Simplicity Rules in Copy Writing
The adageSimplicity is Beauty does not only apply to individuals but it will also benefit you if youre into copy writing. The simplicity rule should also apply on your copy. You can be a learned writer from your school but the style can be that which is impersonal, rigidly structured and formal.
To attract visitors to your site, being simple is good. Since readers are primarily interested on what you have to say, you may entice them to read on or discourage them and give up. Creating a simple yet concise and clear copy that is easy to read and comprehend is the best way to inform your clients of your point. Here are some easy tips to simplify your website and make it a winner:
1. Create simple and clean designs with a clear navigation system. You can repeat the images, colors, formatting and text throughout the site since guests will not wonder if they have unintentionally left your site.
2. For your background, use contrasting colors and avoid using light texts on light backgrounds. Dark texts are easier to read on a light background. Be careful with your background patterns since they can obscure the sites content instead of flattering it. Avoid underlined or blinking texts. These texts may annoy and distract visitors. Your hyperlinks must be the only documents underlined on your site.
3. Make your copy easy to read, understand and use. Try your best to be lucid. Use simple words; those that are used for everyday speech. Use terms that are not to vague and very understandable. Dont be too stuffy; remove pompous words and replace it with plain words. Minimize complicated gimmicks and constructions. If you cant give the information directly and briefly, you must consider writing the copy again.
There are multi-syllable words that can be replaced by simple terms. For example, information can be replaced by a simpler word facts, demonstrate can be replaced with show, gratis with free, regarding with about, etc. Check each word and ask yourself if there are words that can still be simplified to lessen the syllable length. By this method, the words can easily roll off the readers tongue and they can easily remember them as they read.
4. Check your spelling and check spelling errors. This will not earn your site too many visitors. because this will make your page look unprofessional. You can utilize a spell checker such as the HTML Toolbox.
5. Dont be over chatty and suspense killer. Surprises in the middle of one sentence is not informative, rather very irritating. Do not be too arrogant as well; dont be too boastful in presenting your visitors of your intelligence and cleverness. This will not impress them but will surely bore them. Remember that your aim here is not only to present the readers of what you have but also to encourage them.
6. Do not be overly instructive. If you have so many words beginning with expect, consider, compare and imagine, the readers might think that what theyre reading are stylebooks or textbooks.
Writing a simple copy is vital since your goal is let your visitors understand what youre trying to inform them with less effort on their part. The visitors wouldnt want to spend long hours just figuring out what your site is all about.
You should aim to entice visitors to immediately click the order button without second thoughts. So write simple and win them all!
The Essence of Research to Your Copy Content
Internet users desire quality web content; approximately 1million sites surface and only a few are being spotted and read by prospective clients. Do you know the reason why? The primary reason is the content. Sites may contain contents which are not empowering and enticing.
One of the nightmares of copy writers is acquiring enough information for their web site to have sufficient and real contents. You can develop a very beautiful site but if its poorly edited or has no useful content, it will be worthless and your prospects may just dump it. All your hardships and money will be put to trash only because of the lack of quality content.
Research is the most important tool if you want to have a well-structured, good and informative content. This can be a major tool to have higher web positions and guaranteed clients. Statistics are telling that professionally written copy content can boost up to 30% sales.
Where can you research for your copy content? You can look into a review or page. Just look for statement saying that its free to use or its commercial. Be careful not to plagiarize works. This can be an advantage on the part of the sources or contributors since the information youll be getting from them will be listed on your Resources part.
Another option is researching through affiliate programs like the descriptions, reviews and images of Amazon. They are allowing copying of these items. They even permit and suggest everyone to do so. They give database access and tools to help users with the process.
Some sites give information to people through contents. For example, if a person is looking for a particular product on a particular area, and if the most possible thing to do is to look for cities providing information for that area, the site can display details about a city. This will be shown to the page where viewers can see. It will always be a good step to ask or wait for permission first if youll be using someone elses researches. Always refer to the usage policy and state your type of entity so that they will know.
You can also incorporate articles to add content to your copy. There are three levels of articles you can research on. The first level is professional; the articles under this level are all written wholly from scratch and composed of 1,000 words. The second level is authoritative. This is also written from scratch and is consists of 2,000 words. The third level is the super authority which is composed of 3 thousand words.
If you still find it hard to research on the most fitting copy content, you can always ask for those professional content researchers but be ready to pay for them. There are also online companies accepting this kind of job like the Contentwriter.In. Consisting of professional writers, they will help you write from scratch by analyzing your goals first.
These companies will assist you by researching on your market in connection with your service and product offerings. Through a meticulous background research, they will give your copy the required focus. Your site will not only be filled with quality content, it will also have a touch of professionalism.
