Rock Solid Writing » website design

Standing out in the marketplace

David Denis — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 03:14:58 +0000

It is axiomatic — everyone knows that every business must have a website. The trends are clear that more and more people are going to the web to engage in the market place. If you want customers to find you, if you want to effectively call out to them and be heard, you must begin with a website. If you don’t understand this, see my post on Google’s e-book Zero Moment of Truth.

I say “begin with a website” because that is only the start. There are search engine optimization tactics and traffic driving strategies. There are inbound marketing tools and email list building. All of these methods are simply ways to attract potential customers and then engage them.

It’s like a farmer’s market. Exciting displays of the freshest produce, colorfully spilling over the crates stops you from wandering by. It looks so good! You are overcome by the desire to squeeze and sniff the fruit, to fondle and thump the cantaloup. Then you ask the farmer “how much…?”

That display is your website. The keywords help them see you. Your content is the bushels of beautiful fruit that entice potential buyers to stop their mad clickfest and actually learn about the value that your company offers. The single common key to making this whole thing work is CONTENT. People come to your website for the useful and clear information – just like shoppers stop by your stall for the freshest fruit and vegetables.

Your content could be video, audio or photos. But the type of content that will do the bulk of the heavy lifting is your writing. The copy. The text. The words.

Your visitors will quickly size up your website and make a decision about whether it offers them the information they seek or not. If your content is clear, compelling and accessible, there is a good chance they may spend a few minutes listening to what you have to say.They will watch your video, look at your photos. They will spend the bulk of their attention on your text. If they like what they read, then you have an opportunity to continue to engage their attention. This is where you offer twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn. This is where you provide free articles in exchange for their email. This is where they may even pick up the phone and call you. Perhaps they will even act to place an order there and then.

It all starts with the usefulness and clarity of your content.

It ends there too, because it’s the rest of the content that continues to move them down the buying path.

Invest in quality content. Spend good money for the best writing possible — writing that informs, excites and most of all, writing that sells.

Self Adjusting Copy Length

David Denis — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 14:46:10 +0000

Picked this up today courtesy of Bob Bly’s Direct Response Letter.

A trend that has been going on for more than 5 years now is that consumer copy is getting longer, while business-to-business copy is getting shorter. Why?

1-Business prospects are busier than ever and have less time to read.

2-Consumers are more skeptical than ever so need more proof before they buy.

I often run into this question when dealing with clients.

Some are adamant that copy MUST be as absolutely bare bones short as possible.
Others want to include everything from soup to nuts — why use 1 word when 5 will do?
Still others have some arbitrary number — 500 words for example — that their copy must fit, regardless of other factors.

None of these address the real question that must be answered – What is the right length to accomplish the job?

As Bob indicates here, a direct response sales letter directed at a consumer prospect will typically need more text because you have to include more reasons to buy. You can, however, make a 2000 word sales letter seem short by placing BUY NOW buttons throughout the letter. That way your prospect can click over immediately upon going over that buying line.

In this way, sales letter copy becomes self-adjusting. The reader only reads what she needs to read to make the decision. Once she has gone far enough, she stops reading and clicks. Some will need to read all the way to the end, others will read a few paragraphs and take action.This is similar to the salesperson who reads the prospect’s buying signals, skips ahead in the sales presentation and goes right to close.

In a B2B scenario, I can’t imagine that the total amount of copy is really getting shorter, but I can see how business people feel more pressed for time. So keep that landing page or introductory letter brief. Summarize with the most potent benefits and support material and then give the prospect a chance to move to more detail if they wish. Again, you may still have to write longer copy that provides the detail. After all, just because your prospect runs a business doesn’t mean they don’t need all the information to make that expensive purchasing decision.

I would suggest that you design the copy to accommodate the reading style of the business prospect. For instance, but if you place the additional information on a different page (accessible by a link) you give the prospect a feeling of control over their time. Or offer the phone number multiple times throughout the copy so they can stop reading and call you. You helping manage their time rather than being intrusive. You give the prospect the choice of how to read the information and that makes the copy self-adjusting. Of course, just as with the headline on a sales letter, you have better make that first page compelling if you are going to make your case that the additional information is worth the time.

The same principle holds true for marketing collateral, website pages of all kinds, white papers, case studies, direct mail postcards — everything. Every piece of sales, marketing and advertising copy is at some level about direct response. So make sure you answer the question — What is the RIGHT length to get the job done.

