Write for the “important” reader- the target audience
Be clear, brief and relevant. Break out of the clutter
Make it easy to respond- have quick forms, contact us pages
Follow the rules of Netiquette
The Internet is a graphics oriented medium- Take advantage of this.
Modularize your copy- Divide it into sections instead of putting all the information on one page. That’s like putting all your eggs in one basket. People don’t like to read web pages that are too long.
Chapter II: Fundamentals of Persuasive Online Copy
Gain attention- Have a header that catches the eye
Focus on the customer- on their goals, problems, needs, hopes, fears, dreams and aspirations. Address the customer as “you”.
Stress Benefits- Use statistics if necessary.
Differentiate yourself from the competition- show your uniqueness
Prove your case- Illustrate your abilities with case histories and success stories
Establish credibility- Show the customer “who you are”. Show pictures. Use testimonials. List awards.
Build value- Show the customer that you are worth whatever price you are quoting
Close with a call to action- Lead the customer to the next step/form directly.
Give the user a reason to act now instead of later- offer a time-limited offer for instance
Chapter III: Adapting Existing Print Copy to the Web
Do a gross edit of the document
Scan into an e-file
Update the technical content and check for accuracy
Reduce the promotional content and tone
Increase the informational content and tone - your copy is more credible if it sounds more like an editorial rather than an advertisement
Place strategic hyperlinks where useful, but don’t overdo it
Insert dynamic headlines and subheads-make important points stand out by highlighting them or using different colored text
Do a fine edit to tighten and strengthen the text- Make sure it reads smoothly
Proofread- Customers feel that if you are not careful about your writing, you may not be careful about their business
Post the document on the website
Ask for feedback
Make your articles more persuasive by following the principles AIDA-Attention, Interest, Desire and Action
Try to reach a global audience
Chapter IV: Illustrating your Web Copy
Use Flash presentations, Tables, Charts, Graphs, Figures, Pictures and other Visuals wherever possible to enhance your website.
Do not be sure that people will go through ALL of them. It is not enough to show the readers a graph. You need to tell them what to see.
Chapter V: Creating an effective website
Choose your domain name with care- Avoid ones that are difficult to remember or spell
Keep your site’s objective always in mind
Write copy to fit the buyers’ mood and intent- There are several kinds of visitors such as Directed-purchase visitors, Hedonic-browsing visitors and so on. Try to have something for each of them.
Write what your prospects want to know- Tell them why to use your service
Set out yourself from your competitors
Create a well-designed site map- Do not lead visitors away from your website.
The 3 ‘C’s of web marketing are Commerce, Community and Content- Have the ability to accept orders online (Commerce), set up discussion forums or guest Books (Community), and offer a lot of free quality Content.
Chapter VI: Home pages and Splash pages
Decide if you need a splash page- It can take a long time to load thus increasing user frustration and decreasing attention-span
Your homepage needs personality, a clear theme, easily displayed graphics, and a warm welcoming feeling.
Create conversational copy on your homepage- Write as if you are talking to the reader
Avoid sexist language on the site- As far as possible avoid using he and she. Tailor your sentences accordingly.
Remember that the Homepage sets the tone and style for your website
Chapter VII: Other Web Pages
A Guest Book helps form a bond with your audience and builds a database of people interested in you.
A shopping cart helps visitors purchase online
Keep all forms as short as possible
Don’t miss a links page
Try to create an FAQ page- People often consult FAQ pages to avoid confusion and save time. So keep both questions and answers brief and specific.
Contact pages help your customers get in touch- Make sure you include all the essential information on this page
Information pages draw visitors like a magnet-Give the readers a lot of information about your product and how to fit their needs
The About Us page helps people know who they are dealing with- It is basically a “webized” version of your corporate bio
Chapter VIII: Internet Direct Mail
Give the visitors to opt in or out of your mailing lists
Offer awards and incentives
Keep it short and conversational
Enhance your E-mail marketing with graphics and animation
Chapter IX: Advertising on the Internet: Banner and E-Zine Ads
Use banner advertising to attract new visitors
Make sure your banner looks good and avoids weak and confusing messages
An E-zine is a newsletter distributed over the internet- Some of them are able to reach millions of users and cost relatively less. E-zine ads in third party E-zines may help bring in more visitors to your website.
Use appropriate appeals in the ads-Avoid gimmicks
Give meaningful messages
Ask questions that focus on the reader’s self-interest, curiosity and needs- For instance “Is your pump costing you more to operate than it should?” Avoid a question like “Do you know what we are doing nowadays?” prompting the readers to respond with “Who cares.”
Chapter X: Electronic Newsletters: E-Zines
E-zines help keep your customers informed about you, help you to contact them more frequently and help build credibility over a period of time
Use lots of different ideas while designing every e-zine. Some examples are previews, reports, case histories, explanatory articles, customer stories, photos with captions, columns, excerpts, interviews, forums and so on.
Explicitly state what the reader should do with the information. Do not leave the reader to guess the conclusion.
Chapter XI: Web Documents
Select an appropriate organizational scheme- Without this even the most tenacious reader will give up on your material
Eliminate “technicalese” (pompous, overblown style of writing that does not sound human) from your writing- Try to use the Active voice as far as possible.
Avoid the unnecessary use of big words- For instance, try to use fireproof instead of incombustible
Be concise, consistent and write quality content
Chapter XII: Web Promotions
Give the readers an option to bookmark your site- That ensures that they are able to return when they want to
Make your website Search engine friendly- The number of links to and from a website can be used as a ranking device
Promote your website in all your marketing- Give out business cards, brochures, catalogs, all with your URL on them
Use direct mail to drive Business-to-Business leads to your website-Calculate costs and decide the worth of this strategy
Use the power of PR- One idea is to write and contribute articles to other e-zines and websites that do not compete with you directly but target the same audience. In return, you can request a link from the article to your website.
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—About our writer:
Dr. Roopa Nishi Viswanathan,
“Live life by the day.” Born in Hyderabad, brought up in Mumbai, settled in Bangalore after a brief stint in the US, Dr. Roopa Nishi Viswanathan is a doctor-turned-biotechnologist-turned writer. Nishi loves reading anything and everything, travel, watching movies with her husband, exotic food, .....let’s simply say she loves living.
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