Is there a Secret to Effective Web Site Content?
by Charlene Rashkow
How often have you searched the Internet for information or a serviceonly to
discover that many of the sites or articles were disappointing? Ofcourse
that wasn't the intention of the writer but all too often writtencommunication
on the Internet falls short.
While we all have the freedom to put as much information on a web site aswe
please, when presenting copy on the Internet, it's obvious that thematerial
presented should quickly grab the reader's attention. But overly donecontent,
poorly constructed verbiage and misleading information doesn't attractthe
attention of a visitor.
What Does Attract?
When writing copy for the Internet keep in mind that you are alwaysselling
yourself! Whether through a service or a product, consider that your website
is your tool and can either draw people to your business or send them offto
another site. You may have the most beautiful site ever created butwithout
excellent content on your site, it will not reap the fruits of yourlabors.
People often pay a fortune to have sites created that are overly done
thinking that the beauty of the site is what sells. In truth all thatextra stuff
does not attract the masses and in fact can detract from your purpose. What
sells is good copy.
The Secrets of Exceptional Web Site Copy!
Of course a web site should be designed, constructed and presented sothat it
piques the interest of your target audience, but there's more to it thanjust
pretty graphics and design. The secret to a successful site stems fromthe
way you use words to sell yourself.
#1 Creative Headlines or Slogans
The number one rule when it comes to selling yourself on the web isopening
with an enticing headline, one that describes what you do or how you canhelp a
potential client immediately. It is not enough just to have an opening atthe
top of your home page, but more important is a good headline that grabs a
reader's attention. Or better yet, a creative slogan that mirrors yourpurpose
or goals. You've heard it said many times before that words have power,and
that never changes. Take advantage of the power of communication byshowing
potential prospects right off the bat that you're aligned with theirneeds.
#2 What Attracts Visitors?
When determining what verbiage to incorporate on your site, be mindful asto
what attracts you when visiting other sites. Have you noticed that thereare
words that grab your immediate attention? Notice what inspires you torequest
information from a site? What emotion is evoked when you visit certainsites?
Those are the clues that reveal the secrets of good web site content.
Basically the message you convey should be sincere as a reader connectsmore easily if
they feel comfortable. The more at ease with your words, the morequickly a
visitor will choose your services or products over a competitor.
#3 Descriptive Words or Emotional Content?
The way you sell speaks volumes about you, therefore send a message that
says: "My product or service will enhance your life, fill a need and makethings
better for you and I can prove it." How is that achieved? By makingsure that
you not only write descriptive words but demonstrate benefits. Thinkabout
why the visitor is at your site. What does he or she really want? Togain
access into someone's head, heart or wallet, your words must not onlyevoke
curiosity but they must appear authentic.
#4. Simple is Still the Way to Go
Whatever content you choose for your site, make sure it's easy to read. Most
experts will agree that content should be understood as easily by a young
person as it is to an adult. Simplicity is what counts. Too oftenexcessive
information can be overwhelming. The trick is to say a lot in as fewwords as
possible. Well-written content makes it easy for visitors to buy yourproducts
and services. Therefore, spend lots of time writing and rewriting yourcopy.
#5 What is Your Intention?
Having a real intention to help others comes through very clearly, aslittle
else builds as much rapport and confidence as someone who genuinelycares!
Rather than just selling your services or products, show your interest inyour
clients by including tips, articles or suggestions that are considereduseful.
Give something away in your copy and it will come back to you tenfold.
#6 Make it Somewhat Interactive
Since your goal is to make sure the content speaks to your audience in a
manner that invites inquiries, instead of conveying only what you can dofor your
potential clients, include some pertinent questions in your content thatevoke
responses. Encourage your visitors to think. Making your contentsomewhat
interactive engages visitors and pay off in dividends.
Whether you plan on writing your own copy or hiring a professional tocreate
or revamp your existing site, stop for a minute and define yourobjectives.
What message do you want to convey to visitors? How do you wantnewcomers to
view your service or product? What type of reputation are you trying to
establish? Look around at other sites in the same industry and see whatappeals to
you. Essentially, notice what works and then let your own personalityshine
through in your copy. Overall keep it simple. And although you may notwin over
every potential client, you can do a great deal to ensure victory byknowing the
secrets to a well-written site.
