Online copywriting requires certain skills to perfect. Indeed, it can even be considered an art as not everyone has the ability to make mostly old information sound mostly new and turn economically written sentences into powerful messages. The secret to online copywriting, however, ultimately boils down to two things: keeping it short and simple.
Why It Has to Be Short and Simple
You can blame it on various factors, but regardless of the reason behind it, online readers tend to be more demanding and impatient. A short and simple copy is able to give them what they want quickly and easily. A longer and more in-depth one can’t.
»» Power Copywriting Tips – Online Copywriting Should Be Short And Simple
Writing web copy can be tricky: you need to set it up in such a way that you are able to address the needs of your target market. Moreover, web copy is not like any other written or printed piece of writing: it has to be written concisely, with all the pertinent details shown so that the person reading the copy will pick up all the main ideas immediately. In the world of the Internet, writing the right web copy is important: people do not visit a website and read every single word in it, but they do need to get the right information in the least amount of time. You, as a copywriter, need to address their needs.
In particular, you need to answer four basic questions when writing web copy. First, why are your visitors at that website and why should they be there? Are they in need of a product or service? Do they fit a particular demographic that needs your help? Second, what should they do? Should they buy your product or service? Should they call you? Provide your visitors with a road on which to travel instead of telling them that they should get to a destination by their own terms.
Third, answer why your visitors should even do anything. Should they buy a product or service to get themselves out of a financial rut? Should they buy something from you so that they can enjoy life better? Finally, what should they do next? Should they go out and buy things, save money, ask for more help? What should they expect from you?
So you’ve written your web copy, and you’ve got it ready to review. You’re ready to post it online and you want to start selling your product and service. However, you are not sure if it is ready to go online – and you are not sure if you have the best copy that fully and accurately describes you, your product and service, and what you feel about it. It’s time to review it: but how?
First, you need to remember that you need to shed the skin of the writer and put on the fur of the reader. You, the Internet reader, are not interested in every single word of the copy: you need to get the information at one click, at one go, and get a lot of this information without having to go through every single word, but by looking quickly through the copy. In order to test this, you may need to have a few friends on hand. Skim the copy and see if you get the information immediately. Does the copy interest you at first glance? Don’t read into the sentences too much: see if the copy stands out and if it entices you to start at the beginning and read more.
Remember, a copy is your magic ticket to getting a casual reader to start reading your work and going through your website. It could well be your magic ticket turning that same casual reader into a buyer! So be careful with your review. Ask yourself: if I had only five minutes to spare, would I read this? Is it too long and daunting? Is it too short and careless? There’s nothing wrong with a moderately-sized copy: it shows that you have a lot to say, but you know your stuff well enough so that you don’t need a lot of flowery words to get your point across.
Having great website content is a must in today’s crowded Internet arena. You always need to write well, and present a lot of information in a manner that will not only allow people to learn, but give them some amusement and entertainment as well. This latter part is very important: amusement and entertainment keep people glued to a website and can keep them coming back.
Therefore, you need to plan your website content so that it catches your prospective visitors’ eyes. In particular, you need to plan your copy: this is what will meet your visitors when they get onto your website, and you need to hook them at first glance.
You may be raring to put pencil to paper or start typing your website away. However, the problem with writing for the web is that it is built for people who do not read word for word: web writing must be done with the thought in mind that the target audience will skim through the sea of words and look for something interesting. You must be of the mindset, therefore, to attract your customers’ attention.
It may seem like a contradiction but grammar is indeed not everything when it comes to writing copy. When producing an article, news story or press release, there are various factors that have to be considered in order to write truly exceptional copy – the kind of copy that people will find useful enough to actually finish reading. Find out what these are and learn how to use them together in order to maintain balance in your written work:
Content matters, first and foremost
Content in this context refers to substance – the overall worth of the write-up. It doesn’t refer to the number of words used or type of words you chose to use. What does your write-up say? What value can the readers get out of it? Are you substituting good grammar and big words because you have nothing else to say?
Writers often depend on headlines to create appeal for their write-ups. Headlines, after all, are often the first line of writing that a person reads when he comes across an article, news story or book. A headline can create curiosity, stir up interest and generate wonder. The tone of the headline also affects the readers’ response and elicits reactions right then and there. For proper headline creation and tone testing, here are some things to keep in mind:
The headline should set the tone
Whether your write-up is upbeat, formal, businesslike, provocative, engaging or a call-to-arms kind of thing, the tone of your headline should reflect it. Very often, your goal as a writer helps set the tone of the headline and the subsequent body of the write-up.
»» Power Copywriting Tips – Getting Your Message Across With Headlines And Tone Testing
Your writing success has a lot to do with how people react to copy that you produce. People like to read what speaks to them directly because it’s the kind of writing they can relate to. This is why many writers take great pains to ensure that their copy is personalized so that readers will feel that it was written with their interests and needs specifically in mind.
Being able to personalize your copy means that what you will produce is unique – a testament to your skills and talent. If you want to personalize your copy, here are 4 ways you can use your one-of-a-kind style to write copy that truly stands out:
Know who you are
»» Power Copywriting Tips – Four Ways To Capture Your Reader’s Attention By Personalizing Your Copy
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