The Best Website Copywriting Steps

You want more website traffic? More website conversions? More clicks on website advertisements? Then website copywriting is the answer to your website problems! If you’re time poor, skip down to the bottom of this post for my step by step instructions and your FREE TEMPLATE. First of all, website copywriting is the art and science of convincing website visitors to take a certain action. The “action” could be clicking on your website advertisement or visiting your website product page. Whatever you want them to do, it’s up to you! Good website copywriting does two things: grabs attention and persuades readers to take some kind of action. That means we need compelling headlines and content that pulls people in and makes them think “I MUST read more!” We also need good persuasive writing so we convince our readers to click that link or buy that item. Now, let’s talk about what not to do when it comes to website copywriting. The worst website copywriting you can do is to use cheesy, convoluted language that doesn’t make any sense and just rambles on, trying desperately to sound professional but actually sounding like some kind of unhinged person. Another thing not to do is to repeat yourself over and over or write very long paragraphs about one simple point. This does not increase understanding; it just bores the reader. The best website copywriting has a specific goal for your website visitor in mind so you know exactly what you need them to do when they finish reading your article or website page. That means more conversions for you! So take a moment to think, does each of your webpages have a clear process or goal? Can both you and the reader understand what that goal is straight away? Writing website copy is basically storytelling. If you can get people to read your website advertisement or website article, they’re going to remember it better than just some generic rambling about one idea. Let’s go over easy tips for improving website copywriting so that every time someone reads something on your website, they think “I MUST buy this!” How do I write great website copy? Articulate the problem first before proposing a solution because this shows an understanding of what readers want and need. As a general rule, smart brands understand their customers’ needs before attempting to sell them anything, whether that be online or offline, so make sure your website copy reflects this understanding. Write in an active voice, not a passive one because nobody likes things to be done to them; they like things they do! For example, “The website is visited by many people” sounds kind of boring. On the other hand, “People visit the website every day!” is much more exciting and grabs reader’s attention immediately. Make sure that you’re really familiar with your website product or website service before you attempt to sell it to anyone! If you don’t know what makes your website service so great, how are you going to convince other people? That means research time for you. And researching competitors and how people respond to them also. Know who your target audience is so you can write for them directly instead of talking about them in general terms. Yes, website copy is persuasive and yes, website copy needs to be convincing but website copy also needs to accurately represent your website product or website service in a way that makes sense for the people you’re trying to sell it to. Don’t waste time trying to sell to people a completed website when they are really just looking for a book on how to do it themselves. Be concise! Cut out filler words and phrases wherever possible. For example: “Any person who wants this website service” can become simply “Here’s a website service” with no loss of comprehension whatsoever. Avoid overusing website jargon because nobody outside of your industry (or brand) will understand what you mean. If you must use jargon, make sure you explain it in layman’s terms right after so they don’t get lost halfway through your website copy. Here are my at-a-glance steps for improving your website copywriting: GET A FREE DOWNLOADABLE TEMPLATE TO HELP TRACK AND PLAN THESE CHANGES.