Charlene Rashkow brings 15 years of experience as a Writing
Stylist/Consultant to her creative efforts as a freelance writer. She hassuccessfully helped
companies and individuals reach their objectives by writing outstandingweb
site content, press releases, bios, articles of interest, business plansand all
other forms of marketing material. You may contact Charlene at
www.allyourwritingneeds.com or e-mail her atcharlene@allyourwritingneeds.com. You can also
call her directly at (310) 514-4844
| DISCLAIMER: The content provided in this article is not warranted or guaranteed by Developer Shed, Inc. The content provided is intended for entertainment and/or educational purposes in order to introduce to the reader key ideas, concepts, and/or product reviews. As such it is incumbent upon the reader to employ real-world tactics for security and implementation of best practices. We are not liable for any negative consequences that may result from implementing any information covered in our articles or tutorials. If this is a hardware review, it is not recommended to open and/or modify your hardware. |
More Website Content Articles
More By Developer Shed
 developerWorks - FREE Tools!
|
<a href="http://zeus.developershed.com/shonuff.php?blackbird=3853&zoneid=442&source=&dest=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ibm.com%2Fdeveloperworks%2Fspaces%2Fjazz%3FS_TACT%3D105AGY31%26S_CMP%3DDEVSHED&ismap="><img src="http://images.devshed.com/corp/img/news/jazz01.gif" alt="developerWorks Jazz space" align="left"></a>You've heard the buzz about Jazz... want to know more about it from a developer's perspective? Check out the Jazz space on developerWorks. This space is an up-to-date resource for developers, including technical information about Jazz and products built on Jazz, like Rational Team Concert Express. The Jazz space includes content from a wide variety of sources, including links, feeds, and comments from experts.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Hear how IBM Rational Project and Portfolio Management integrated solutions help teams put the right tools and processes in place to maximize the effectiveness and efficiency of project teams and ensure that the business vision is being executed correctly. Learn how to automate and integrate requirements prioritization, top-down project planning, communications and controls, and methodology deployment to keep your scope, costs, and schedules under control. Tackle with an end-to-end approach the management of scope and scope changes, usage of methodology to control and empower project teams, and optimization of resources to align activity costs with the overall project plan.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
You probably have thousands of lines of COBOL code loaded with business intelligence and being used to run your business, along with an army of developers maintaining these applications. Learn how to prepare your applications and developers so you can keep that competitive edge and move to a service-oriented architecture with the IBM Rational Enterprise Modernization solutions. Replay is available for 9 months.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Effective governance for lean development isn’t about command and control. Instead, the focus is on enabling the right behaviors and practices through collaborative and supportive techniques. Hear from Scott Ambler on how it is far more effective to motivate people to do the right thing than it is to force them to do so. Learn how to form a lightweight, collaboration-based framework that reflects the realities of modern IT organizations.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
In this tutorial, you can learn how to install and configure the IBM Rational Asset Manager Eclipse client, explore the different views in the Asset Management perspective, learn various search techniques, work with existing assets, and submit a new asset.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Join this Rational Talks to You teleconference on December 11 at 1:00 pm ET to get tips on building your own plugins with Rational Method Composer. Get your questions answered!
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
This paper is about the critical role that a discipline called integrated requirements management can play in helping to ensure that your business goals and IT investments are continuously aligned—whether you are sourcing, integrating, building or maintaining software. It also looks at ways that automated IBM Rational® products can work together to help you use requirements in the very best way.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Try the latest version of IBM Rational Manual Tester V7.0.1 by downloading a free trial from IBM developerWorks. This manual test authoring and execution tool promotes test step reuse to reduce the impact of software change on testers and business analysts and addresses the needs of teams performing at least a portion of their testing manually.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
Get a free trial download of the latest version of IBM Rational Performance Tester V7.0.1, a load and performance testing solution for teams concerned about the scalability of their Web-based applications. Combining multiple ease-of-use features with granular detail, Rational Performance Tester simplifies the test-creation, load-generation and data-collection processes that help teams ensure the ability of their applications to accommodate required user loads.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
User communities play an important role in communication and collaboration around products, solutions and other areas of special interest to members. Successful communities are able to provide the right mix of content and services to deliver a value proposition that resonates with each audience. Join Tom Inman, VP of Marketing for Information and Platform Solutions as he introduces the new LeverageINFORMATION community. During this webcast, learn about the value provided by the community and how customers and partners derive value from the community in addressing their own technical and business challenges.
FREE! Go There Now!
|
|
|
|
All FREE IBM® developerWorks Tools!
|
