Have you ever seen one of those countdown timers on a website?
You know, those timers that remind you there are only 15 minutes left to get a discount on that gorgeous pair of leather booties you think would go perfect with that new dress you just bought.
Or, if you're anything like me, those yoga pants you've been rocking for the last 5 years.
The timer is counting down.
You don't NEED those booties, but the sale is too good to pass up …50% off will probably never happen again.
Ten minutes left.
Oh, what the heck. You'll just bring your lunch to work for the rest of the week. The sale is almost over, and you can't NOT get those booties.
Five minutes left.
Your hands are shaking as you enter your debit card number. You hit submit. CONGRATS! You're the proud owner of a gorgeous pair of leather booties.
Whew!
That was close.
Do you think if the website said, "sale ends two weeks from now," that you would have bought the booties?
Probably not.
There's a chance that you could have gone on your merry way, lived your life, and completely forgot about them altogether.
What made you stop what you were doing at that exact moment to make the purchase?
Photo by Moose Photos from Pexels
Urgency.
You felt like you would miss out on a great deal if you didn't act fast. You can create that same sense of urgency around your products and services. There's no need for fancy countdown timers or massive discounts.
All you need are the right kind of words, like these:
"Doors close at 8 pm EST."
"Only two products left."
"Get yours before they're all gone."
"The price goes up in one hour."
Statements like these make your reader feel that if they don't act fast, they'll miss their chance. Their chance at a discount. Their chance of getting into your membership or course. And, we all know that FOMO is a big thing right now.
No one wants to miss out on something that could be awesome.
What other "urgent" words can you use?
Now
Fast
Quick
Hurry
Rapidly approaching
Limited time
Closing soon
Offer expires
Don't miss out
You don't need to cram these words in your sales pages, website, or ads. Less is more when it comes to creating a sense of urgency. You don't want to send your potential customers into a full-blown panic attack before they even have the chance to click "buy now."
And, not every sales page you write needs to evoke this "act now, or you miss out" emotion.
The most important aspect of urgency you need to remember is to always keep your promise. If that urgent offer expires by a specific time, stick with it.
If you said you were raising your price on a certain day, raise that price when that day comes.
If you don't, and your customers feel duped, you've lost their trust. And, chances are, they won't be your customers for long.