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KristineS
08-25-2008, 05:07 PM
I found this blog post (http://rainmakerwebdesign.com/outdoors-websites/10-tips-for-writing-better-web-content/) on one of the blogs I read. I think it contains some good tips.

I agree with most of this, although I'm not sure that's it practical for every company to "be the authority".

What do the rest of you think? Is this article on the money or off base?

vangogh
08-25-2008, 06:10 PM
It's a good post. Maybe instead of "be the authority" it should be "be an authority" or "be one of the authorities" I think every one should work to be an authority on their topic. There's a lot of competition and a lot of blogs competing for your attention. You need to give readers a reason to trust you.

I think the idea with being the authority is that someone in your industry will be seen as the authority or one of the authorities. With some much competition for attention people can only absorb so much information. Why should they read you instead of one of the authorities?

I think the article is on the money.

CADesign
09-08-2008, 05:17 AM
Hey Kristine,

Not only do these tips make good sense, they'll come in handy as I work on my new website.

Thanks for the link!

Dave

KristineS
09-08-2008, 08:12 AM
Glad it helped Dave.

mr.ro
11-06-2008, 12:41 AM
This is a great find seeing as how im going to have to be doing more writing in the future.

Watchdog
11-15-2008, 05:01 PM
That's some really good stuff. I struggle to get anything written and maybe I try to put to much into it?

Thanks

KristineS
11-17-2008, 10:26 AM
I think a lot of people have that problem Watchdog. I've written four different sites for our companies now and my biggest problem is that I accumulate too much information during the research process. Once I sit down to start writing I have to cut a lot of stuff out of the site would be gigantic and go on for pages and pages.

I guess what you have to remember is that someone coming to your site for the first time needs to know why they want your product and why they want to do business with you. That's the important stuff.

vangogh
11-17-2008, 11:03 AM
Don't forget to take all that information you collect and see how you can build another post around it. Even if it's just approaching the same topic from a different angle. You already did the work on the research. Might as well make use of that time and effort.

KristineS
11-17-2008, 02:14 PM
That definitely does apply where we have a blog for the site. Some of our previous sites didn't have blogs so if the information didn't go on the site proper it usually went into a whitepaper or something like that. I do hate wasting time, so I do try to use everything. You just have to be able to find the balance between informing your visitors and overwhelming them.

derekanders
11-24-2008, 12:27 PM
Thanks for the great find. I am def. Bookmarking it for reference!

Paul Elliott
12-02-2008, 03:11 PM
Good find, Kristine. Good points, Steve.

Notice that several of the tips actually address the psychology of visual perception without mentioning it, though he does make reference to the subliminal effects.

Good stuff.

Paul

vangogh
12-02-2008, 06:13 PM
Interesting you mention psychology. I think it's one subject business owners should read up on, though my guess is most don't. So much of our decision to buy comes down to basic human psychology. The more you understand people the better you can create products and marketing materials they want.

Paul Elliott
12-02-2008, 07:49 PM
Interesting you mention psychology. I think it's one subject business owners should read up on, though my guess is most don't.

Since the subliminal/subconscious part is at least 90-95%, why would anyone fail to play to that huge zone, yet it's presence and power are grossly ignored by the vast majority of businesses and marketers.


So much of our decision to buy comes down to basic human psychology.

Yep, that's where it all is. The other 5-10% is the conscious part.


The more you understand people the better you can create products and marketing materials they want.

Bingo! YOU get it, Steve! <bells, whistles, kazoos>

Paul

vangogh
12-02-2008, 08:33 PM
Psychology has always interested me, but I find it's connection to business particularly fascinating. Simple things like ending a price in a 5 or a 9 and how that can lead to more sales. All good stuff.

Paul Elliott
12-02-2008, 08:47 PM
Psychology has always interested me, but I find it's connection to business particularly fascinating. Simple things like ending a price in a 5 or a 9 and how that can lead to more sales. All good stuff.

