Copywriting Knowledge
Web
Copy - How Much is Enough?
These days, there's widespread acceptance
that a website is an integral part of the marketing plan of any business.
Likewise, it's commonly accepted that web copy is a vital component of any
website. But how much web copy is enough?
The pure volume of information available
on the Internet is daunting - often counterproductive. There are approximately
550 billion documents on the web, and every day another 7 million are added.
According to an A.T. Kearney, Network Publishing study (April 2001), workers
take so long trying to find information that it costs organizations $750
billion annually!
Yet people continue to use it. Information
gathering is the most common use of the Internet (American Express survey,
2000). And it seems work-related searches are amongst the most common, with 48%
of people using the Internet to find work-related information, as opposed to 7%
who use magazines (Lyra Research, 2001).
Interestingly, however, the average person
visits no more than 19 websites in the entire month in order to avoid
information overload (Nielsen NetRatings in Jan 2001).
So how do you ensure your site is one of
those 19? How do you make your content helpful without making it overwhelming?
That's what this article is about...
I've written several articles on WHAT to
write on your website in order to make it helpful.
1)
Know your audience (Reader or Search
Engine?)
Think about whether you're targeting human
readers (potential customers) or search engines. This must always be one of
your very first questions, as the answer will determine your approach to
content.
In general, human readers think less is
more. Search engines, on the other hand, think more is more (well, more or
less...). In many ways, it comes down to a question of quality versus quantity.
Human readers are interested in quality, whereas search engines are interested
quantity. Human readers want you to answer their questions and make it clear
how you can benefit them.
And they don't want to wade through
volumes of text. Search engines want a high word count, full of relevant
keywords, and short on diagrams.
You need to think carefully about your
audience. In most cases, it'll be a trade-off. A high search engine ranking is
important (or at least beneficial) to most businesses, so a happy medium is
required. The following tips will go some way toward providing this balance.
2)
Make it concise
Say everything you need to say, but always
ask, "Can I say it with fewer words?" The literary world may be
impressed by complex writing, but visitors aren't. Keep it simple, and keep it
brief. Your home page shouldn't be more than 1 screen long. In other words,
visitors shouldn't have to scroll. Subsequent pages can be longer, but try to
keep them to a maximum of about 300-400 words each (approximately 1 scroll).
A lot of people will tell you that you
also need 300-400 words or more on your home page for a good search engine
ranking. You don't. If you focus on the right keywords and generate a lot of
links to your site, you can achieve a high ranking without losing your readers'
interest by padding
TIP: For most businesses, a good rule of
thumb is to make it conversational. Old school writers and would-be writers
oppose conversational copy; don't listen to them. Unless you're writing for an
old-school audience, feel free to write as people talk.
3)
One subject per page
On this, both readers and search engines
agree. Don't try and squeeze too much information onto a single page. For
example, instead of trying to detail all of your products on a single Products
page, use the page to introduce and summarize your product suite, then link to
a separate page per product. This way, your content will be easier to write,
your readers won't be overwhelmed, and you'll be able to focus on fewer
keywords (so the search engines will get a clearer picture of what you do).
4)
Make it scannable
According to a 1998 Sun Microsystems
study, reading from a monitor is 25% slower than reading from paper. As a
result, 79% of user’s scan read when online. So make sure you accommodate
scanning. Use headings and sub-headings. Highlight important words and
sections. Use bulleted lists and numbered lists. Use tables. Use statistics.
Use meaningful indenting. Use short sentences. Most importantly, be consistent
in your usage. Oh... and follow rules 2 and 3 above.
5)
Use a simple menu structure
Try to keep your high-level menu (Home,
About Us, Contacts, Products, Services, etc.) to a maximum of about 10 items
(5-8 is ideal). If you have too many options, your site will seem unstructured
and your visitors won't know where to start. In order for a visitor to want to
come back to your site, they need to feel comfortable when they're there.
They need to know what to expect. If they
can't identify any logic in your menu structure, they will always feel lost.
What's more, this lack of structure will reflect badly on your business.
The Internet can be an incredibly
cost-effective form of promotion because the cost per word to publish is so
low. Don't be fooled into thinking more is more just because it costs less.
Audiences - even search engines - don't want everything; they just want
enough.
