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Archive for January, 2010

Killer web copy

Monday, January 25th, 2010

If you have a website you want people to arrive, get hooked and read as much as possible so that they get a feel for what you’ve got to offer – and you hit all their ‘hot buttons’. So how do you do that?

Step one is to understand that people are not interested in what you do or what your products are. They want to know what they get – not as in a service or a product, but as in ‘that makes me feel good/satisfied/happy/fulfilled’. It may be a brutal truth, but it’s an important one to get your head around first.

Secondly, you need to know who you’re aiming at – and if you say ‘everybody’ you’re setting yourself an impossible task. My advice is to look at your best client and create a profile of them – more like that would be good (unless you’ve got an exclusivity contract – and even then you can find similarities with other types of business). Aim for the same kind of profile for now, it’s a good place to start.

Thirdly, what are the hot buttons for your target client group? What are they interested in achieving? What gets them excited (about services/products like yours)? What do they want it to do for them?

Now you’ve got some really strong information. Write your headline with all this in mind, write the copy so you target your ideal client’s wants and needs. Focus on the ‘what’s in it for them’, write ‘you’ not ‘we’ and you’ll be well on the way to killer copy!
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Great headlines

Friday, January 8th, 2010

Ted Nicholas (the guru of copywriting) says you should spend more time on your headline than on the rest of your copy, I’m not sure I totally agree, but it’s definitely the top of my list of things to get right!

If your headline does its job properly it will:

  • Catch the reader’s attention
  • Reassure them they’ve come to the right place to find what they were looking for
  • Connect with them on their level (not yours)

    • If it doesn’t work people will:

  • Be confused
  • Get irritated
  • Suffer from frustration
  • Leave your site

    • If it’s missing completely it’s as bad as not having a headline at all.

    Remember that ‘Welcome’ is not a headline and neither is ‘Home page’. If your web designer is any good they will be able to arrange for the page the user is on to show up in a different colour on the menu so you don’t need to waste prime real estate telling people where they are!

    How do you create a good headline?

  • Ask your target audience what they would be looking for when they search for the type of goods or services you offer.
  • Focus on what your audience wants to know – not what you to tell them.
  • Try and include at least one key word (but err on the side of the human being rather than the search engine).
  • Don’t exceed 17 words in the headline – yes, 17! Don’t let longer sentences frighten you.
  • Focus on either pain – the problem your user is trying to solve – or gain – what’s in it for them.

    • Brainstorm as many headlines as you can without worrying about how readable they are. Then when you’ve run out of ideas review the lot and you’ll almost certainly have one or two – or two that can be amalgamated – that stand out and have energy and engagement.
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    If you’re thinking of a new website

    Friday, January 1st, 2010

    There are a number of things that are important about creating a website – and the order in which they’re addressed is equally important.

  • I’ve worked on sites where the designers have started work with no site map to work with – which can result in a website that’s a maze for the user.
  • I’ve worked on sites where the web designer is highly artistic – but doesn’t understand how the user will read the information, making the message hard to get.
  • I’ve worked on websites where several separate people are involved – for design, development, copy, SEO – and the site owner is trying to project manage with no real knowledge of how the website works. It’s a bit like a committee trying to design a horse – they get a camel.

    • My recommendation is to get one person to project manage your site – ideally someone who really understands what all the elements do and how they work together. However, if you’re determined to do it yourself here’s my recipe for a website that works:

  • Decide what you want it to achieve for you – and be realistic!
  • Develop a site map that guides people to the key areas you want them to visit in the order you’d like them to visit.
  • Know what the purpose of each page will be.
  • Research why people buy your products or services – it’s probably not what you think and is worth investing the time to do it.
  • If you’re planning to do search engine optimisation then this is the right point to consult with your SEO expert and develop the keywords.
  • Get your copy written – yes, before the design is done; the copy will have an impact on the vehicle that carries it. Ensure that the copy is written with your key words in mind.
  • Brief the designer and get at least 3 designs to look at.
  • Choose the design that reflects your image best and addresses your stated aim for the site clearly.
  • Avoid anything that is likely to distract or confuse the visitor and make sure the key elements are in the places where they are most likely to get action.
  • Have the site developed (that’s the coding that makes it look as it should on the web – web designers can do this, but graphic designers may not be able to).
  • Check the test site out – or better still, get someone else to do that with a fresh pair of eyes. Click on every link, menu button and make sure they all do what they’re supposed to do. Read the copy carefully for typos, misspellings and stray or missing words.

    • If everything is in place – hit the ‘go’ button!

    A word of warning – this is not the end of the story. Websites need constant updates, checking to ensure no links become broken, fresh information, new content – that’s how they get on the search engine rankings, so a good content management system is a smart move.
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