10 Tips for Writing Better Web Content

[KristineS]

Kristine, would you recommend a professional copy writer for Web copy? I'm having trouble with my own site's copy.

Jagella

I would recommend a professional. I've written the copy for all our corporate sites and I'm a professional writer and it was difficult to get it right at times. I also think hiring someone else to do the writing can be helpful because oftentimes the person who owns the site is too close to the subject matter. Having the copy written by someone who is one step removed can allow you to find benefits and selling points you might otherwise have missed. A professional writer also knows how to utilize things like calls to action and write copy in such a way that it works with your SEO enhancements.

I've also found, after writing a few sites, that you get a feel for how the site should be structured and how the copy should lead you from one place to another. You start to understand how things should flow.

[KristineS]

I
I wonder if any of you guys re-read #4 of the article - using attractive images? I puzzled over it twice before reading the rest.

"Attractive" seems really subjective and doesn't give clear meaning to me. Is it saying use attractive women b/c we know sex sells? Is it to use an uncluttered image with optimized colors and saturation, etc that is directly related to the point the text is making? This could mean lots of things.

Also - I thought it did a great job of stating and then showing how to make text stand out better just by presenting it in different styles (as in the bulleted list vs. commas and the inline quote vs. set off in colored box). Definitely pays to look for these kinds of opportunities and capitalize on them to best present the material - whether it's personal or for a client trying to market their biz better.

So, anyone hungry for donuts today? I've hoarded a few and will sell them for $2.57 ea w/ $.27 extra for sprinkles!

Images on web sites are always interesting to me. I find it quite fascinating how many sites have random images that really have nothing to do with the text or what the site represents. I think people know they need images, but they don't always work to make the images and the text into a harmonious whole. It's weird.

By the way, I'll take a chocolate donut with chocolate sprinkles. I'm in a chocolate mood today.

[vangogh]

Some people may then feel that a round price, say $100, is arbitrary and possibly not related to the product's value. If the price is $99.97, then it may seem that such an amount is based on a careful, scientific measurement of quantity and value.

That's an interesting idea. I think you're right too. I've seen similar advice about using numbers in a blog post. The more random number comes across as more natural and so more believable.

I'd also recommend hiring a copywriter if you're having trouble with the copy on your site. Good writing is so fundamental to marketing and web copy is marketing. Hiring a professional is worth the cost.

[Paul Elliott]

Are there any design/marketing psychology specialists in the forum?

At your service, Sir.

The psychology of the customer, how to recognize it and how ethically manage it is one of my interests.

Closely related to that are the "psychomotor aspects of visual perception." In other words, when you look at a computer screen or the printed page, what do your eyes do and why? Perception is an intensely psychologically based process.

Paul

[Paul Elliott]

I'm having trouble with my own site's copy.

What's the trouble? Poor conversion? "Tire-kicking" but no response?

Care to be more specific?

Do you want a critique of your whole site?

Paul

[Jagella]

What's the trouble? Poor conversion? "Tire-kicking" but no response?

Care to be more specific?

Do you want a critique of your whole site?

“Conversion”? What's that? Sure, Paul, my copy just doesn't seem to do the job. How can I “grab 'em”? I'm planning to update my site later this year with a new logo, new page design, and new copy.

Jagella

[vangogh]

A conversion is someone taking the action you want them to take.

Say you have a page and the goal of that page is to get someone to email you. Every time someone emails you it's a conversion. Usually with conversions people talk about conversion rate. So if 100 people visit your page and one person emails your conversion rate for that page is 1%

A conversion can be anything. A phone call, an email, a purchase, a click on a link. It's basically whatever you define as the action you want someone to take.

In order to really measure conversion rates you need enough traffic to make things statistically significant. If one person visits a page you can't say anything about conversion rates, because the sample size (1 visitor) is too small.

[Paul Elliott]

“Conversion”? What's that?

Of the visitors to your page, what percentage take the action you want?

Sure, Paul, my copy just doesn't seem to do the job.

Then your conversion rate is likely close to 0%. That's fine. It doesn't matter where you've been; where you're headed is what counts.

How can I “grab 'em”? I'm planning to update my site later this year with a new logo, new page design, and new copy.

Learn to think like your customer. What is your customer's #1 problem? ... Solve THAT problem! You "grab 'em" by solving their problems.

Decide on the single action you want the visitors to your site to take.

Then, optimize your landing page for that result.

Be sure to offer free information that they have "gotta have" ... Of course, you want to capture their contact information in exchange.

Some other thoughts--

What are the "10<or any number> Most Common Mistakes People Make When Purchasing Graphic Design<or whatever you're offering> And How To Avoid Them"? This is a very useful title for an article, booklet, or handout. Guess what? You are the way your customers can avoid each mistake.

That's a useful thing to give away. Call it a White Paper.

Paul

[Jagella]

A conversion is someone taking the action you want them to take.

Steve, I know what a conversion is. I was being facetious. Sorry for the confusion.

Jagella

[vangogh]

Sorry, my bad. See what I get for posting before I've had my morning coffee.