The Case for a Case Study: Why Your Business Needs One

Why is it important to have a case study showcasing the work you have done with a client or customer on your website? The case study is a visual representation of your work, and it can be used to show off what you have accomplished. It is also an excellent case for how your business has helped others in the past which may prompt potential new customers or clients to reach out to you themselves. Additionally, case studies are always important for SEO purposes because they provide information about services that people want on the web for their own search terms. Use this client case study template to help. What is a case study? Case studies are a detailed analysis of an individual or a brief analysis of a particular situation. The case study is an example of the client’s success story that can be used to share their experience with future prospects. It should touch on why they chose you, what problems were solved and how your solution helped them grow. The benefits of writing a case study There are many benefits to writing a client case study. In short, a case study shows off your expertise, sets you apart from competitors and provides valuable information about the effect of your services. Below are some of the things a well written case study can do for your business. Enhance credibility: Case studies show that you have worked with other businesses and they found success with your work which improves their faith in what you offer. Gain publicity: It’s easier to get media coverage when a case study is available because it provides more information on how well something has been working for someone else who was dealing with similar issues or challenges as yours. – Inspire others: Seeing an example of someone having success will motivate them to also take steps towards overcoming their own obstacles even if they’ve never heard about you before, so case studies are great for generating new leads too! Help measure progress: case studies are also a great way to see what you’re doing is actually working and how far along you’ve come in the process. Understanding: case studies provide a more robust understanding of how to improve your progress. They can show areas where things are working and what needs improvement. Helping: a client case study is a good way to show someone else that you can help them. It will make them trust you more and they will want to do business with you because they know the type of service or product quality that your company offers, so they have peace of mind knowing their experience was worth it. Attraction and retention: this type of content will not just attract new leads but keep current clients happy by highlighting their achievements over time as well as giving them something to show prospective customers when asked “what have we done together?” This type of content also conveys trustworthiness. Plus, it helps with customer service and sales aspects of your business. It’s important for your business to have case studies on hand so that when someone has questions or concerns, they can learn about another person who dealt with these same issues before taking any action. It also demonstrates the value of your work for others who may want similar assistance from a professional in this field or industry. How people will respond to a client case study Current clients: case studies are a great way to show them they’re doing good work and that you care about their success. They will likely be happy with the content because it highlights what progress they’ve made over time. Potential customers: case studies demonstrate your expertise, set you apart from competitors and provide valuable information on how your services effect people/businesses. Potential customers want assurance in knowing this is someone who can help them; case studies convey trustworthiness by highlighting previous successful cases like theirs so prospective customers know they’ll get quality service if they choose to hire this business or an individual for assistance. Plus, when asked “what have we done together?” case study provides things to highlight as proof of past successes so prospective customers know they’re in good hands. Potential employees: case studies demonstrate the value of what this company has to offer and how their expertise will be beneficial for potential employees, which means more applicants will apply when they see a case study on your website that demonstrates the skills needed for different positions within the business as well as highlighting previous successful cases like theirs so prospective clients know if there are qualified candidates out there who can help them with similar concerns or issues. Customers/clients from other industries: case studies show off customer’s expertise and set them apart from competitors by providing valuable information about one industry but also demonstrating knowledge and experience in related fields too. A case study helps expand clientele into new markets where you may be able to help them. So you really can’t delay creating and sharing your case study any longer. Use this specially crafted case study template to help you today.

Maximum, Overwhelmed and Frantic: How to Use and Manage an Editorial Calendar

An editorial calendar is a powerful tool for staying on top of editorial tasks and ensuring editorial projects are completed on time, every time.  The editorial calendar is a powerful tool for staying on top of editorial tasks and ensuring editorial projects are completed on time, every time. It’s also the key to managing resources across all your publishing channels— print, web and social media alike— and it will help you grow readership in new ways as well. Ideally, your editorial calendar should be planned out for the following six to twelve months so you know what content is coming up. Investing a little time or money upfront will give you peace of mind and space for the rest of the year, leaving you to focus on your core role and what you do best in the business. What are the benefits of editorial calendars for your business and workflows? How do editorial calendars benefit readership growth? And what goes into an editorial calendar, anyway? At any given time, I’m juggling a lot – from planning content to managing staff. That’s why having editorial schedules is so important. It allows me to keep on top of deadlines and provide my team with clear expectations about when they will be needed next. But how can this process really make life easier for managers like me—and save companies money in the long term? Let’s get started! How do you use an editorial calendar? Editorial calendars are a means of tracking editorial work with editorial deadlines and editorial needs. Either get a copywriter to prepare your professional editorial calendar or have a go yourself with a handy editorial calendar template. Once it has been filled in, follow along the plan creating and writing each topic as necessary. It’s my strong advice to write as much content as far in advance as possible. WordPress and most other platforms have a function where you can schedule blog posts to be scheduled at a certain time. If you were organised, you could write your entire year’s worth of content in January and set and forget meaning the rest of your year is available to focus on what you do best in your business. Can you imagine the freedom that would bring! Once you have published or scheduled your blog post, be sure to mark it off the editorial calendar so you know that it has been done and can refer back to at any time. Ensure you are covering all your content pillars, topics, all areas of services or products within the business and are externally and internally linking properly. As an extra tip, be sure to track your assigned SEO keywords (each blog post should be assigned an SEO keyword) in your SEO software. I use SemRush and it tells me when my or my clients’ websites are ranking on the first page of Google for their keywords. One of the most important aspects is looking ahead and making sure that there’s enough content scheduled so that if something falls through or takes longer than expected it doesn’t leave readers without the information they’re interested in. How do editorial calendars help with managing content and scheduling posts? The editorial calendar is the backbone of any successful blog. It’s your roadmap for publishing engaging, original content on a regular basis. It’s also your editorial boss, telling you what and when to publish. An editorial calendar helps bloggers plan ahead for content ideas or blog posts they want to create in the future. It also reminds you of deadlines so that you don’t miss out on opportunities without realising it. When used properly, an editorial calendar even keeps track of any guest posts that need publishing dates as well! Why is it important to use an SEO copywriter to create your editorial calendar? The copywriter who creates or customises this document should understand what goes into successful blogging: research before writing; effective headline strategy; the consistent tone of voice (among other things). A professional copywriter has the skills to create an editorial calendar because they’ve done it before and knows what to do. They know how to research, they have editorial writing experience (they understand the importance of tone), they can create an editorial calendar with a specific goal in mind. Creating an editorial calendar is essential to keep track of more content needs, different deadlines and conceptual time. Plus, creating an editorial calendar early in the year will help you meet deadlines for future posts. Hire an Australian copywriter to create the perfect editorial calendar for your brand or download my expert editorial calendar template today. This blog post contains affiliate links.