The Copy Judge – Clear and Compelling Headlines

David Denis — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 17:49:29 +0000

Perhaps you don’t write copy, but…you do evaluate copy. If you are going to pay someone to write copy for your website, advertising or marketing materials, it had better get results. So I offer some advice on how business owners, marketing directors and anyone dealing with freelance commercial writers can recognize and evaluate the quality of your copy.

If you find it valuable, please pass these on to others who might benefit. All I ask is that you include the blurb at the end so people know where to find me.

___________________________________

Weak headlines make weak copy. Strong copy is infused with strong headlines that grab the readers’ attention and compel them to read on.

Newspaper headlines are familiar to us. In journalism, a good headline transmits the key idea of the story in brief form, and makes you want to read the rest of it. Form marketing copy, the theory is similar but the purpose is different. Journalism informs. Marketing headlines are about selling.

Headlines must be compelling

The first job of a headline is to grab attention. Your reader is likely skimming quickly through your material. Therefore your copy must quickly and efficiently deliver core of the message. The best headlines use words that are simple and direct, simple subject predicate constructions with strong active verbs.

To grab attention, a good headline focuses on benefits. Rather than a headline that merely describes the product, the best headlines highlight what your reader (your customer) wants. If you are writing for a B2B company, you may want to highlight increasing profit, reducing expenses or saving time. If the copy is for a B2C company, it could be about whiter teeth, fresher breath or greater sex appeal.

Headlines must be clear

Clarity is far more important than being clever. Don’t us use a headline simply to amuse or to display clever word play. There is a danger that the joke can completely distract from the main purpose. Use puns and double meanings sparingly if at all. Construct them carefully so that the reader is in no way confused or distracted. If it does a BETTER job of grabbing attention and a BETTER job of communicating the story, then go ahead. Just make sure it’s not a private joke.

It’s all Headlines

Finally, good copy is infused with headlines. The headline is not only that single line of large print on top of the story. It is each subheading that compels you to read the next section. It is the first sentence of every paragraph. If every sentence is as brilliantly lucid and forceful as a good headline, you have some fine copywriting in front of you.

A final note — headlines for print advertising differ from online headlines. In online articles and stories, keywords have become more important and length is less important. Using the right keywords in your headlines and headings will make it easier for searchers to find your web page, article or blog post, so consider SEO when crafting your headlines. Also, since online items do not have the same kind of space restrictions that the print media must deal with, you can use more space to get those keywords in without worrying about it as much.

As the old saying goes, “Eschew Obfuscation.” Good headlines make it easier for the reader to make sense of the story. Make sure your copy makes good use of them.

_______________________________________

This article is written by David Denis of Rock Solid Writing. Visit the website at http://www.rocksolidwriting.com
David is a freelance writer for hire offering powerful web content,marketing copy,sales letters,white papers,case studies,newsletters,sales scripts,and more.
To learn more,or request a free consultation click here or visit http://www.rocksolidwriting.com/schedule-your-free-copy-consultation/

Does Your “About Us” Page get Snores or Roars?

David Denis — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:35:46 +0000

Every word on your website matters.

You owe it to your prospects, your customers and your employees to make sure that every single word and phrase on your website is working — doing the job it is supposed to do.

That includes that ubiquitous website cliche called “About Us.”

This is where people go to learn the basics about who you are and what you do. Who. What. Where. When.

It all seems so basic that it’s easy to just mail it in. Before you do that, stop and think about how you can use your about page to get people excited about your business. It’s not just about what you say — it’s about how you say it.

Inc. Magazine offers a really sharp little item on how to jazz up your “About Us” page so that the valuable web real estate you give to it will be generating the results you want, including social media buzz, lead generation and better connections with your customers and prospects.

A couple of my favorite quotes:

Bragging and Testimonials

I see a lot of well-established companies that have decades of business history, but for whatever reason they’re not sharing it,” says Harpointner, who has appeared CNBC and CNN Radio as an interactive marketing and e-commerce expert. “They tend to be shy about tooting their own horn. They think it’s not graceful to brag about themselves, but your About Us page is the one place where you should be tooting your own horn. For small or new companies, this is especially important, because consumers are just becoming familiar with their business. And if the About page comes up short, then the company looks like it doesn’t have much to say about itself. It’s really a missed opportunity.

Making Connections

The About Us page needs to reflect the organization,” says Thomas, CEO of Santa Barbara, California-based Web Marketing Therapy. “It’s the story of how a company started, but it should also be the story of who’s behind it. Is the CEO an avid skier? Or a yoga guru? We’re no longer in the world of B to B, or business to business; we’re in a world of what I call P to P, people to people. Relationships are the name of the game. Your clients want to know you, like you, and trust you.

