Writing Tips for Your Website

Now that your website is up and running, it's time to add content. Fresh content will make your site interesting and keep people (and search engine crawlers) coming back. In order to achieve optimal web success, your site must be informative, relevant and written the way that people read the web. Here's a few tips to get you started.

Get to the point--FAST. Just ask internet usability consultant Jakob Nielsen. People don't read the web, they scan. It's not like print, where you can meander your way to the point. Online, you have but a nanosecond to prove you're legit. Nielsen says to use the "inverted pyramid method." for web content. Tell the point first, get to the supporting info afterwards.

Find your inner voice. We want to hear you on your website, not a text book or someone else. Get in touch with your real-live human "voice." Hello? Is anybody there? Show us your humanity so we can relate to you. Don't publish anything that you haven't completely written researched or re-worked. Posting text to your website that's meant for the printed page is a no-no. People won't read it, and worse, they'll make bad faces at you.

Use the least amount of words for what you have to say. Listen, you're not going to impress us by using big technical words. In fact, when you use words we don't understand--I must say--you look stupid. Why? It's easier to write a story with 3000 words than it is to write the same story in 300. It takes more thought, more planning, more time to extract away the excess. Therefore, the writer who uses less words to convey to same message is clearly the winner.

Write to a person, not a group. When you are writing web content especially, write to a person. Pretend like that person is sitting right in front of you and write conversationally. When you write to a person, it draws the reader in and makes you look more human. It's good for connecting and bonding with your reader.

Don't talk down to your readers. Though it's true that most of your readers will be reading at the 9th grade level, and your content should be written accordingly, resist the urge to talk down to your audience. Humble yourself. And certainly don't try to appear more knowledgeable with shop talk. If you don't know what your writing about, research it more. Otherwise, your lack of knowledge will be transparent even to a 9th grader.

Use small words with the least amount of syllables. This is a basic web content premise. The fewer syllables that you use, the less your web reader has to think to digest your information. Try not to make your user think. Spoon feed the information in the cleanest manner possible so they get your meaning with the least amount of distractions. Don't say "successfully" when "well" will do. As with every rule, there are exceptions.

Do not underline to make a point. Underlined words are It is a convention on the web that underlined words are links. It is irritating to click an underlined word when you think it is a link. Do everything possible to keep your visitors from being irritated, and to keep yourself from looking--well let's just say, from looking like you don't know. Don't underline anything unless it is a link. Use bold to accentuate your main points instead.

The tips above are by no means exhaustive. There are gazillions of techniques and writing tricks that foster online success. Wise is the web marketer who understands that marketing your business online is a process that can always improve, just like direct sales. Get these guidelines under your belt and you'll be a step closer to winning clients, customers and respect online.

Jennifer Ryan of The Marketing Shop is a web promotions and sales expert. Having earned numerous awards, recognition and financial success in sales, Jennifer now sells online for businesses worldwide. Using a variety of tools--web design, copywriting, SEO, pay-per-click and web site conversion enhancement--she creates Websites that Produce?. Visit http://www.the-marketing-shop.com today to sign up for her monthly newsletter (generous with free tips and advice!).

---

Organizing Your Data to Write Better Copy

Last quarter I talked about interviewing / gathering data. So... Read More

Website Promotion: 10 Secret Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy

Unless you know the secret motivational secrets that make people... Read More

Are Long Copy Salesletters Scams?

A passionate debate is currently raging in the Copywriters Forum... Read More

Touching the Prospect?s Emotions in Your Sales Letter

Your prospect has emotions? and you MUST touch these emotions... Read More

11 Things You MUST Know Before Hiring a Copywriter!

If you're considering hiring copywriting help for your next brochure,... Read More

19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective

The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is... Read More

Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More

7 Essential Tips for Reviewing and Approving Copy

Nothing can turn strong copy into a 97-pound weakling faster... Read More

Five Keys To Leaner and Meaner Copywriting

Grab 'em and don't lose 'em. Every marketer knows that... Read More

7 Formulas for Articles That GET READ!

Many of us have been asked to write an article... Read More

5 Ways to Instantly Improve Your Copy

1. Isolation technique It doesn't matter how good your... Read More

Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting

Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is... Read More

7 Easy Tips on How to Improve Your Sales Letter Instantly

Would you like to get more sales from your online... Read More

13 Steps to a Slippery Slope Online Sales Letter

Many of the solo professionals whom I coach are people... Read More

How to Develop a Killer News Hook

When you are going to write a press release probably... Read More

10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters

Every week I receive a couple of emails from people... Read More

Keeping It Real: The Only Copywriting Trick That Works

Much of today's accepted copywriting wisdom comes from old books... Read More

Help, Help, Help, Sell

Here's a fundamental difference between copywriting offline and copywriting for... Read More

Hey, Client, This Is Me! Sell With Your Writing Voice

In a crowded market, clients will be seeking personality as... Read More

How To Find Freelance Copywriting Jobs

Your goal is to land a few nice, secure freelance... Read More

Its Time To Start That Swipe File

Just as great fiction is an art, so is great... Read More

Copywriting FAQs

One of the biggest challenges a copywriter faces is to... Read More

Beyond Once Upon a Time: Fairy Tales arent the Only Thing Needing Catchy Openings

Once a upon a recent time in a galaxy not... Read More

Freelancers Can Jump-Start Your Publicity Initiative

If you find that your progress is blocked by a... Read More

10 Tips for Tech-Writers

Tech-writing is a tricky business. It's not a very high... Read More

Web Writing - Dont Lose Your Visitors Attention!

Did you know that your writing can have a huge... Read More

Magic Words That Sell and What Words to Avoid

We all know words are powerful. Whether written or spoken,... Read More

Calls-To-Action: Making Them Fit Makes All the Difference

It was going so well, so what happened? Many copywriters... Read More

Freelance Business Writers - How To Get The Best From Your Writer

At times, it can be frustrating to find freelance business... Read More

Dont Be Satisfied With Your First Draft

Sometimes it's a struggle to figure out what's the best... Read More

Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics

Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while... Read More

Long Copy vs. Short Copy? If You?re Still Debating This, You?re Missing The Point!

I've seen this ongoing debate debate jump up again recently... Read More

How to Get Instant Attention

Most of us have seen a heckler at a baseball... Read More