Original and high quality content is essential for a worthwhile copy. Since your aim is to entice your prospects to read your copy, you must infuse them with useful facts that are real and up to date. Researching for the copy content is thus a very important tool to encourage your prospects and create sales thereafter!
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Steps on How to Put Action on Your Copy
Your brochures and catalogs are great. Your site is superbly designed and constructed; the content is simple and enticing. You just wait for your visitors to flood in but after long waiting hours, no one is still registering. You may now be asking yourself: Why arent there any sales? Think again! You maybe missing an important an important area which is: THE CALL TO ACTION.
A call to action is a web copy which instructs a reader on what you wanted him to do. This call to action can be in the form of a declarative, imperative and a command statement or just mere suggestions. With any marketing materials, its important to get your prospective clients to act NOW! Here are several steps to follow to make a call to action that will definitely have your phones ringing and your sales increasing.
The first step is to do your research on the terms to be used for your call to action. The term must be associated with what your content is advertising. Chances are, the terms you maybe thinking had already been used by other copywriters and you should pay attention to this.
The second step is to write your content to lead to a straight call to action. Write the call to action clearly so that your visitors will know precisely what to do and how. Use phrases like Register Now or Click here at an exact location where there is a button or a click through. Tell readers to call a toll number that is correct and still available.
Third step is to try to put your call to action on several locations on the web site, especially if theres a lot of copy on your page. You can put the call to action after an introductory paragraph, the top of the page, and other parts of the site.
The fourth step is to make your site as direct as possible. Your visitors will want to know what theyre getting from your page as soon as they land on it. Get straight to the point immediately without having making your copy awkward.
The call to action may include a registration blank which ask for information such as the email address. The fifth step is to link these details to a shopping cart or an autoresponder to create your mailing list. Once you add a centered call to action to your copy, your efforts will make your web visitors to take your call to action.
As a word of advice, there are certain tips that you can apply. One is to start your call to action with a verb. To achieve clarity, keep the subject and verb close together; for example: Ask your sales representative for details. You must keep your call to action on your screen the entire time. If this would not be possible, you must let it pop several times so that irregular viewers may have a chance to see it. Lastly, inform yourself more about contextual relevance, serial position effect and chunking and coding.
Creating a simple, smooth and effective call to action is still an art. A straightforward and strong call to action can really bring a difference to your copy content and can convert it. The message on your call to action is really vital to the performance of your website. As an end note, always remember that a good copywriting will always include a call to action.
10 Quick Tips for Proofreading Your Copy
Proofreading is more often than not a neglected responsibility by many copywriters. If you value, however, the opinion of your readers then proofreading is but a small price to pay for the success you enjoy because of them.
Knowing What to Look for
Before anything else, proofreading can only be made possible if you know what to look for. This means having a considerable grasp of all the intricacies of proper grammar and punctuation as well as solid knowledge on spelling. If you fail in any of these counts, you need to work on them because they can make a huge difference with the quality of your copies as well.
Appropriate Environment
Proofreading is a job that requires great concentration, so find an environment suitable for the job. Get rid of all possible sources of distraction as well.
On Paper
Its easier to overlook errors when you are proofreading with your computer so do print your copy on paper whenever possible. It might be more costly this way, but dont you think the sales you can generate for a well-written copy can easily offset the expense?
The Right Mindset
The best way to proofread your copy is to have clear expectations of finding errors. If you think of your work as flawless, youre more liable to overlook errors. Remember: a positive outlook even if it means finding errors in this case always helps in getting a positive outcome.
Read
Resist the temptation to read in the pace that youre used to. Instead, read your copy slowly and read it out loud if possible. Reading will help you find errors in the style and cohesion of your writing.
When youre done reading from start to finish, try reading it backwards. The brain tries to automatically correct any spotted error in the content, making you read what you think you see instead of what youre actually seeing. By reading backwards, you prevent your brain from correcting on auto-mode and view your work for what it really is.
Appearance
Proofread includes correcting the look of your copy. Pay attention to wrong spacing and margins, irregular font styling, and improperly capitalized words. Indeed, pay greater attention to words in uppercase as its more difficult to see errors in that format.
Consistency
Proofreading includes making sure that everything about your copy is consistent. Uniformity, after all, makes a web copy more attractive. If you use a certain name for reference, be sure to use that name at all times rather than confuse your readers with various synonyms sprinkled across your text.
Grammar and Spell Check
The options for these mechanisms provided by your processor are not always right. And no, this doesnt mean that youre smarter but theyre probably not configured correctly. In any case, dont rely on them to do your work for you.
Over and Over
Proofreading is not a one-time process. You need to do it over and over and at properly spaced intervals to make sure your copy is entirely error-free.
