[aageneral] Fixing Bad Web Site Copy
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Contact the author: Jon Wuebben, Copywriter
. mailto:jon@customcopywriting.com?subject=ArticleBanks
Summary: Hard to Read, Difficult to follow web site copy can
be magically re-born by sticking to some tested
rules.
Word Count: 1,774
================================================================
Fixing Bad Web Site Copy
Let's face it - a lot of web pages and web sites out there
could use a little improvement in the copywriting
department!
From boring prose to bad sentence structure, from poor logic
to inadequate copy optimization, I've seen it all. And this
is what your customers are reading as they jump on to your
site! If they have to sludge through bad writing, they will
get a negative feeling about your product or service. Is
this the impression that you want them to have? Definitely
not.
The bottom line is that bad copy means fewer sales. That's
how important it is. Don't discount it. And one other point
- an impressive site design can never rescue poor copy.
So what's the process that a copywriter goes through when
they are re-writing a site? Good question. There are lots of
different methods and approaches, but here's what I look at
when I first set my eyes on those broken letters and words:
1. The Copy Itself - What's written?
2. The Copy and how it relates to the design - How does it
look on the page?
3. Search Engine Friendly - Is the copy optimized?
The Copy Itself - What's Written?
The first thing that I look at when I'm analyzing a page of
copy is the copy itself. In this day and age, there really
are two fundamental things that most people do when they are
reading copy on a web site: First, they "scan" read -
they don't read every word. And second, it's better
comprehended when the copy is written the way people speak.
Here are the other things to look for when you're analyzing
the copy:
o Are bullets and lists utilized? The copy can't be in
standard block paragraphs like you see in books and
magazines. Remember, you're competing for their time. If
they don't get the info they need fast, they'll jump to
the next web site.
o Is there too much copy on the page? If you have more than
450 words per page, you have too much. How many times have
you seen the never-ending Home Page as you scroll forever to
find where it ends? This technique only works for those
cheesy direct sales letters you see on certain sites. And
they only work sometimes.
o Does the copy grab you? Is it interesting and
informative? Does it address your needs? And does the copy
have a rhythm to it? It should.
o Is there variety in the writing? Are all the sentences
long with multiple adjectives and adverbs? The goal is to
combine short sentences with a few long ones. The trick is
to make the copy flow. Using fragments is not a bad thing.
Quite the contrary actually. The occasional fragment or
sentence that starts with "But" or "And" can re-capture
reader interest and keep it lively. Try it out. You'll like
it. And your customers will too! (See how effective it is?)
o Are Headings and Sub headings utilized? If not, get them
in there fast. You gotta have them there to break up the
page into digestible parts. It also helps the eye focus.
There are a ton of sites out there that have absolutely NO
headings or sub headings. That's a bad thing.
o Are you using AIDA? Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
I'm sure you've heard it before: Grab the reader's
attention, build interest, and create a desire so they will
take action. Are you closing the deal with your customer?
This is the ultimate goal of any copy. Make the reader do
something. Fill out a survey, submit a request, sign up for
a service, or buy the product. Whatever it is, you must have
a call to action in the copy.
The Copy and How it Relates to the Design - How Does it look
on the page?
What good would the copy be if it was placed on the page in
long lines and block paragraphs?
Not too good.
Recently, I was working on a Home Page re-write for a
financial services company who was having a conversion
problem. They had no issue getting people to the site. They
just couldn't make them buy once they got there.
After taking a look at his site, I was struck with one
startling reaction - the copy was placed on the page like
it was a college essay with no variation or eye catching
design elements integrated. Clearly, it was a web site
template and no customization was used at all.
Their competitors Home Pages were very different. They all
employed easy to read charts, testimonials, and other design
elements. And my client had none of these. Obviously,
something had to change, or his conversion rate would
continue to suffer. Here are some of the things you want to
look for when you consider the copy and how it relates to
the design:
o Is there contrast in the type of fonts, the size of
fonts, and the colors that are used? Some of the most
eye-catching web sites use lots of contrasting fonts, with
various sizes, and complimentary colors. This can only help
the copy, as it wraps it up in a great looking package and
truly brings it to life. Here are three examples of great
copy wrapped up in brilliant design:
http://www.omniture.com/s2/index.html
http://www.6smarketing.com/
http://www.zephoria.com/
o Is the copy broken up into readable/scanable sections?
..or is it simply placed on the page haphazardly without
regard for the needs of your customer? Like my example
above, you need to ensure the web page can be scanned in 30
seconds or less. Remember, we're dealing with short
attention spans.
o Are the areas that you want your customer's attention
drawn to clearly visible? If you're using a "Learn More",
"Buy Now" or other clickable button, is it obvious? Make
sure it stands out on the page and can't be mistaken for
something else.
o Is the design simple and easy to navigate or is it
cluttered? Some of the very best web sites are really very
simple in appearance, even if they do have lots of content.