Actually, ending a price with a 7 or a string of 7s, e.g., $97.77, produces the most sales. I don't know of any proof why though theories abound.

An element of the psychology of copywriting is seen in Joe Vitale's Hypnotic Writing. No, he's really not talking hypnosis as one customarily thinks of it but of the "imagining" and "feeling" writing.

Just imagine...
Think of what it would feel like, if...
Imagine what you would think if...

Paul

vangogh
12-03-2008, 08:09 PM
I've heard the 7 thing is because most people associate the number with good luck. I do see a lot of prices that include a 7 in them somewhere now.

The imagine and feeling writing is something I saw awhile ago. As it happens I naturally use the phrases in my writing so I didn't have to adjust. I am more conscious of when and where I use them since learning how they affect people. Part of persuasion is getting your prospect to picture themselves buying or using what you have to sell. If you can get them to visualize it you're that much closer to closing the sale.

Marcomguy
12-12-2008, 07:56 PM
Is there any research on how people feel about prices that end in unusual numbers like $48.37, or $202.63? Do people believe subconsciously that such prices are more "honest"?

Wholesale clubs seem to price stuff in these kinds of figures.

vangogh
12-12-2008, 08:27 PM
I started a thread awhile back on the psychology of pricing (http://www.small-business-forum.net/managing-your-business/234-psychology-pricing.html). I linked to a source in the original post in that thread and we discussion around it.

Paul Elliott
12-14-2008, 01:30 AM
Is there any research on how people feel about prices that end in unusual numbers like $48.37, or $202.63? Do people believe subconsciously that such prices are more "honest"?

Wholesale clubs seem to price stuff in these kinds of figures.

Strange looking numbers give a greater impression of precision and credibility. That applies in, "You can make $2,548.83 a week," and "He has 1,594 subscribers."

I don't know of any specific research, but I'm sure it exists. I'll nose around and see what I can find.

Paul

vangogh
12-14-2008, 10:53 AM
Paul I've seen that too. I think it's the idea that 200,000 sounds like you made it up where 198,658 sounds like you must have done some research to have the exact number. It comes across as more believable.

I'll have to look for research too.

KristineS
12-14-2008, 04:19 PM
There's a theory I read somewhere that said if you want a lie to be believable you want to give details and statistics that sound real but aren't easily verifiable, or which people won't want to or think about checking. I'm guessing that's where the specific numbers come in. Citing a specific number makes it sound like you spent the time figuring it out. Citing a round number like 200,000 sounds more like you just made it up on the spot.

Our brains are really odd sometimes.

vangogh
12-14-2008, 07:49 PM
I've heard the same. Details makes things more believable.

So how about a quick tip that doesn't involve lying. If you're writing a blog post or a sales page or really anything, offer details. If you tell us details about your product or your story it makes it more believable. It also makes it more enjoyable to read.

Paul Elliott
12-14-2008, 09:57 PM
If you're writing a blog post or a sales page or really anything, offer details. If you tell us details about your product or your story it makes it more believable. It also makes it more enjoyable to read.

Jay Abraham, the master of the 20-page direct mail sales letter, emphasizes that the more you describe your product and offer the more you will sell. This applies to Internet sales pages, but ... the information MUST be in a format that makes it easily consumable. This is more difficult on an IN sales page than on a printed page.

Paul

KristineS
12-15-2008, 12:44 PM
I definitely believe in having more detail. I know most of the spam sites I see are sites where they promise you the earth but don't tell you how or why they're able to make those sorts of promises.

Concrete details are what help seal the deal. They also can tell your potential customers how you can help them and why they want to do business with you.

I do think you can go into too much detail. You have to know when to say when. A 20 page direct mail sales letter seems a bit excessive, at least to me.

Paul Elliott
01-23-2009, 01:11 AM
I do think you can go into too much detail. You have to know when to say when. A 20 page direct mail sales letter seems a bit excessive, at least to me.