Another Point of the View
Last but not the least, have someone else preferably one with the necessary knowledge and experience proofread your work. You dont have to pay a professional to do it. If you know other copywriters, you can strike a deal and proofread each others work.
A fresh pair of eyes, not to mention unbiased as well, can help find the last few errors in your copy.
How Is Online Copywriting Different from Offline Copywriting?
To become an effective copywriter for the Web, the first thing you need to learn are the major differences between online and offline copywriting.
Who Reads It?
Offline copies are printed on various materials, and theyre something that some people may read just to pass the time. With no expectations, offline readers can afford to be more patient and forgiving.
Online copies, however, dont have that luxury. More often than not, Internet users have a reason for visiting a website and they definitely have expectations when it comes to reading any online copy. And since they know what they want and what to look for, theyre more inclined to be impatient and wouldnt hesitate to switch to another article if what theyre currently reading proves to be unsuitable.
One Chance from Start to Finish
Again, certain situations in the offline world give readers no chance to be choosy. Reading from a single magazine limits them to the contents of the magazine. If there are no other magazines available and they need to acquire certain information or, once again, theyre desperate to pass the time, they have no other recourse but to read the magazine from start to finish.
Second chances are rare for online copies and as such, you need to make every word powerful and significant from start to finish, beginning with your headline and until you finish your call to action.
Switching from one copy to another is also easier for online readers. With search engines more than ready to supply them with the next best link if your copy proves to be inadequate, the only way to keep their attention is by making every sentence worth their time.
Cost
Offline copywriters may occasionally have to worry about the costs of printing their works in a certain format. Too many paragraphs as well as larger fonts could make the cost of publishing escalate in an alarming rate, and for this reason, theyre forced to make adjustments, which are not always favorable to readers, to their works.
Online copywriters, in this case, stand to gain more from their line of work. Since text weighs little in terms of bytes, formatting rarely make a substantial difference to their work. As a result, they can afford to make more paragraphs and keep it short exactly the way their online readers like it. Having large fonts arent a problem either. Indeed, they can change the color of the text and suffer from no additional cost.
Skimming
Online readers have a habit of skimming, and they do it more frequently than their offline counterparts. Web copywriters will, of course, have to adjust their work accordingly.
Skimming makes optional formatting techniques in offline writing necessary in online copywriting. Subheadings are one of them. Their presence ensures that online readers are still able to comprehend the gist of the copy even if theyre skimming. If you can supply one subheading for every paragraph, that can only work to your favor!
Now that youre aware of the differences between online and offline copywriting, you can apply what youve learned the next time you write an online copy. These newfound tips may make writing more difficult at the start, but rest assured they come with greater rewards!
Remember to double-check for errors before uploading your work. Good luck on keeping the attention of your readers!
Online Copywriting: Make It Short and Simple
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 cant.
Its also best to think of online readers as having tunnel vision. They have a one-track mind, and if the first instance that they suspect your copy of being unable to give them what they want, theyll immediately switch to the next website in their list.
If you want to please online readers with your copy, you need to give them what they want without any delay. If they want you to explain in greater detail, theyll only have to click the link youve thoughtfully provided for them. But until they do that, its better to stick with the plain but effective short-and-simple format.
No Fancy Words
Online readers skim and when they happen to skim right to the part youve used a fancy word they dont comprehend, you stand to lose not just their attention but their presence in your website. And all of that is just because you took pains to use a fancy word. Such effort will remain unappreciated by online readers so dont bother wasting your time with it.
Stick to the Facts and Figures
Online readers arent interested in things that havent yet been proven. What they want are statistics and the more impressive they are, the better! In this case, youll have the type of reader who doesnt mind but in fact prefers that you brag. If theres data you can share to convince your reader of buying your product or service, share it.
Dont Overwhelm
Online readers are easy to scare. Give them an online copy thats longer than a full-length page or two and they wont even try to read it. Effective online copies never overwhelm their readers. Their sentences are simple and basic. Their paragraphs are the same and composed of not more than four or five sentences.
If a few sentences or a single paragraph are not enough to explain a particular concept, break it into several paragraphs instead. If you want to be a good copywriter, the first thing you have to understand is avoid doing anything that scares off your readers.
One Idea at a Time
Dont make your readers frown in puzzlement. They want information given to them in a smooth-flowing manner, preferably in a step-by-step method. As such, you need to stick to one idea per paragraph. Given the ideal length for paragraphs, doing otherwise is foolhardy anyway.
Use Proper Formatting
Making your online copy convenient for your readers is another sign of good copywriting. One way of doing that is to use proper formatting. Subheading, large and legible fonts, and bullet points are just a few ways to make reading or skimming easier for your customers.
Keep these tips in mind the next time you write an online copy!
