Headlines are arguably the most important piece of your website or graphic or sales page - whatever it is that you’re creating for your pet business!
Without a bomb headline, no one will read what you have to say. No one will hit the ‘book’ or ‘buy’ button. And, of course, no one will understand everything they need to understand in order to make a proper purchase decision.
P.S. In fact… a really bad headline can make people leave your site instantly. Want to know whether your website home page is making people leave right away?? Head to your Google Analytics and check out your bounce rate. Learn more about how to use Google Analytics for your pet business here).
So… how do you do it?
Let’s first go over what a headline is and then we’ll get into some key components of great headlines as well as some outlines for website headlines to get you started.
What’s a headline?
A main website headline is a short statement that is typically positioned at the top of your website (also known as above the fold). However, other headlines can also be throughout your website, sales page, blog post, you name it. The purpose of a headline is to break up the content and make people want to read what’s next (i.e. continue along with whatever medium they’re on).
Key Components of A Great Headline
The goal is to use your headline as a may to make your reader feel understood by you. Why? So they know you get it and can help them with their problem.
For a main website headline specifically, it needs to explain who you serve, what you do, and how you do it.
Don’t be afraid to niche it down. As Neil Patel says, ‘Write a headline for the 20 to 35% of your traffic that is most likely to be happy with your product.’ This works for my pet service businesses, too! I talk about this a ton when writing about how to differentiate yourself, how to grow your business, etc. You cannot serve every single pet owner in your area otherwise you’ll be just like every other pet sitter. But imagine how getting more specific into who you want to work with, what services you want to offer for them, and what your true specialty or passion is and speak to that through your headline. Imagine what would happen if you mention you specialize in working with dogs with diabetes. Now imagine 5 dog moms searching for a pet sitter for their dog with diabetes. They come across 5 different websites. Four of them simply say they are ‘the best dog walker in Los Angeles.’ But one of them says they specialize in working with dogs with special needs or dogs with diabetes or medical issues, etc. Which one do you think she’ll choose? The moral of the story… don’t be afraid to niche down and be bold.
Put the focus on ‘you’ works, not ‘I’ or ‘we.’ Speak directly to your audience. We chat about this more here.
Action words are your best friend. That is what inspires your viewers to take action. Simple as that!
It should make it clear what the page or business is about. The viewer should, in essence, know if your website or graphic is for them or not.
It’s great to be simple - If you use endless puns or creative jokes in your headlines, people will get confused and leave (not to mention the SEO implications there!). You can use your subheadline to build out the details!
Tips To Writing a Headline
Write down at least 20+ options for a headline. See which pieces of each you like and don’t like once you’ve compiled your list.
Look to others for inspiration, but don’t let it take over. Just because your competitor has a really comedic, witty headline does not mean that you need one, too.
Ask your BEST and DREAMIEST clients what resonates with them more. Don’t ever be afraid to ask your audience for their feedback, especially from those who already value your products or services (or those who you LOVE to work with the most).
Don’t overstress the SEO. Yes… you should include your service area if you have one somewhere above the fold. But don’t let SEO become the focus of your headline, otherwise, people won’t resonate. The first priority is being genuine. From there, you can spruce and implement your SEO.
When picking your final headline, read it back and take away everything else from your website. If a viewer ONLY had the information of your headline, would they take action on it?
Consider getting personal. The pet industry is a very personal one, which means there is emotion tied to any purchase decision. Speak on their level, show them you understand them and can help them accomplish/achieve/solve their problems/pain points/unmet desire.
Headline Outlines
You’ve tried [what they’ve tried and failed at], and you’re ready to [what they want to accomplish/ what solution they’re looking for].
I help OR Helping [who you help] accomplish/solve/master/alleviate [problem] by [your unique offer or service].
With [your offer, product, service], you’ll [accomplish X].
If you’re ready to stop/prevent/feel [the pain point they’re currently experiencing] and start/begin/master [the deep desire they want to experience] - then you’ve come to the right place [OR we’re here to help OR you’re in the right place].
The [X solution] so you can [deep desire].
Imagine never having to [the pain point they’re currently experiencing or struggling with] again.
[The deep desire/solution/result] for [who you serve]
Writing the copy (or sales-specific text) for your pet business is probably one of the most underrated pieces of your marketing and brand strategy. Mastering the copywriting can make all the difference in your bottom line. It can keep people on your website longer, it can weed out the people who aren’t the right fit, it can do the sales call/marketing for you, and it can make people feel understood, which is key to a successful pet business.
To learn more about website copywriting, here are my Website Copywriting Secrets for Pet Business Owners.
Still worried you won't be able to write blog posts that attract your dream clients? Or have the blog part figured out, but need a new or better home to showcase your amazing content? I got you covered! Our Unleashed Website Academy not only provides you with a beautiful, customizable website templates that will make your blog posts, mission, and systems shine, but also teach you how to master your brand voice and nail SEO and copywriting in every piece of content. Check out the templates and course here!