It depends on how it's formatted. If it is well-done, you can find the material that interests you and read only that. A lot of information is the value of the 20-page DM piece.

Paul

Jagella
01-28-2009, 03:32 PM
Interesting you mention psychology. I think it's one subject business owners should read up on, though my guess is most don't. So much of our decision to buy comes down to basic human psychology. The more you understand people the better you can create products and marketing materials they want.

That's right, Steve. (Are you ever wrong?) I've thought of the need for an understanding of psychology too especially as it applies to design and marketing. Are there any design/marketing psychology specialists in the forum?

Jagella

Jagella
01-28-2009, 03:45 PM
Is there any research on how people feel about prices that end in unusual numbers like $48.37, or $202.63? Do people believe subconsciously that such prices are more "honest"?

Round numbers, since they're not likely to result from natural and random processes, may appear contrived or ad hoc. 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.

But that's just my 97&#162;.

Jagella—Former Algebra/Trigonometry Tutor

Jagella
01-28-2009, 03:48 PM
Kristine, would you recommend a professional copy writer for Web copy? I'm having trouble with my own site's copy.

Jagella

Just H
01-28-2009, 04:05 PM
It's so interesting about what numbers you choose and how that influences credibility - totally makes sense. The psychology of it is definitely fascinating. I think for me the best balance would be to have a basic understanding of what works better and why, and to try to keep that in mind while writing (but not go overboard in trying to think about the Psychology and then writing from that place).

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 images are extremely effective in selling your message (even subliminally), if used correctly. Make sure they are very clean and attractive. Spend a few dollars on professional stock photography to get your message across, my favorite shop is IStockPhoto.com (http://istockphoto.com/) by the way."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!

vangogh
01-28-2009, 07:34 PM
I love this psychology stuff. It really is fascinating how people will respond to something we'd all say is pretty much insignificant.

With the 'atrractive' idea and not describing it further, it's probably that it's hard to define. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder kind of thing. I usually like to think of it as professional as opposed to attractive, though I suppose that's not any clearer as a definition.

Perhaps the best way to think of it is to try to understand your target market and your site visitors and see if you can figure out what they would think is attractive.

One thing I've seen often enough in studies is that we all respond well to images of people. It's one reason you see so many images of random people on sites. Show a person using your product and you'll likely have visitors at least checking out the info about that product. Even better if the people are attractive :)

KristineS
01-28-2009, 08:21 PM
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
01-28-2009, 08:26 PM
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
01-28-2009, 09:46 PM
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
01-29-2009, 02:27 AM
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
01-29-2009, 02:30 AM
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
01-29-2009, 11:36 AM
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
01-29-2009, 11:48 AM
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&#37;

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
01-29-2009, 12:38 PM
“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
01-29-2009, 01:13 PM
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. :confused:

Jagella

vangogh
01-29-2009, 01:20 PM
Sorry, my bad. See what I get for posting before I've had my morning coffee.

Jagella
01-29-2009, 10:40 PM
It doesn't matter where you've been; where you're headed is what counts.


Don't stop, thinking about tomorrow,Don't stop, it'll soon be here,It'll be, better than before,Yesterday's gone, yesterday's gone.

Why not think about times to come,And not about the things that you've done,If your life was bad to you,Just think what tomorrow will do.


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.

Would you recommend a blog entry for this article?

Thanks a lot, Paul.

Jagella

Jagella
01-29-2009, 10:45 PM
Sorry, my bad.

No no! Steve good! Steve good! Joe good too!

http://www.resurrectisis.org/PagEvol2_files/neanderthal4z2.jpg

vangogh
01-29-2009, 10:54 PM
Fire...good...what this...wheel? me not know wheel.

Paul Elliott
01-30-2009, 02:35 AM
Would you recommend a blog entry for this article?

Thanks a lot, Paul.

You're very welcome, Joe. Since it is something I recommend for my marketing clients, I'll write one.

Paul