Copywriting product descriptions

In 2013, Australians spent $37.1 billion via ecommerce and 53 per cent of people regularly buy from Australia. In 2018, international shoppers were expected to spend $16 billion (AUD) annually with our local online retailers. Ecommerce is a big, huge game. But if you want to make those real sales, instead of dribs and drabs, product description copywriting needs to be at its absolute best. If you’re new to sales copywriting, read on for some really practical tips to improve your product descriptions.  How important (out of ten) is it to write a decent product description? Go on, have a guess! The answer is zero. Because you do not want to settle for decent, you want to aim for mind blowing and earth shaking. Good copywriting a product description will be ultimately what sells your product, it’ll be that final nail in the coffin that will either confirm to your users that they are a click away from living happily ever after or it will put them off and they’ll run from the room and forget about what they were doing and never come back to purchase your product. My point: make it outstanding. ‘Just over six in ten [adults] made purchases online in the past year, spending on average almost $4,400 for the year,’ Sense eBusiness Report, July 2015. Great copywriting tips for online product descriptions Keep it brief. Avoid waffle.  Your product will be accompanied by an image (right? RIGHT?) but write the description as if the person cannot see the image. This is particularly important as Google and people value accessibility more and more. Convey the most important features straight up, preferably in order of importance. Is it organic? Handmade? Are there only three in the world? Next, communicate the benefits of using the product. For example, it will make you taller in two days and you will grow wings in your sleep. (If anyone actually sells this product, get in touch). If there is anything negative about the product in the description, you’re doing it wrong. Tell me, directly, like you’re talking to me face to face, what this product will do for me in as few words as possible. Include specifics like measurements, weight, main ingredients etc in bullet points. If you’ve done a little research on your product or have been selling it for a while, describe in one sentence what most buyers do with it or use it for. For example, these vials of blood make a great, quirky gift. Double points if you link it back to one of your own products. Don’t forget to include or match your product descriptions with positive customer reviews.  Tip: nearly 63 per cent of consumers indicate they are more likely to purchase from a site if it has product ratings and reviews. According to the website Visual.ly ‘…a good product review can hike up a product’s sales by nine per cent, whilst a bad one can drag down someone’s intention to buy by eleven per cent.’ Although these are American statistics Australia often emulates these spending patterns and behaviours.  If it’s time you improve your website and update your product descriptions, why not have a read of my expert website copywriting book, Potent?