Hiring a Writer

If you find yourself in need of professional help, think about hiring an expert. A good writer can make your About Us page pop with witty copy, catchy headlines, and SEO keywords. It will be money well spent, says Harpointner. “If a company spends money on direct-mail ads, billboard ads, and radio ads, then investing in an About Us page will probably the least amount of money it shells out. It’s up 24 hours a day, so in the big picture, it’s really worth it.

Read. Feel. Act

David Denis — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:17:14 +0000

What causes people to shell out good money to buy something, even something expensive?

It’s not necessarily because it makes sense — although that is important.

The point of decision (buying) is motivated more by emotion than logic. If not skillfully targeted at the right kind of emotion, most appeals will fail to convert into action.

So if you rely solely on overwhelming logic to close sales, you may find that your revenue is not keeping up with your vision. If you keep waiting for people to see the light of your unassailable logic, you will still be waiting long after the cold dead corpse of your business has been picked clean by the buzzards of the auction. What you need to do is light the fire.

Dan Heath of FastCompany explains that emotion, not logic, facts or statistics, is the key to moving people to change. He uses examples of helping people change direction and adopt new habits such as healthy eating or saving money. Imagine, on the other hand, what this means applied to selling YOUR product or service.

Simply put, you cannot merely list features or facts and expect people to make the connections. You must connect those facts to the strong emotions that motivate people to take action. The formula is simple: First people see what they want. Then they feel the need. Then they change.

Applied to writing copy, that formula can be translated as Read-Feel-Act.

That’s the signature quality of truly effective copy.

If your copy needs to create action, rather than simply inform, you must write to touch the heart as well as provide necessary information. One of my mentors put it this way, “People buy (act) based on emotion, and then they justify their action with logic and facts.” Humans act because they want something (love) or wish to avoid something (fear). If your writing taps into either of those primal emotions, you have a much better chance of getting the result you want.

So when it comes to creating your marketing materials or your website, find a copy writer that understands how to really sell you, your company and your products. The best writers get inside the head of the prospect and write copy that throws gasoline on their personal emotional woodpile and tosses on the match. It’s touching that emotional flashpoint that gets things jumping when it comes to your prospects deciding to buy.

That’s why buzzards hate bonfires.

Copywriting Tip: Why Bad Writing happens to Good People

David Denis — Mon, 10 May 2010 16:00:08 +0000

It’s called a POINT for a reason — it’s not dull.

Most people, probably you in fact, are scared by hard concrete words. We think that we must use safe language. Language with the teeth and claws pulled out. Language that is soft, squishy and fuzzy. We think sounding obtuse makes us sound smarter.

The urge to de-fang strong direct sentences is a powerful one. The fear of offending someone, or excluding something makes us queasy. We are afraid to write with words that poke at, or strike, or (God Forbid) even explode upon the reader’s consciousness.

Listen to what Dan Heath from Fast Company says about this, as applied to the writing of Mission Statements.

This is not just about your mission statement. It’s about your website. It’s about your brochures, tear sheets, email campaigns and print ads. It’s about any message you put out there to promote your business that sucks because you were too scared to say it outright and let it go at that.

Stop trying to sound like a PhD in Blabology (unless of course you actually are a PhD in Blabology). Start writing and talking like a real flesh and blood human being with a beating heart and a brilliantly electric brain. Your readers will respond with cheers and hoots and hollers and probably more than one standing O. Why? Because they like reading things that don’t sound like they were penned by a moron.

Got it? Good. Now go do it. I dare you.

—————————————————————————

To learn more, or request a quote visit http://www.rocksolidwriting.com/freelance-writer-quote/

Copywriting Tip: Exploit the Curiosity Gap

David Denis — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:09:19 +0000

What’s Your Copy Writing Secret Weapon?

The “Curiosity Gap” is the difference between what you know and what you want to know. When used properly, there is no defense. Your readers will be unable to resist the lure and will come to your website over and over again to satisfy the itch of their curiosity.

It’s not just about headlines, as in the example presented here by Dan Heath of Fast Company. It’s about providing value that your clients and prospects really want. If you regularly post information that is useful, helpful or revealing, people will keep coming back just to see what you are going to post next. The Curiosity Gap will draw them in.