Web site copywriter in the 21st
century
The process of keywords search is
well-known. However large the company
can be, whatever industry it operates in there are usually some persons at the
company who can perform this task. However, once the keyword search has been
performed one should start working these keywords phrases into the text of your
web-site. The person who performs this task is a web site copywriter.
Apart from being creative and have an aptitude
from producing appealing, memorable and attracting content the professional web
site copywriter should be able to write the text in easy-to-read, convincing
and action-driven style. He should also be able to perform thorough web site
analysis and understand how the web site maintained by you should be changed or
adjusted in order to get higher conversion rates.
But even if he has these qualities it may
not be enough. It today's highly competitive and ever-changing online world it
is indispensable for him to understand current marketing trend; what customers
want to purchase as well as what expectations they have. Apart from this he must also analyze
marketing and advertising strategy of the main competitors of the company and
propose effective adjustments in the content of the web site to countervail
them.
If you are hiring experienced web site
copywriter it is advisable to look through his portfolio in order to get an
insight into his experience. Experienced web site copywriter who has already
provided some copywriting service should indicate what type of copywriting he
has been working on and what results he has achieved.
Moreover, he must also understand modern
marketing techniques such as writing press releases and writing article. The web
site copywriter should always keep himself abreast of the latest changes in
marketing in order to produce high-quality content. If the web site copywriter
you intend to hire matches the above mentioned criteria, then he will be able
to bring high results for your company.
Website Copywriter Tips: Homepage
Copy - The Transition Zone
Have you read Paco Underhill's fascinating
book, Why We Buy about the psychology of retail store shopping? One of his
major tenets about brick and mortar shopping holds the key to effective
homepage copy - something he calls the "transition zone." If your
homepage copy creates a sales zone not a transition zone, you could be losing
sales.
The Transition Zone Explained
Think about the last time you visited a
brick and mortar store... Maybe it's raining or snowing outside. Maybe you just
left the dry cleaner before arriving at the electronics store. As you first
enter the store you constantly make adjustments to changes in lighting,
temperature, sounds, and visual stimulation.
You need to get your bearings. Underhill
calls this part of the store the "transition zone," a place for
adjusting from outside to inside, not selling. Selling attempts in this early
stage are lost.
When does your homepage copy start
selling? Unless your answer is never, it is too soon.
The Trade Show Lesson
I remember that the worst trade show booth
to have was just inside the front door of the trade center. Instead of making
sales I was giving directions, demoted from VP Sales to greeter, gopher. You
would think that being first was an advantage. This position might be true in
search engine ranking but not in trade shows booths.
The fact is many people don't even notice
the first booth until they have completed their adjustment process. By that
time, they are well past the first booth and buying from booth number 4.
Most website visitors behave like trade
show guests. Is your web site copy trying to close business in booth one or giving
the visitor time to adjust to the new digs? Why not put your actual sales copy
in booth two or three or four? Better still distribute the message across all
three. After all, that's where the customers are headed anyway once they have
transitioned to your site.
Cushion Don't Convince
So if selling is inappropriate what can
you do to make your homepage copy sell without selling? Effective homepage copy
cushions the hard landing strangers feel when they first arrive at your site. A
soft landing is a receptive landing. Why not use your homepage copy to give
visitors what they need:?
Acknowledgement
Anticipation
Acclimatization
Acknowledge Your Visitors
Let's go back to your recent store
visit... You're barely inside the door and the overly friendly sales clerk
asks, "Can I help you find what you are looking for?" Most times this
clumsy sales attempt is made too early in your transition to the store from your
previous location. For most people shopping is an experience not a mission.
Instead of being sold during their time of transition, most customers simply
want to be acknowledged - greeted, recognized.
How does your website copy acknowledge
visitors to your site?
•
Does your homepage copy confirm
that your visitors are in the right place?
•
Does your copy welcome them?
•
Does your web copy make demands
of these shaky travelers too soon?
•
How does your homepage copy
help them adjust to the change in environment?
Build Anticipation
You're standing ten feet inside the store.
And there it is, way over there - the outline of that gorgeous HD TV you've
been after. As you walk towards this target your heart races a little as you
anticipate getting up close and personal with your quarry. The closer you get,
the more you notice the details of your treasure.
By putting products, a little off in the
distance smart retailers build anticipation. You know what it's like. Details
come into focus over time. Expectation increases.
