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Eliminate Boring Web Site Copy in 5 Easy Steps

By: Michelle Howe, Sat Dec 10th, 2005 11:42:56 AM

Imagine comic Robin Williams has written your Web site copy. What would it be like?

Now imagine president George Bush wrote your Web site copy. Which author would you prefer?

I would bet the copy written by Robin Williams would be much more entertaining and fun to read than copy written by George Bush. It's just got to be because there is no way Robin Williams' personality would not show through in his writing.

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Now take a look at the copy on your website. Is it more George than Robin?

So what makes copy boring?

Probably the biggest mistake is to create copy that doesn't create a vision. If I tell you that "XYZ dresses are for the mature woman," you know we sell dresses, but you really can't imagine the product. Now, what if I say, "XYZ dresses are only for uninhibited women with luscious curves." Get a visual on that one?

Use descriptive words that paint a picture for your audience. You want to engage your reader with words that encourage them to stay on your site and completely read your sales message.

Don't just describe your product, make the product appeal to your reader. Communicate with emotion by telling a story. Let your readers imagine themselves using your product or service. Let them feel powerful, sexy, successful, clever or whatever emotion it is that will sell your product or service.

People aren't so much interested in what a product does, but how it will make their life better. You want them to have that emotional connection by psychologically tying into their needs.

Why does someone pay $500 for a pair of shoes when a $50 pair will do just fine? Because when they imagine themselves wearing those $500 shoes, they are in a very happy place. They feel admired, loved and so much better than other people.

So, how do you write good sales copy for your web site?

1) Start with boring copy.

The easiest way is to start with boring copy. Write out what you want to say without trying to be clever. Just get your ideas down first. Don't inhibit your thoughts by worrying about whether it's good or not. At this point you don't need to care.

Concentrate on the benefits of your product or service, not the features. How does your product benefit your target audience? List all the ways your product can make their life better.

2) Organize your writing.

Now go through what you have written and make sure it has a logical flow. Use examples to demonstrate your points.

3) Write in a conversational style.

Pretend you are talking to someone who is sitting across the table from you. How would you describe your product or services? Now look at what you have written and change the writing to be more conversational. Get rid of the corporate speak and try for a more natural approach.

4) Introduce emotion into your writing.

Now that you have a pretty good handle on what you wanted to say, it is time to put some emotion into your writing. Use words that create images in your mind. Examples of some of these words are: tempting, mouth-watering, electrifying, rejuvenating and ingenious.

Try to rewrite what you have by using words that sell. If you are still stumped, go on to the Internet and look at other web sites to see what others have done. Don't plagiarize the other sites, but use them as a way to spark ideas for your site.

5) Proofread for errors.

The final sweep through your writing is to look for grammar errors, spelling errors and context errors.

Read it out loud to yourself. How does it sound? Good writing has a nice smooth rhythm and flow. If your writing is too choppy you will notice the choppiness when you read the copy out loud.

About the author: Michelle Howe, president of Word Magic , specializes in writing irresistible copy for Web sites. She is the author of Web Site Writing Made Easy and Persuasive Writing Made Easy. Visit her Web site at http://www.InternetWordMagic.com for a FR^EE audio download of "Pay-Per-Click Success: Attract More Customers in 30 Days or Less" and FR^EE report, "The Five-Step Plan to Article Success."