Marketing strategy template

Instantly download a killer marketing strategy template now. What are your top three strategic goals for your business in the next twelve months? And what marketing activities will you undertake to achieve them? Have no idea? I’ve created the perfect useable marketing strategy template that will help you work out all this and more. Without a marketing strategy, you are basically just spending a heap of money and time on marketing activities with no real direction. Because humans change their mind frequently, you could be enthusiastic about your digital marketing, trying to achieve a goal without any results and then change direction without warning the next week! In fact, statistics show that people who use a marketing strategy are more likely to do better. Marketers who usually or always plan their projects and campaigns when executing against their strategy are 356% more likely to report success, CoSchedule, State of Marketing. With this marketing strategy template, you’re more likely to stay on course until you achieve that goal. Whether it be to make more sales, improve your branding or reach more people. ​ GET THE MARKETING STRATEGY TEMPLATE FOR FREE BY SIGNING UP TO MY ENEWS. Don’t want to sign up? That’s okay, you can purchase it outright here:

How to write a brand story

The best way to stand out and get attention in today’s media saturated world is by telling a compelling brand story. Brand stories create a consistent relatable story arc that shows what your brand has to offer by showing what you really care about and what you stand for as a company.  Without a brand story, the rest of your communications not only fall flat but will be inconsistent with each other and be devoid of emotion. I recommend really nailing your brand story before proceeding further with your other communications materials. ​Big corporations like Coca-Cola and Apple have long realised the power of using their unique brand story to build connections with their audience. Below is all you need to know about writing a compelling brand story. Brand storytelling tips ​A compelling brand story should be able to generate consumer trust straight away and not just any story will do. Your brand story should have the right elements to stimulate emotion and connect with the reader. Here’s how you can do that: Brand story personality A brand story is not an impersonal thing like a clickbait or a marketing tool, instead, it is a way of showing brand persona. A great brand story should be driven by your brand’s personality whilst clearly demonstrating who work for you. And don’t forget the people who have been instrumental in your business’s growth and success! Most big tech brands today share their personality by telling the stories behind their creation, think of Steve Jobs and Apple or Jeff Bezos and Amazon.​However, your brand story shouldn’t end up being an individual’s biography. Rather, it should tell the evolution of the brand, showing how it was inspired by an individual’s personality and it should definitely be a relatable journey (at least in the beginning). This way, it provides someone real that your customers can trust, since people are more likely to trust other people rather than an abstract concept or corporation.  Connection through a brand story At its core, your brand story isn’t really about your company. Its goal is to establish a connection with your customers. Therefore, it should be able to tell your customers that you understand them and you’re on their side. It should also be able to make your brand relatable and distinguishable. For example, Jessica Alba’s The Honest Company was able to raise millions of dollars by creating a brand story that connects people to its non toxic household goods products. ‘Research indicates that the human brain responds to the descriptive power of stories in deeply affecting ways, influencing both the sensory and motor cortex. To read a story is to feel an experience and to synchronise our minds with the subject of the story,’ Neil Patel states.  Brand story simplicity A simple brand story is better and easier to tell whereas an overly complex story can erode trust. Every good story has a beginning, a middle and an end and your brand story should follow this fundamental structure. No matter how bulky the description of your brand’s story it should conceptually follow the following process:  Problem: start by explaining the problem that you noticed. Solution: describe the process you followed to solve it. Success: talk about how successful you have been. Brand stories that embody these qualities are more trustworthy. The wildly popular Beats by Dre is a good example. The brand tells a story of how its product transmits the feeling of being in the studio which was rare at the time. Your story should shape your existence A compelling brand story should describe the whole reason for the existence of your company. Explaining why your brand exists builds trust and answers the question of why people should buy from you. Just like the way the TOMS shoe company shows that for every pair of shoes purchased, they donate a pair to someone in need. This explains the reason why they exist, to improve the lives of those in need. It also helps to elicit empathy and altruism in whoever reads their brand story, which is a very powerful motivator within humans.​Remember this iconic television commercial from Chanel No. 5? It employs classic storytelling techniques and has a clearly identifiable brand story that provides the foundation for their infamous product.  ​Remember, by answering the question of why your brand exists with a story, you can build the trust of your customers. It’s also worth refining the tone of voice and getting the structure super clear and readable. Don’t just ramble on with whimsical overwritten blurbs just because they sound fun. ​Overall, a terrific brand story is a powerful way of building a foundation of trust and establishing a business that people want to align themselves to and which breeds loyalty. 