Where could you put your best offerings to
heighten anticipation without killing transition?
•
How can you replace
assertiveness with anticipation?
•
Wouldn't it be a good idea to
introduce your value proposition in your homepage copy, without demanding
customer action right away?
•
Where could you place the copy
that supports this value proposition?
•
Shouldn't your remaining pages
build expectancy and familiarity at the same time?
•
How about making your web site
copy one integrated "time release capsule"?
Deepen Acclimatization
Whenever copy goes against the customer's
natural order, it becomes a threat, losing credibility and any chance of
influence. It doesn't make sense to challenge the site visitor's natural need
for transition. Why not embrace this idea? Remember the old ABC's of selling?
Instead of "always be closing," why not use the transition zone
strategy "always be comforting."
Think of ways your homepage copy can help
your customers acclimatize to your site.
•
Do you repeat your key ideas to
build familiarity?
•
Is the look and feel of your
copy consistent?
•
Does your copy give a snapshot
of what's possible on your site?
•
Is your navigation system
explained?
•
Has your homepage copy briefly
highlighted your content?
•
How can your visitors gain
quick control of their journey?
That's acclimatization. Now you're ready
to sell. YES! Effective homepage copies smoothest the transition from stranger
to guest using acknowledgement, anticipation, and acclimatization. Done well
and it's sales zone time for the customer. Done poorly and its cortisone time
for you.
Website Copywriter Tips: Web Copy
101
You already know how to create great web
copy. Just remember your childhood nursery rhymes. As silly as it sounds,
"3 Blind Mice" will show you the way.
For some reason, "3 Blind Mice"
paid me a visit. As I heard the 100th replay, it hit me - this would make great
web copy. As a matter of fact, this simple little ditty contains 10 elements of
Web Copy 101. In case you've forgotten, here's how it goes.
"3 Blind Mice; 3 Blind Mice.
See how they run; see how they run.
They all ran up to the farmer's wife;
She cut off their tails with a carving
knife
Have you ever seen such a sight in your
life
As 3 Blind Mice?"
Let's see how this
children's nursery rhyme is a model of Web Copy 101.
Web Copy 101 #1, 2, 3 ...3 Blind Mice (title or
heading)
1)
Try singing "A trio of
visually impaired rodents, A trio of visually impaired rodents." Catchy? Formal writing doesn't sell. Write
the way people speak and you will be heard. The title does something else for
this song.
2)
If you had to choose
between songs entitled "Cows," "Ducks," or "3 Blind
Mice," which one would you choose? The title in all web copy has to grab
the attention the reader. There's more.
3)
This alluring title makes
the content clear right away. How many times do you stumble on a website only
to find you're not sure what they are selling or how it relates to you? Be sure
your web copy uses the title or headline to set the table for the visitor.
Web Copy 101 #4 ...3 Blind Mice, 3 Blind Mice
(first line)
4) This song is going to be about little rodents, not geese. Does the
first line of your web copy highlight what you offer, or at least whom your
site is for? Good web copy is not mystery writing. Instead it says, "We're
here to sell you something and here's why you need it today."
Web Copy 101 #5, 6 ... See how they run, See how
they run
5)
Repetition is the key to
any message track and a staple of effective web copy. From a psychological
point of view, it lets your message become familiar and safe. From a search
engine point of view repetition builds your keyword density and raises your
search results. From a net reader perspective repetition in your web copy
reinforces your message for the superficial reader who is scanning your site
quickly. Repetition works on many levels. Let me say that again - repetition
works on many levels.
6)
The invitation to watch how
the mice run around is also a clever way to involve the readers by getting them
to do something. Does your site invite some kind of reader activity in the body
of the web copy?
Web Copy 101 #7 ... They all ran up to the
farmer's wife; she cut off their tails with a carving knife
7)
A good way to stitch your
ideas together and build more active involvement in your copy is to use
pronouns (they, she). By forcing the readers to build connections between
previous and current information pronouns keep your site visitors more
engaged.
Web
Copy 101 #8 ... Have you ever seen such a sight in your life?
8)
Do you know the best way to
keep someone interested in what you are writing? What is 3 times 3? If you
thought "nine" you proved my point. If you thought "eight"
try night school. If you thought anything at all, you demonstrated the power of
questions to generate reader participation. Everybody loves and needs to answer
questions. Does your web copy provide thought provoking questions that get your
reader thinking and involved?