Don't "drown" your copy in a complex design structure or
have a million different web pages on your menu. White space
is important. Let the copy breathe!
Search Engine Friendly - Is the Copy Optimized?
Of course, the grand puba of them all - Is the copy
optimized? Not the site itself (Although that is critically
important), but the copy. And is it optimized the right way?
We've all seen those web sites that use a keyword phrase 59
times on one page. Who exactly do they think is going to
read that garbage? Exactly. No one.
And Search Engine Optimization is always a moving target.
It's a complex process that must be constantly fine tuned
and tweaked to keep up with the Search Engine's changes and
your competitor's moves. Because you can bet that you have
a few who are jockeying for that first page placement for
the perfect keyword phrase. When it comes to optimizing your
web site copy, here is what you need to look for:
o Above all else, keep this in mind: Copywriting for the
web is a balancing act. You want to ensure you have used
your keyword phrases enough times without compromising the
readability of the page. If you're looking for a quick rule
regarding keyword density, think 5%. More often than not,
staying close to this number will get you where you need to
be.
o Do your Keyword Research! Whether you use Overture (now
Yahoo) or Word Tracker, be sure you take a look at the
keywords people are using or the keywords you think they
should be using to find you. Then jump over to the
competitors web sites and view their "Source Code". (Go to
their home page, right click, and select View Source) When
you do this, you'll see their Meta Tags with the keywords
they are using. These may or may not be the right ones to
use. But, you should definitely take a look to see what they
are using. The next step is to see where they are ranking
for those keywords. Try to find them on Google or Yahoo.
That will give you a good benchmark.
o Focus your Keyword Phrases. Don't use more than three
keyword phrases per page. Actually, it would be better if
you used one or two. And don't include every keyword phrase
on every page. Break it up, and use your Services page to
get specific.
o Do your Linking Research! The next step is to compare
your links with what your competitors have. Here's a site
to bookmark immediately: http://www.linkpopularity.com .
Along with Word Tracker or Overture, it will become your new
best friend. Remember, that inbound links are a very
important component of the overall SEO effort. With Google,
it's extremely important. One thing to know is that
optimizing the copy alone won't get you the rankings you
want. You have to approach the SEO copy effort holistically.
And if a copywriter says they can get you higher rankings by
just working on the copy alone, you may want to take your
business elsewhere. It's rarely that easy. With
linkpopularity.com, you simply type in your url into the
link analyzer, and take a look at the results. Then do it
for your competitors. Presto! You have just unlocked a great
resource.
o Use Keyword Phrases in Links, Headings, and Sub headings.
These are all places that you must use keyword phrases in to
get higher rankings. What's that you say? No Headings and
Subheadings on your web page? That's a good place to start
if you're doing a copy re-write (or even starting from
scratch) Also, be sure you definitely link your pages
together with text links. This helps the search engines know
your pages are related.
o Use Go Rank's Keyword Density Analyzer. Jump on to
http://www.gorank.com/ as soon as you get the chance. They
have a number of different SEO tools you can utilize for
your SEO copy project. Along with Overture and Link
Popularity, I use it on every client I work with. The best
tool is the Keyword Density Analyzer. Use it and be amazed
at what it tells you.
So there you have it! Your Website Copy makeover lesson is
concluded. Hopefully, there were a few tricks or tips that
you may not have known about. You'll find that if you
follow the advice in this article, you will have a better
looking, and an easier read site. And eventually, you'll
get higher rankings for your selected keyword phrases.
Good Luck!
C2005 Jon Wuebben. Do you need Search Engine Optimized (SEO)
Web site copy that moves customers to buy? Are you looking
to create an effective newsletter/e-zine article or ad for
your business? We provide world class copy that helps you to
be found on the web. 10 years experience providing superior
copy to businesses nationwide. Contact us for a
complimentary Website Copy analysis. Subscribe to our
Better Business Writing (BBW) Newsletter and receive
2 free reports. http://www.customcopywriting.com/
########################################################
Looking For Quality Content?
The Syndicator provides free, quality syndicated articles
for your website that are automatically updated each week.
Syndication feeds include:
Business/Sales
Internet Marketing/Promotion
Web Design/Development
Biz Tips
Web Design Tips
Home & Family Matters
Dinner Ideas
Health & Fitness
Horoscopes
AngelVoice
Headlines
and more...
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Yahoo! Groups Links
You may reprint this article, electronically in free-only
. publications in it's entirety in an Ezine, blog or web site.
You may not use this article for commercial purposes without
. our written consent.
You may not use this article in Unsolicited Commercial Email.
. This article can only be distributed in opt-in email lists
only.
