Copywriting Basics -The Questions You Want Answered

Anyone can write effective Internet copy. You just have to know a few copywriting basics known to journalists and writers as the 5 W's. Throw one "H" in there and all your copywriting basics are covered.

Who? Tell the reader who your product will help. This should be your target market.

What? Tell your reader what your product or service will do to improve their lives. In other words, tell them the benefits they will receive, what's in it for them.

When? When is the offer good for? If there is a special offer, when does it expire? When will the product or service help them, immediately or over time?

Where? Where can you order the product or service? Where will it work?

Why? Tell your reader why he or she needs your product or service. Why will it benefit them? Why should they sign up or order today? Why is the quantity or offer limited?

How? How do they register or order? How much will it cost? How much return will they see for their investment? How does it work?

Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? There is no trick - it really is as easy as that. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and answer the questions you would likely ask or want answered about your product or service. Answer those questions clearly and thoroughly and your Web copy is complete.

These copywriting tips and copywriting techniques will work not just for Web copywriting but also for direct market copywriting, other online copywriting, and offline copywriting as well.

Below are a few other copywriting basics that will help you write your web site copy:

1. Keep it simple. No one wants to drudge through a long, drawn out confusing explanation. If you can't say it simply, that's fine. But by all means, simplify when you can.

2. Make sure your copy urges a call to action either in the body copy, or text of the article, or in the headline. Words like "Act Now," "Limited Time Offer," or "Limited Supply" will urge your readers to contact you sooner rather than later.

3. Keep it honest. Don't make wild claims just to get business. Build a good reputation by being up front and honest with your potential customers. In addition to appreciating your honesty, they will recommend you to others as a business owner who is true to your word and claims.

4. If you make an offer, make it one that is hard to pass up. Don't waste your readers' time with small, worthless offers. Think about the coupons you see in magazines and newspapers. Do you take time to clip them? If so, it's because the offer is of value to you.

5. How long should your copy be? As long as it takes to adequately answer the above questions for your product or service.

An unanswered question is considered an objection in your potential customer's mind. So, be sure to answer all their objections.

Keep these Internet copywriting basics in mind as you prepare the articles or sales letters that will appear on your Web site. Don't be intimidated because you don't have any professional writing experience. Most people want to do business with an honest person who knows the product or service well that he or she is trying to sell.

You don't have to be a professional writer to do that. The only requirement is that you truly believe in the product or service which you are trying to sell. If you do, your enthusiasm will shine through your writing. If you do not believe in your product or service, your lack of enthusiasm will shine through also.

So, in summary, answer the above questions as clearly and simply as you can, be honest, avoid hype, make an irresistible offer, and be sure to include a call to action.

If you do all these things you will master the copywriting basics and should have no trouble converting your Website visitors into customers.

Copywriting Basics - Answer The Questions You'd Want Answered

 

Anyone can write effective Internet copy. You just have to know a few copywriting basics known to journalists and writers as the 5 W's. Throw one "H" in there and all your copywriting basics are covered.

Who? Tell the reader who your product will help. This should be your target market.

What? Tell your reader what your product or service will do to improve their lives. In other words, tell them the benefits they will receive, what's in it for them.

When? When is the offer good for? If there is a special offer, when does it expire? When will the product or service help them, immediately or over time?

Where? Where can you order the product or service? Where will it work?

Why? Tell your reader why he or she needs your product or service. Why will it benefit them? Why should they sign up or order today? Why is the quantity or offer limited?

How? How do they register or order? How much will it cost? How much return will they see for their investment? How does it work?

Sounds pretty simple, doesn't it? There is no trick - it really is as easy as that. Put yourself in the shoes of the reader and answer the questions you would likely ask or want answered about your product or service. Answer those questions clearly and thoroughly and your Web copy is complete.

These copywriting tips and copywriting techniques will work not just for Web copywriting but also for direct market copywriting, other online copywriting, and offline copywriting as well.

Below are a few other copywriting basics that will help you write your web site copy:

1. Keep it simple. No one wants to drudge through a long, drawn out confusing explanation. If you can't say it simply, that's fine. But by all means, simplify when you can.

2. Make sure your copy urges a call to action either in the body copy, or text of the article, or in the headline. Words like "Act Now," "Limited Time Offer," or "Limited Supply" will urge your readers to contact you sooner rather than later.