Web Copy 101 #9, 10 ... As 3 Blind Mice
9)
Brilliant web copy. More
repetition. Plus, the story ends where it started. One of the advantages of
writing with search engines in mind is that keyword focus helps you stay on
topic. The glancing reader needs this
controlling idea to get the essence of why they need what you have, now. Is
your site's central idea consistently expressed all the way through your web
copy?
10)
True, the song is written
for children, but notice the use of short, crisp sentences to tell the tale.
How are you telling your tale? You want your web copy to be clear, smart and
direct.
I hope they get stuck in your head - the
10 lessons that is, not the lyrics. By the way, no animals were hurt during the
writing of the article about web copy 101.
Website Copywriter Tips: Web Copy
Sabotage
How does your personality affect your web
copy? Whether you mean to or not, your site reflects you in ways you might not
notice:
sometimes good, sometimes bad. While
personality peccadilloes can be endearing in social situations, minor
personality flaws can cause web copy sabotage. So before you get out your
keyboard, get out a mirror.
Why not see if any of these 3 personality
traits are seeping into the design and copy of your web site?
Insecurity
Pride
Anxiety
Web Copy Sabotage #1: Insecure people create
timid sites
Most people are insecure in certain
situations as they vary their image to gain the favor of others. Nothing kills
web copy faster than trying to be a people pleaser. Insecure people create
timid sites that try to be all things to all people. Instead of declaring,
"Here's who I am," insecure web copy tentatively pleads, "I can
be whatever you want; hope you find something you like." How forgettable
and phony is that? Secure people on the other hand have learned to get real.
Some people like them; others don't. Their
web copy stands out because their authors stand up. Their web copy is memorable
because it is authentic. Does your web copy take a stand or does it sit on the
sidelines wanting to be liked? Is your web copy real or real phony?
Web Copy Sabotage #2: Proud people produce
narcissistic sites
While timid web copy aims overly outward,
narcissistic web copy looks too far in the other direction. Business owners
have a justifiable pride in their business. Sorry to say this pride can lead to
web copy sabotage.
•
Many owners lost in their
delight often boast, "Look what I can do," instead of proclaiming,
"Look what you get."
•
Their web copy tends to focus
on features instead of real customer benefits. It highlights trained staff
rather than peace of mind.
Missing are empathy and impact. Nothing
kills internet rapport like a one-sided, relationship. Does your web copy brag
about you or resonate with strangers?
Web Copy Sabotage #3: Anxious people make
nervous sites
Nervous sites are the most common form of
web copy sabotage. They don't gaze outward or inward; they look nowhere, all
hurried and patchy. The visuals are the first give-away:
•
a little red here and a dash of
purple there
•
a touch of bold with a smidgen
of underlining
•
a bevy of random
quotations
•
a frenzy of isolated graphics
Where's the rhyme? Where's the reason?
Where is the message? The web copy reads more like a digital ransom note than a
calm presentation of a distinctive value proposition.
The sad part is this kind of web copy
sabotage is that it frequently betrays an honest business person who is just
not comfortable about expressing his business. This web copy unfairly depicts
sleaze and incredulity.
Sometimes the anxiety is driven by a
specific learning style. A number of individuals are more comfortable with
trees than a forest, preferring details to the big picture. That's too bad
because site visitors usually crave the big picture before they invest their
care and clicks. What image does your web copy convey - calm or chaos?
Web
Copy Sabotage: What can you do about it?
So you're not perfect. Everybody is a bit
insecure, a tad proud and slightly anxious. The trick is to keep these failings
from invading your web copy. So what can you do to prevent web copy
sabotage?
Your human shortcomings might populate
your site because you are just too close to the data to detect your demons
creeping up the keyboard.
You've got to get some distance. First
have a third party who's not a family member play site doctor, looking for
symptoms of insecurity, pride, and anxiety in your site design and copy.
There's nothing like conducting your own
foible check to be sure you parked your sabotaging issues at the curb, not in
your web copy. Here are 3 questions to ask:
•
What exactly does my site stand
for?
•
How do my visitors see themselves?
•
How have I organized my design
and copy?
If these tactics don't help you improve
your web copy, you could either see a qualified psychiatrist or hire - you know
- a handy copywriter.
