Not all words carry the same weight. Some words give your copy a lot more punch, hence the name “power words”.
Power words are centred around seven core ideas: big, new, easy, fast, cheap and exclusive.
They’re especially useful for ads, newsletter headlines and other copy where curiosity is key.
But you’re here to improve your website, not your funnel.
So let’s look at some websites and how they use power words related to these seven ideas.
(Cheat sheet with more power words at the bottom)
Let’s break down this title and subtitle:
- Simplified = Easy
- Integrates in minutes = Easy & fast
- Pain-free = Easy
How to improve?
Use a “safe” power word. For example: Expert data protection, simplified.
Let’s break down this title and subtitle:
- For modern firms = New
- One-stop shop = Easy
- Streamlines = Easy & fast
How to improve?
I’d also work around safety. For example: “a trusted one-stop shop experience” or a “safe client portal”.
Let’s break it down:
- 7-in-1 = Big
- The complete solution = Big
- One simplified stack = Easy
How to improve?
Safe is important, but there are other elements to provide this. So I want to add fast. For example: “make smarter spending decisions in half the time“.
Let’s break it down:
- Smarter than ever before = New
- Introducing = New
- All-in-one = Big
- We have your back every step of the way = Safe
How to improve?
Grow and fuelling also allude to big, so that’s well-covered. I want to include easy. For example, “Grow your business smoother than ever before. Smarter is overused. What does it even mean? Smooth is different.
Let’s break it down:
- New era of payments = New
- Best-in-class = Big & exclusive
- Faster = Fast
- Seamless = Easy
How to improve?
I’m missing safe power words. For example, “Your trusted operating system for the new era of payments.”
Power words cheat sheet
You see, there’s actually an unlimited number of power words as long as they transfer the right meaning. But I know it can be hard sometimes to find the right word. So here’s a list of simple words you can use to improve your headlines.
- New: revolutionary, revealed, introducing, announcing, discovery, game-changing, breakthrough, disruptive
- Easy: simple, simplified, fool-proof, anybody, even if, automated, accessible, painless, smooth
- Safe: tested, proven, guaranteed, expert, predictable, certified
- Big: huge, powerful, everything, massive
- Cheap: free, save, bargain, discount, bonus, inexpensive
- Exclusive: unique, limited, rare, secret, only, elite
- Fast: quick, now, instant, today, in a few minutes
When selecting these power words for your website, think about your product and target audience first. Many of the examples here are related to finance, so safe is crucial. If your business has anything to do with automation, you want to highlight that it’s fast and easy, for example. If you have a high-end product, use power words that suggest its exclusivity.
Up to you now.