It’s not all about keywords and search engines. It’s also about content and visitors.

——————————————————————————————-

David is a freelance writer for hire offering article writing, sales letters, training manuals, speech writing, seo content, sales writing, blog articles, copywriting service, sales scripts and business name ideas.
To learn more, or request a quote visit http://www.rocksolidwriting.com/freelance-writer-quote/

Copywriting Example – Interim Management Solutions

David Denis — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 16:31:17 +0000

Interim Management Solutions provides consulting for businesses in transition. As a business grows, it passes through stages where their old ways of doing things no longer serve them well. IMS can step in with solid advice that comes from years of experience to help guide businesses through the choppy waters of change.

IMS is itself going through some change. They want to upgrade and improve their website so that it does more than passively profile their business. It should give a visitor valuable information, promote IMS as the best solution, and sell their business.

IMS is working with Neil Burtt over at You Promote LLC on their website upgrade. Neil specializes in creating promotional websites for small and medium sized businesses – websites that get results without breaking the bank.

The first step in the transformation of the IMS site is rebuilding the home page, starting with the copy. Neil called me to see if I would work on it.

The original copy was descriptive, but unfocused and a little bogged down with management book jargon. After a half hour interview with Ed Jaferian, one of the owners, I crafted some strong copy that is much more accessible so that the reader will quickly grasp what IMS does. These descriptions will ultimately be linked to other pages where the visitor can get more detail and see and offer for consultation.

As I told Ed, when I write copy for business sites like his, I target three major areas:

Eliminating jargon and using plain English
Using direct, strong, simple language in the active voice.
Writing with short well-structured paragraphs that can be easily scanned and understood.
Promoting and selling your business with benefits and regular calls to action.

Ed was so happy with the result that he wrote me an email, saying, “You have done a great job in capturing the essence of what I have been struggling to say.”

We are exploring improvements to the rest of the website as well, including fresher graphic design, stronger copy for the other pages, and search engine optimization. In particular, we are suggesting an email capture feature, where IMS will offer a useful report or “white paper” in exchange for the email of the visitor. This is the beginning of Relationship Marketing, a model that I think has huge potential for IMS down the road.

Be sure to click on the Link to view the current home page of IMS.

Copywriting for Semiconductorsupport.com Website

David Denis — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:01:36 +0000

As a freelance copy writer I write compelling copy for business websites. Recently I wrote some powerful content for a promotional website for Taylor Tech.

Taylor Tech services machines that process semiconductor chips after they have been imprinted with circuitry. He first attempted to create a website on the cheap using a popular hosting service. After realizing that his website wasn’t doing anything for his business, he decided to get professional help, so he asked Neil Burtt at You Promote to help him create a website that will both improve his brand image and generate warm leads by creating organic search traffic. You Promote specializes in creating low cost websites for small and medium sized businesses; sites that are engineered to effectively and actively promote your business online.

As part of the You Promote freelance contract team, I was privileged to write the copy for the new website. My focus was threefold:

Clearly explain to visitors what Taylor Tech does – make it easy for visitors to grab the main ideas.
Optimize the content for search engines – contribute to high search ranking results.
Sell Taylor Tech — encourage the visitor to contact Taylor Tech to engage their services.

Go to www.semiconductorsupport.com to see how professionally written copy can make your website light up.

If you want powerful professional copy for your website, blog or newsletter, go to the Request a Quote page on this website to request a consultation on your copywriting needs for your web content.

The Copywriter connects SEO elements

David Denis — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:11:51 +0000

Ask Kalena – A Search Advice Column is a pretty darn good blog about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM). Kalena offers a course in SEO/SEM that attempts to provide something close to certification in the field — a comprehensive course in best practices and how to.

Back in 2008 Sarah Parker quoted from a presentation conducted by Ciarran Norris about Copy Writing for Search. It outlines the importance of clear and concise headlines, first lines, keyword analysis, link placement, and track backs. It’s all about simple mechanics. Make sure your website uses all the arrows your SEO quiver.

BUT…this works best when the copywriter weaves it into the warp and weft of the text so that it isn’t even noticed. The only people who will really see it are the search engine spiders and the experience SEO engineer. The spiders will respond by giving your site high rankings. The SEO folks will nod appreciatively at a job well and artfully done.

And most important of all, your site visitors will get the information they need, and keep coming back for more because the quality and content were simply that good.

Copywriting stitches it all together.

If you want to know more about how I can stitch together all the best aspects of your websites, go to my contact page and request a quote.