3. Keep it honest. Don't make wild claims just to get business. Build a good reputation by being up front and honest with your potential customers. In addition to appreciating your honesty, they will recommend you to others as a business owner who is true to your word and claims.

4. If you make an offer, make it one that is hard to pass up. Don't waste your readers' time with small, worthless offers. Think about the coupons you see in magazines and newspapers. Do you take time to clip them? If so, it's because the offer is of value to you.

5. How long should your copy be? As long as it takes to adequately answer the above questions for your product or service.

An unanswered question is considered an objection in your potential customer's mind. So, be sure to answer all their objections.

Keep these Internet copywriting basics in mind as you prepare the articles or sales letters that will appear on your Web site. Don't be intimidated because you don't have any professional writing experience. Most people want to do business with an honest person who knows the product or service well that he or she is trying to sell.

You don't have to be a professional writer to do that. The only requirement is that you truly believe in the product or service which you are trying to sell. If you do, your enthusiasm will shine through your writing. If you do not believe in your product or service, your lack of enthusiasm will shine through also.

So, in summary, answer the above questions as clearly and simply as you can, be honest, avoid hype, make an irresistible offer, and be sure to include a call to action.

If you do all these things you will master the copywriting basics and should have no trouble converting your Website visitors into customers.

Is Your Copy Trusted by Google?

As long as I've been an SEO copywriter, I never knew that Google had its own trust factor with relation to site pages and their copy.  Yet, a recent column in the Google Librarian Newsletter did a wonderful job of explaining what Google is looking for in the way of copy.  These are practices I've preached with fervor for years.  This information can help your copywriting become a trusted source for Google and potentially aid in increasing your rankings.

As I started reading the original issue of this newsletter, Matt Cutts began to explain that Google uses many factors (other than Page Rank) to evaluate and rank pages.  Matt continues to describe the use of keywords and their relationships to other page factors.

For instance, let's say one keyphrase you're working with in your copy is "flat monitor."  I've preached for years that keyphrases work best when all the words remain in their exact order.  That is, when you use the entire phrase "flat monitor" as opposed to only using the single words "flat" and "monitor" individually.  Matt confirms this by saying relevance and trust might be increased in Google's eyes when the words "flat" and "monitor" are used next to each other.

Why would it matter?  Because "flat" can refer to practically anything.  That word by itself could easily be used on a page that has absolutely nothing to do with monitors.  While the word "monitor" can refer to a screen used with a computer, there are many different types of monitors.  If the search query were specifically for "flat monitors," pages about CRT monitors and other types would have little relevance and therefore wouldn't be deemed trustworthy.  "Monitor" can also mean to observe, which would be irrelevant to the search query used in our example.  So, using the phrase as it was typed into the search engine is the most relevant application.

What else?  Have your keyphrase in the title.  While Matt doesn't say this is a vital element, he does suggest that it "gives a hint" that the page would be more relevant, and therefore trustworthy, to the subject matter at hand than a document that does not include the keyphrase in the title.

Toward the end of the article, Matt refers to Google's preference to choose the most trusted sites to include in their database.  It's in a subsequent issue of the Google Librarian Newsletter that Matt explains, in part, other ways Google evaluates trust.

The fonts used on the page and the placement of words on the page are included in assessing trust.  Also, an examination of the text of other pages of the site is included. Of course, this is not the entire equation.  As originally stated, Google uses many factors to determine the relevance and trust of copy.  These are just a few.

But what about copy that isn't trustworthy?  What practices do you want to avoid?  In a thread on Matt's blog (from April 26th), Matt discusses penalties.  During the thread, a segment of horrible text is shown as an example of how not to write SEO copy.  Matt's comments about the copy include mentions of these offenses:  keyword stuffing, deliberate inclusion of misspelled words, gibberish text (the kind normally generated by automated copywriting programs), doorway pages and hidden text on the page. If you are currently practicing any of these techniques, you might want to seriously (and quickly) adjust your copywriting strategy.

The bottom line is that Google wants to include pages that are highly relevant.  By writing your copy in such a way to highlight the relevant factors of the content for Google, you also contribute to your visitors’ experiences.  It's a win-win-win situation that benefits you, Google and those who come to your site.