Whenever this article is used, it must include the authors
. byline with an active link back to our web site.
Courtesy copy of ezine or URL on web site is appreciated.
. Ask for changes you'd like made, if any.
. Request permission from the author to publish this article in
. print or in a paid for arena.
Contact the author: Jon Wuebben, Copywriter
. mailto:jon@customcopywriting.com?subject=ArticleBanks
Summary: Hard to Read, Difficult to follow web site copy can
be magically re-born by sticking to some tested
rules.
Word Count: 1,774
================================================================
Fixing Bad Web Site Copy
Let's face it - a lot of web pages and web sites out there
could use a little improvement in the copywriting
department!
From boring prose to bad sentence structure, from poor logic
to inadequate copy optimization, I've seen it all. And this
is what your customers are reading as they jump on to your
site! If they have to sludge through bad writing, they will
get a negative feeling about your product or service. Is
this the impression that you want them to have? Definitely
not.
The bottom line is that bad copy means fewer sales. That's
how important it is. Don't discount it. And one other point
- an impressive site design can never rescue poor copy.
So what's the process that a copywriter goes through when
they are re-writing a site? Good question. There are lots of
different methods and approaches, but here's what I look at
when I first set my eyes on those broken letters and words:
1. The Copy Itself - What's written?
2. The Copy and how it relates to the design - How does it
look on the page?
3. Search Engine Friendly - Is the copy optimized?
The Copy Itself - What's Written?
The first thing that I look at when I'm analyzing a page of
copy is the copy itself. In this day and age, there really
are two fundamental things that most people do when they are
reading copy on a web site: First, they "scan" read -
they don't read every word. And second, it's better
comprehended when the copy is written the way people speak.
Here are the other things to look for when you're analyzing
the copy:
o Are bullets and lists utilized? The copy can't be in
standard block paragraphs like you see in books and
magazines. Remember, you're competing for their time. If
they don't get the info they need fast, they'll jump to
the next web site.
o Is there too much copy on the page? If you have more than
450 words per page, you have too much. How many times have
you seen the never-ending Home Page as you scroll forever to
find where it ends? This technique only works for those
cheesy direct sales letters you see on certain sites. And
they only work sometimes.
o Does the copy grab you? Is it interesting and
informative? Does it address your needs? And does the copy
have a rhythm to it? It should.
o Is there variety in the writing? Are all the sentences
long with multiple adjectives and adverbs? The goal is to
combine short sentences with a few long ones. The trick is
to make the copy flow. Using fragments is not a bad thing.
Quite the contrary actually. The occasional fragment or
sentence that starts with "But" or "And" can re-capture
reader interest and keep it lively. Try it out. You'll like
it. And your customers will too! (See how effective it is?)
o Are Headings and Sub headings utilized? If not, get them
in there fast. You gotta have them there to break up the
page into digestible parts. It also helps the eye focus.
There are a ton of sites out there that have absolutely NO
headings or sub headings. That's a bad thing.
o Are you using AIDA? Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
I'm sure you've heard it before: Grab the reader's
attention, build interest, and create a desire so they will
take action. Are you closing the deal with your customer?
This is the ultimate goal of any copy. Make the reader do
something. Fill out a survey, submit a request, sign up for
a service, or buy the product. Whatever it is, you must have
a call to action in the copy.
The Copy and How it Relates to the Design - How Does it look
on the page?
What good would the copy be if it was placed on the page in
long lines and block paragraphs?
Not too good.
Recently, I was working on a Home Page re-write for a
financial services company who was having a conversion
problem. They had no issue getting people to the site. They
just couldn't make them buy once they got there.
After taking a look at his site, I was struck with one
startling reaction - the copy was placed on the page like
it was a college essay with no variation or eye catching
design elements integrated. Clearly, it was a web site
template and no customization was used at all.
Their competitors Home Pages were very different. They all
employed easy to read charts, testimonials, and other design
elements. And my client had none of these. Obviously,
something had to change, or his conversion rate would
continue to suffer. Here are some of the things you want to
look for when you consider the copy and how it relates to
the design:
o Is there contrast in the type of fonts, the size of
fonts, and the colors that are used? Some of the most
eye-catching web sites use lots of contrasting fonts, with
various sizes, and complimentary colors. This can only help
the copy, as it wraps it up in a great looking package and
truly brings it to life. Here are three examples of great
copy wrapped up in brilliant design:
http://www.omniture.com/s2/index.html
http://www.6smarketing.com/
http://www.zephoria.com/
o Is the copy broken up into readable/scanable sections?
