How to write good copy text for your website
Always think of
your customer when writing your copy text. Many
aspiring webmasters and online entrepreneurs write
solely for the sale - that is they focus more on making
money when the haven't yet generated traffic or interest
from users browsing the internet. Gain a person's
interest first, then work on making the sale and
generating income. Too many people get wrapped-up
in trying to make their first buck and inundate their
site pages with senseless random banners and droves of
hyperlinks - all this will do is get rid of your
customers as quickly as possible.
Generally speaking, provide your customers with a lot of
detailed, specific information. There are a lot of
websites out there - many may be competing directly with
your site - the question is what sets your site apart
from theirs? You may be surprised by how many
websites contain hollow pages with superficial
information and even useless, regurgitated drivel - this
is NOT what you want to do on your site! Give your
customers quality content - lots of it!
- Provide details. Don't just skim
the surface - go deep into your topic. Give
background information and history. If you are
writing a how-to - don't skip any steps. Users
like pictures - give them photos, pics, maps,
screen-shots, etc.
- Know your customers. Think about
your customer base. If possible, analyze their
demographics and think about how you can gain the
attention of certain groups of people. Think
of untapped areas. Can you attract older
visitors (retirees?), younger ones (kids,
adolescents?), customers with families, different
ethnicities and races? The wider of a net you
can cast, the more fish you can catch.
- Spin it a different way. Ask
yourself, can you put a different spin on a topic or
article? Maybe the competition is only
pursuing a certain topic with a very traditional
approach. Can you spin it a different way?
Try to "tell the story" in a more interesting or
unique manner.
- People like it personal. Get
personal with your customers. Too many sites
stay very clinical and impersonal - avoid this.
Tell your story - hopefully it is a personal one -
you will find that users like this and maybe many
can even connect with your story, your perspective,
and your recommendations (i.e. buy my product!)
Relay a life experience of yourself or others that
you can speak for. People want to relate.
This is why blogs have become so successful.
- Embrace Web 2.0. Web 2.0 isn't just
a cliché, it is the next generation of
user-generated content and interaction on the web.
Grant this experience to your users by creating a
message board, blogs, photo galleries, and other
interactive modules.
- Keep it simple. It is easy to get
carried away with assorted Flash plug-ins,
Shockwave, animation, and assorted eye-candy.
Remember, that's all it is - just eye-candy and more
than likely a distracter for your audience.
Before installing a new piece of code or module, ask
yourself - does this enhance my users' experience?
Or is it just something "neato"?
In our next
article, we will discuss the
basics of Web Analytics.
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