Request Newsletter | Business Online Website | Government Information | Submit Articles and News | Return To Main Page
| |
| |
|
Copywriting Information |
|
|
|
Help, Help, Help, Sell
Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for the web... - Give or take, my job as a copywriter offline was to sell, sell, sell, sell. - Online, I think, my job is best described as help, help, help, sell. How come? Because web sites are a pain for buyers and searchers. Much harder to 'use' than a physical store or library, a brochure or a catalog. The biggest problem being -- no two sites work exactly the same. There are always differences in appearance, architecture, navigation. The result: Every first-time visitor to your site has to pause, look around and figure out how your site actually 'works'. Where is stuff? How do I get there? Can I figure out how you have organized everything? We don't have problems like that with a catalog. Every catalog starts with the front cover, then you turn the page to see what comes next, and so on. Web sites aren't like that. They 'unfold' in different ways. And that's where the 'help' comes in. Before you can think about selling, you first need to help each visitor find what they are looking for, whether that be a product, a service or simply information. Every headline, subhead, block of short text and link text needs to be helping the visitor. You need to guide them, inform them, direct them. And, of course, at the same time, pre-sell them. Make them feel confident as they click their way through the pages. Make them feel good as you direct and help them forward. Help them with clear headings, descriptions and links. Keep them feeling confident that they are just a click or two away from finding what they really want. Once you have done that, once you have been truly helpful...you will have achieved a number of things. First, you will have taken them to where they want to be with the minimum of fuss, confusion and wasted clicks. And that means higher conversion rates. Second, you will have taken them to that final page in a very positive state of mind. They will be feeling good about your site. Feeling positive about the experience. Feeling delighted that they have found what they wanted so quickly and easily. And then, and only then....Sell. Yes, at the end of the day, it's all about selling. But the emphasis, the state of mind you bring to the process, can make a big difference. Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.
MORE RESOURCES:
Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
How Your $2-an-Article Ghostwriter is Like a Cheap Pair of Pants Web marketers: have you figured out that article marketing is the secret to your success on the web?And did you realize that the more web articles you put into circulation, the more of a web celebrity you'll become, and the more money will come pouring in?So what did you do after you figured this out? Let me guess: You went on Elance.com searching from someone to write your web articles cheap. Three Tips For Magnetizing Your Copy The difference between good copy and great copy is the number of actions it generates. The more actions the copy drives, the greater the copy is. How To Test The Body Of Your Sales Copy For Weaknesses Your sales copy is the life source of your business. If your sales copy isn't pulling in a decent conservation rate, then your business is suffering. 13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people who offer services. They're coaches, consultants, creatives. Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while now but it's probably one of the most profound discoveries of my life. It all began with a little book about music and it's had such a deep influence on my copywriting and small business, indeed my whole outlook on life, I'd like to share it with you all now. Real Estate Professionals Need You to Write for Them! Ask yourself these questions:Are you an experienced writer?Do you want to stay at home to write?Do you want to work for yourself?Do you learn new things quickly?Are you interested in a broad number of subjects?Do you feel like you're being pigeonholed with your current writing and you want to branch out?Do you have a flair for marketing?If you answered "yes" to any of these questions - or even better - several, you may have found a new career!It's more important than ever for real estate professionals to market themselves legally considering the laws regarding email and telephone sales seem to change daily - depending on which court is hearing the case. Many experts speculate though that eventually some sort of anti-telemarketing law will be enforced and while it's much more difficult to regulate email, it's still being made more and more difficult to use this form of marketing and sales. Long Copy versus Short Copy When I show some people my advertisements, I sometimes get the feedback: "I'd never read that. There's too much writing. How To Personalize Your Headlines For Increased Profits! Personalizing your headlines to your target audience can significantly improve your sales response. You can do this by mentioning a person by name, their city, their career field, their job title, or group right in the headline. Creative Copywriting? There is a difference between creative writing and copywriting. It took me a while to come to terms with this but it's true, there is a difference. 5 Deadly Copywriting Mistakes That Kill Sales Chances are that you are making many, if not all, of these 5 copywriting mistakes. I call them "deadly" because theyre killing your sales and your profits. Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work You can turn your $200 fee to write a press release into $2,000 to carry out an entire PR campaign simply by convincing clients to invest in campaigns, instead of individual assignments. Campaigns achieve better results and cost less in the long-term for clients, compared to individual assignments. How To Write Direct Mail That Really, Really Works! So, you have something you want to sell. It may be a product, a service, or a cause. Writing for People and Search Engines Writing for the search engines is much different than writing in any other medium. Search engines are finicky, but they love text, so you're talking their language. Some Important Tips On Proposals And Price Here's a critically important copywriting technique I use when writing sales letters and proposals for our own direct marketing services and for our clients.It's all about "price". Top 7 Things To Do Before You Hire A Copywriter Now that you've decided to hire a copywriter, how do you go about finding one? Here are seven things to look for to make sure the match is a good one.#1 - Define your expectations. Some Copy Tips From An Old Hand I have been in the ad game for a long, long time. I have trained hundreds of writers, and I've been responsible for moving of millions £ & $ in product worldwide. How To Find Editing Services Online Quality is what you need. What you don't have is time. Professional Writing: Six Great Reasons to Hire a Writer Most people can write. Some can even write well. Writing Suitable Copy for the Press Summer is finally here and school is out, but learning for the rest of us continues. Whether you're a seasoned PR professional working for a top agency, a novice just beginning a career, or a mid-level manager working in-house at a small business, the time comes when we all could use a refresher course in properly writing suitable copy for the press. How To Find A Copywriting School Have you heard the good things about the field of copywriting? If you have, then you know that a qualified copywriter is an invaluable asset to those looking for them. Becoming this asset means going to a copywriting school.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