6 Quick Tips for Writing a Good Copy Headline
Writing an effective copy headline is a challenge if you know youre going to issue a call to action in the end, and that action is something that people will be initially reluctant to do like subscribing to an e-newsletter or buying a product. If you want your readers to do something, you need to convince them right away and starting with the very first word of your headline.
Offer Something Right Away
If you have something to offer to your readers, something they need and in exchange for what youre going to ask them to do, make it immediately clear with your headline. When people start reading something online and they arent actively seeking information, they want to know what theyre going to get if they continue reading and they want to know what it is right away.
Make It Urgent
People are generally prone to take action if they know theyre running against time. Create a sense of urgency with your headline by telling your readers that your offer only stands up to a certain date or that youre fast running out of stocks. You can also make it a do-or-die offer; if they let this opportunity slip them by, its gone forever.
Take care, however, when using this type of headline as it comes with certain responsibilities. Make sure you withdraw your offer at the stated time. If youre going to extend the deadline, you better have a good explanation ready so as not to lose your credibility.
Keep It Simple and Powerful
Online copies have to be simple and as headlines are a part of the copy, it stands to reason that they have to be simple as well.
Dont bother using long and difficult words. They wont make a difference if no one comprehends them. Aim for powerful words instead. These words inspire action and call strong images immediately to mind. Make Your Business Live Longer as a copy headline can be improved, for instance, if you replace passive-sounding words with forceful ones. Make Your Business Survive has greater impact compared to the previous headline, dont you think?
Keep It Short
Yet another requirement for online copies is brevity and naturally, headlines must follow the same rule. As a rule, online readers scan what they read and consequently, theyll be able to understand a five-word-headline more quickly than a ten-word one.
For a good copy headline, try to lessen the use of particles, prepositions, linking verbs, and other words that wont make a difference to your readers.
Dont Try Too Hard
Naturally, funny and witty headlines are better but trying too hard could backfire on you. If theres no way to make a headline funny or clever then leave it simple. If you manage to get your message across then youve done your job.
Use Numbers
Theyre easier to recall and they sound more impressive. Instead of simply headlining a copy with Tips for Gardening, you can substantially improve it just by adding a digit. 6 Tips for Gardening encourage people to read more because they know they have six (more than ones many!) tips to look forward to in a single article.
Review and Revise
You may think youve made a perfect headline upon typing the last word, but give it a minute or two and youll be able to view it more objectively. Good luck on writing those headlines!
How to Speak the Readers Language in Writing Copy
A common mistake that many people make when writing web copy or website content online is to assume that all their readers have all the time in the world to read a lot of words and go through an entire sea of text. Another common assumption is that people believe and remember everything that they learn online. However, the online writing arena is so much more competitive than the offline world: printed words are meant to be read, but online words are meant to be skimmed.
When you are writing copy, you need to speak your readers language. This requires knowledge of both tone and structure. In terms of structure, you need to follow your readers thoughts: your reader is thinking in terms of ideas, so present them quickly and in palatable shots. Have all your salient points ready and available in subheadings or bullet points. This can make it easier for your reader to skim through your copy and find what he or she needs. This also makes it more inviting for your reader to actually go through the work: by providing white space, you also give your readers eyes the chance to rest once in a while.
Now that you have drawn your readers in and made them stay, its time for you to speak their language. Now this is a rather tricky deal: a lot of different parts of the population speak language differently, and every single person has his or her own native language that he or she is most fluent in or most comfortable using. You will need to tap into the most general of these languages: this means research on your part, say by doing a marketing study by looking at how people talk in different forums and mailing lists. You need to look at how people talk and find a way for you to sound like them, but not too much: remember, if you try too hard, your writing will show it.
Here are a few more tips on how to make your readers hear themselves in you:
- You need to make your visitors excited about your products and services, so excited that they will shell out some of their hard-earned money to buy them. This means that you need to keep your copy excited: be upbeat and enthusiastic, and avoid language that is depressing or dull, or that is bland and commonplace. Avoid going for negative statements: say what a thing is, not what it is not; better yet, say what a thing can offer. Give statements of potential and promise, and entice your reader.
However, be careful, as being too exciting can actually make you look desperate and hard selling. Desperation shows up easily online, so dont be too uppity-up. Upbeat does not mean hyperactive, and neither does it mean reckless excitement.
- Grab attention at the beginning of your copy and do not beat around the bush. You will reinforce this at the end, but start your copy so that people know the point of it immediately. The best content, therefore, should be at the start and end of your web page, in order to grab attention, and then keep it and allow your visitors to take something home. Moreover, keep your ending memorable and upbeat, as this is what your visitors will remember about you.
- Keep it short and simple. If you are able to get the ideas out in a few words without your website visitors having to scroll ever so many times to get what you mean, then you have it made.
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