..or is it simply placed on the page haphazardly without
regard for the needs of your customer? Like my example
above, you need to ensure the web page can be scanned in 30
seconds or less. Remember, we're dealing with short
attention spans.
o Are the areas that you want your customer's attention
drawn to clearly visible? If you're using a "Learn More",
"Buy Now" or other clickable button, is it obvious? Make
sure it stands out on the page and can't be mistaken for
something else.
o Is the design simple and easy to navigate or is it
cluttered? Some of the very best web sites are really very
simple in appearance, even if they do have lots of content.
Don't "drown" your copy in a complex design structure or
have a million different web pages on your menu. White space
is important. Let the copy breathe!
Search Engine Friendly - Is the Copy Optimized?
Of course, the grand puba of them all - Is the copy
optimized? Not the site itself (Although that is critically
important), but the copy. And is it optimized the right way?
We've all seen those web sites that use a keyword phrase 59
times on one page. Who exactly do they think is going to
read that garbage? Exactly. No one.
And Search Engine Optimization is always a moving target.
It's a complex process that must be constantly fine tuned
and tweaked to keep up with the Search Engine's changes and
your competitor's moves. Because you can bet that you have
a few who are jockeying for that first page placement for
the perfect keyword phrase. When it comes to optimizing your
web site copy, here is what you need to look for:
o Above all else, keep this in mind: Copywriting for the
web is a balancing act. You want to ensure you have used
your keyword phrases enough times without compromising the
readability of the page. If you're looking for a quick rule
regarding keyword density, think 5%. More often than not,
staying close to this number will get you where you need to
be.
o Do your Keyword Research! Whether you use Overture (now
Yahoo) or Word Tracker, be sure you take a look at the
keywords people are using or the keywords you think they
should be using to find you. Then jump over to the
competitors web sites and view their "Source Code". (Go to
their home page, right click, and select View Source) When
you do this, you'll see their Meta Tags with the keywords
they are using. These may or may not be the right ones to
use. But, you should definitely take a look to see what they
are using. The next step is to see where they are ranking
for those keywords. Try to find them on Google or Yahoo.
That will give you a good benchmark.
o Focus your Keyword Phrases. Don't use more than three
keyword phrases per page. Actually, it would be better if
you used one or two. And don't include every keyword phrase
on every page. Break it up, and use your Services page to
get specific.
o Do your Linking Research! The next step is to compare
your links with what your competitors have. Here's a site
to bookmark immediately: http://www.linkpopularity.com .
Along with Word Tracker or Overture, it will become your new
best friend. Remember, that inbound links are a very
important component of the overall SEO effort. With Google,
it's extremely important. One thing to know is that
optimizing the copy alone won't get you the rankings you
want. You have to approach the SEO copy effort holistically.
And if a copywriter says they can get you higher rankings by
just working on the copy alone, you may want to take your
business elsewhere. It's rarely that easy. With
linkpopularity.com, you simply type in your url into the
link analyzer, and take a look at the results. Then do it
for your competitors. Presto! You have just unlocked a great
resource.
o Use Keyword Phrases in Links, Headings, and Sub headings.
These are all places that you must use keyword phrases in to
get higher rankings. What's that you say? No Headings and
Subheadings on your web page? That's a good place to start
if you're doing a copy re-write (or even starting from
scratch) Also, be sure you definitely link your pages
together with text links. This helps the search engines know
your pages are related.
o Use Go Rank's Keyword Density Analyzer. Jump on to
http://www.gorank.com/ as soon as you get the chance. They
have a number of different SEO tools you can utilize for
your SEO copy project. Along with Overture and Link
Popularity, I use it on every client I work with. The best
tool is the Keyword Density Analyzer. Use it and be amazed
at what it tells you.
So there you have it! Your Website Copy makeover lesson is
concluded. Hopefully, there were a few tricks or tips that
you may not have known about. You'll find that if you
follow the advice in this article, you will have a better
looking, and an easier read site. And eventually, you'll
get higher rankings for your selected keyword phrases.
Good Luck!
C2005 Jon Wuebben. Do you need Search Engine Optimized (SEO)
Web site copy that moves customers to buy? Are you looking
to create an effective newsletter/e-zine article or ad for
your business? We provide world class copy that helps you to
be found on the web. 10 years experience providing superior
copy to businesses nationwide. Contact us for a
complimentary Website Copy analysis. Subscribe to our
Better Business Writing (BBW) Newsletter and receive
2 free reports. http://www.customcopywriting.com/
########################################################
Looking For Quality Content?
The Syndicator provides free, quality syndicated articles
for your website that are automatically updated each week.
Syndication feeds include:
Business/Sales
Internet Marketing/Promotion
Web Design/Development
Biz Tips
Web Design Tips
Home & Family Matters
Dinner Ideas
Health & Fitness
Horoscopes
AngelVoice
Headlines
and more...
http://www.web-source.net/syndicator.htm
########################################################
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