|
How to
Write
Effective Web Copy
By Herman Drost
Writing
effective web copy begins with an understanding of what the
goals of
your web site are. Are you trying to get your visitors to purchase
something
or have them sign up for your newsletter? Remember you are
trying to
get someone you can't see and have never met take a step
towards
building a relationship with you or your company.
1.
Create a customer profile
– try to find out what are the needs and
desires of your visitors. Below are some examples of questions you
could ask:
Are
they young, middle aged or senior?
Are they primarily male or female?
Are they financially secure or budget-minded?
What gets him or her excited?
What are his or her most pressing concerns?
Try to
brainstorm a list of topics that might interest your target audience.
2.
Create a Unique Selling Position (USP)
– This is a statement of 2-3
sentences that explains why you are different from everybody else. This is
the unique factor that sets you apart from your competition. Make this the
first thing your visitor sees when they arrive on your home page.
3.
Focus on benefits
– most web users want to find the information about
the product or service they need as fast as possible. If they land on your
site,
they want to know how they will benefit from buying your product or
subscribing
to your ezine. You will need to answer that question as clearly and
concisely as
possible or you will lose that visitor.
4.
Use the inverted pyramid style
– provide a summary of your information
by clearly communicating the direction of your discussion. Use informative
headings and subheadings with a paragraph of 4 to 5 lines that supports
them.
You only have a few seconds to grab your visitors attention. Most will
simply
scan for the information they are seeking.
Use
bulleted or numbered lists, boldface or colored font to emphasize the points
you wish to make. Include links at the end of your paragraph (or within the
text)
to direct visitors to other pages of your site for more in-depth
information.
5.
Write in an informal or personal style
– write in a unique way that differentiates
you from other small businesses in a similar business or niche. It doesn't
have to be
elaborate or super-creative. You simply provide a style that gets the
attention of your
visitors.
6.
Keep your sentences simple
– you are not writing to impress. You are writing to
communicate. You want to pre-sell your product or service, therefore write
as if you
are talking to a 13 year old.
Don't
use large words but opt for strong verbs over weak ones. Use the active
voice
instead of a passive one. i.e. Instead of "a good score was achieved by the
team"...
say "the team scored a season high". Speak "to" but not "at" your visitor.
Keep your
sentences short and snappy.
7.
Include searchable keywords
– use targeted keywords in your web copy that
will allow the search engines to find your site. Include these keywords in
your meta
tags, links and file names also.
8.
Eliminate the fluff
- don't waffle on in your writing. You will only bore your visitors
and they will click elsewhere. Try to remove filler sentences that contain
phrases like
"for those of you" and "all of you".
9.
Proof read your web copy
– errors in your web copy give the impression of being
unprofessional or sloppy. Read the copy aloud to yourself or get someone
else to proof
read it. Often they will find more errors because they are more objective.
Use
the spell checker but don't rely on it. Often it doesn't pick up all
incorrectly spelled
words. Print a copy of your content. It's easier to find grammatical or
spelling errors on
a hard copy.
10.
Take a break
– revise your web copy after taking a break from it for several hours
or a few days. This allows you to see it from a different viewpoint. You may
find a better
way to say something to further improve your copy.
11.
Use images sparingly
– images should only be used if they relate and support your
web content. If not, they will only distract the visitor from reading your
web copy. Too many
images will slow down the time it takes for your visitor to load your site
in their browser.
12.
Use effective navigation
– your navigation bar should help visitors easily find the
main sections of your site. Read:
How to Create an Effective Web Site Navigation Structure.
Writing effective web copy is the key to converting visitors into buyers.
Getting 1000s of
visitors to your web site doesn't guarantee sales. Reading your web copy
should pre-sell
your product with the words you use. Once you achieve this, your web site
will become
very profitable.
=====================================================================
About
The Author
Herman Drost is the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) owner and author of
iSiteBuild.com. Affordable Web Site Design and Web Hosting. Pick up your
copy
of the 159 page ebook TODAY titled:
Make Your Content Pre Sell
=====================================================
© Copyright 2005- 2010
Global-Marketing-Resource.com except
where indicated otherwise. All rights reserved
worldwide.
|
