"Words are of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
- Rudyard Kipling
Copywriting is writing that sells a product, a service, or even a person. It is basically taking powerful, emotion evoking word pictures and showing the reader that his or her life would be more complete - better, easier, more productive, more profitable, happier, whatever - if the visitor owned your product or service. Copywriting is everywhere - on billboards, newspaper ads, on the net, and in every USP.
Effective web copy converts prospects into buyers. Your online copy must persuade. Depending on the goal of your website, you should get the visitor to register, subscribe, qualify as leads, and yes, even buy from you. 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. Whether you are the site owner responsible for the bottom line or the writer creating the copy, persuasive online copywriting gets you the results you need.
Statistic shows that over 80% of all buying decisions are emotional. That means your copywriting should be, too. Note that copywriting is different from copyright . Copyright is about owning the rights to a book or a website.
Find out the needs and desires of your visitors and their most pressing concerns. Once you have established their needs and desires, answer them! Use an authentic voice that connects with your readers.
Writing in a informal, personal style makes your visitors feel you are talking directly to them. It doesn't have to be detailed. Simply write in a style that gets the attention of your visitors. When writing content, keep your tone friendly and conversational and your sentences short.
Visitors to your site want to know how they will benefit from buying your product or service. By answering that question as clearly and concisely as possible, you can gain a customer. The visitor is always tuning into one radio station WIFM (What's in it for me?). If you can explain the benefits of your product or service, you are helping them.
A USP is a statement of 2-3 sentences that explains what makes you 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.
People are in a hurry. They rarely read, they scan pages
for information they are looking for. What's the most compelling part of your message? Put the most important information first, then progressively disclose details.
Use informative headings and subheadings with short paragraphs that supports them. 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.
Write to communicate, not to impress your visitors.
- replace weak verbs and vague nouns
- avoid that disinterested, third-person voice: instead of "the website was designed by ABC Company"... say "ABC Company designed the website".
- keep your sentences short and snappy. Eliminate all unnecessary words.
Use targeted keywords in your web copy that will allow the search engines to find your site. Include these keywords in your links and file names also.
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 also slow down the time it takes for your visitor to load your site in their browser.
Tell your visitors what you want them to do.
Writing effective web copy is the key to converting visitors into buyers. Getting tons of visitors to your website will not guarantee sales. Your web copy should pre-sell your product with the words you use. Your website will be successful if you achieve this.
Here's a closing thought on writing from Ken MacLeod : “The secret of becoming a writer is to write, write and keep on writing. ”
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