Eliminate Boring Web Site Copy in 5 Easy Steps

Posted: 01-01-2006 | Views: 20 Author: Michelle Howe Imagine comic Robin Williams has written your Web site copy.
What would it be like?

Now imagine president George Bush wrote your Web site copy.
Which author would you prefer?

I would bet the copy written by Robin Williams would be
much more entertaining and fun to read than copy written by
George Bush. It's just got to be because there is no way Robin
Williams' personality would not show through in his writing.

Now take a look at the copy on your Web site. Is it more
George than Robin?

So what makes copy boring?

Probably the biggest mistake is to create copy that doesn't
create a vision. If I tell you that "XYZ dresses are for the
mature woman," you know we sell dresses, but you really
can't imagine the product. Now, what if I say, "XYZ dresses are
only for uninhibited women with luscious curves." Get a visual
on that one?

Use descriptive words that paint a picture for your audience.
You want to engage your reader with words that encourage them
to stay on your site and completely read your sales message.

Don't just describe your product, make the product appeal to
your reader. Communicate with emotion by telling a story. Let
your readers imagine themselves using your product or service.
Let them feel powerful, sexy, successful, clever or whatever
emotion it is that will sell your product or service.

People aren't so much interested in what a product does, but
how it will make their life better. You want them to have that
emotional connection by psychologically tying into their needs.

Why does someone pay $500 for a pair of shoes when a $50 pair
will do just fine? Because when they imagine themselves
wearing those $500 shoes, they are in a very happy place. They
feel admired, loved and so much better than other people.

So, how do you write good sales copy for your web site?

1) Start with boring copy.

The easiest way is to start with boring copy. Write out what
you want to say without trying to be clever. Just get your
ideas down first. Don't inhibit your thoughts by worrying
about whether it's good or not. At this point you don't need
to care.

Concentrate on the benefits of your product or service, not
the features. How does your product benefit your target
audience? List all the ways your product can make their life
better.

2) Organize your writing.

Now go through what you have written and make sure it has a
logical flow. Use examples to demonstrate your points.

3) Write in a conversational style.

Pretend you are talking to someone who is sitting across the
table from you. How would you describe your product or
services? Now look at what you have written and change the
writing to be more conversational. Get rid of the corporate
speak and try for a more natural approach.

4) Introduce emotion into your writing.

Now that you have a pretty good handle on what you wanted
to say, it is time to put some emotion into your writing.
Use words that create images in your mind. Examples of some
of these words are: tempting, mouth-watering, electrifying,
rejuvenating and ingenious.

Try to rewrite what you have by using words that sell. If
you are still stumped, go on to the Internet and look at
other Web sites to see what others have done. Don't
plagiarize the other sites, but use them as a way to spark
ideas for your site.

5) Proofread for errors.

The final sweep through your writing is to look for grammar
errors, spelling errors and context errors.

Read it out loud to yourself. How does it sound? Good writing
has a nice smooth rhythm and flow. If your writing is too
choppy you will notice the choppiness when you read the copy
out loud.

Michelle Howe, president of Word Magic , specializes in writing
irresistible copy for Web sites. She is the author of Web Site
Writing Made Easy and Persuasive Writing Made Easy. Visit her
Web site at http://www.InternetWordMagic.com for a FR^EE audio
download of “Pay-Per-Click Success: Attract More Customers
in 30 Days or Less” and FR^EE report, “The Five-Step Plan
to Article Success.”