/your’ … the article cites a test of two response buttons, one labeled ‘Create My Account’ and the other labeled ‘Create Your Account’ — the latter yielded 25% less response. And another example where ‘Start my free 30 day trial’ increased response 90% over ‘Start your free…’.
The ins and outs of the other ‘conversion-killers’ are similarly illustrated, with stats or links to further analysis to support.
Anyway, I enjoyed the article — a great antidote this Friday to reading more analysis of those other show-stopping words, ‘President-elect Trump’!
Tom
3 responses to “7 Conversion-Killing Words”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
Read Full Answer
Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
Read Full Answer
Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
Read Full Answer
There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
Read Full Answer
I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
Read Full Answer
Wow! I love this stuff. Thanks Tom!
Also, if you want to see which words work for raising planned gifts, you should check out our webinars and ebooks:
WORDS THAT WORK 1
webinar: https://imarketsmart.com/resources/webinars/words-that-work-phrases-that-encourage-planned-giving/
ebook:
https://imarketsmart.com/resources/ebooks/words-that-work-ebook/
and WORDS THAT WORK 2
webinar:
https://imarketsmart.com/resources/webinars/words-that-work-2/
ebook:
https://imarketsmart.com/resources/ebooks/words-work-2-phrases-encourage-planned-giving/
Hi Tom
The importance of the ‘you’ word for fundraisers is that it takes them away from their ingrained non-profit narcissism, our sector’s obsession with ‘we, I and us’. The choice between ‘Create my account’ and ‘Create your account’ seems to follow the same logic. ‘Create my account’ obviously puts control in my hands. The alternative is less direct. But please Tom, let’s not deflect fundraisers from using the ‘you’ word when addressing us, their donors. You know it makes sense.
The last word (literally) on that other showstopper you mention can be seen in this trenchant analysis from a UK fundraising pundit, here. (please don’t read this if you are of a sensitive disposition). But you could say, he nails it. https://goo.gl/El6cqd
Best, Ken
Great article. And thanks Ken for the trenchant analysis link. Gave me a good chuckle.