Content marketing infographic: copywriting structure

Here are five terms you need to know in regards to copywriting structure Copywriting is a tricky artform which can really power up your content marketing assets. If you’re new to copywriting or even creative writing, there are some fundamentals that you need to learn before you embark on your content marketing or writing journey. Here are five fundamental elements of writing structure that you need to learn. ​ Don’t have time to perfect your own copywriting? Hire an expert.

Ten copywriting tips

One of the most make or break things about professional copywriting is the structure and it absolutely pays to get it right.  Structure is the order of ideas. More specifically, when it comes to professional copywriting services, it’s about looking at the way your assets are structured. Learning the fundamentals of structure are incredibly important so that you can apply it to your own writing and achieve successful results. Building block questions In every piece of copywriting, you need to look at the basic storytelling building block questions that are to be answered in the research phase. These answers to these fundamental questions will form the basis of the information of your piece of writing. Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? In addition to these building block questions, it pays to be clear on the following aspects of structure: tone (how you write something and how it comes across) point of view (first, second or third person) tense (past, present or future) active versus passive (subject, object and verb) sentence length (short and sharp or long and shiny?) Ten copywriting tips Referring back to what you learnt from identifying your target demographics, what will your different demographics want the most from your writing? Be sure to keep that top of mind or list three to six things when constructing your web article, media releases, editorial or social media posts and so on. Ensure you keep your reader hooked from the headline and all the way through the article to the call to action. Don’t get lazy at the end of your assets. Keep the writing sharp and concise through its entirety. Have a play around. You might find it easier to write an article, enewsletter or media release and stay on track if you write a headline before you write the body of the piece. It’s more effective to write in an active voice than passive voice. Passive voice shows uncertainty, often failing to influence or persuade others. It also creates wordiness, and often times lacks the clarity that the active voice provides. Stick to one idea per paragraph. Don’t forget to have a beginning, middle and end. Or an introduction and overview, bulk of the useful information and then a summary and conclusion. If a journalist only had room to print your first paragraph of a media release or article (without the heading or rest of the piece), would readers know the crucial details that they need? Make two lists: one of the most crucial points and the other list will be interesting facts, quirky ideas and stories that add flavour to your story/piece of writing. Think of the first list is your pasta and tomatoes and the second list as your herbs and spices, when making a delicious pasta dish! Remember that the most important information is not what you want to tell but what the readers want to know.  If you loved these tips, you will love my copywriting book Perfect Your Content Articles

Web copywriting: about me pages

Most people spend an average of far less than a minute on your web pages, so in order to grab their attention ensure you keep your web copywriting snappy and engaging. Bullet points and pared back short sentences will work well really well! But read on for more super web copywriting tips… ​People often go to your website to find out more about you, so it’s vital that you have a clean and comprehensive About Me page on your site. So many people (I’m talking lots, from artists to accountants and especially authors!) find it hard to write about themselves, so I’ve devised this really simple to use template for your own About Me web page. Web copywriting template My name is… [your name]. I am a… [list the three or four things that you consider your main occupations or areas of expertise] The way I work is… [for example, I am a freelance graphic designer or I use Reiki to heal people]. I value… [what are the most important things about the way you conduct your business or offer your clients]. My background is… [list your professional background and previous jobs/careers]. I decide to make the switch to… [current career] when… [list the date and reason that encouraged you to make this shift, if applicable]. Did you know? [insert something very unique and interesting about yourself. For example, I competed in the Olympics]. My qualifications: I have also studied: I am a member of [list the professional organisations and associations that you are part of, relevant to what you do]. (Logos are ideal for professional members, instead of listing). Insert link to your contact page or contact details As with all good SEO copywriting, make sure you include your SEO keywords and best practices, with adequate subheadings and good structure. Need help nailing your about me web copy?

Copywriting a great bio

No matter what job you do, it’s vital to have a current written media biography [bio] ready to dispatch when required. This is even more important, if you work for yourself or are looking at increasing your profile or media exposure. You never know when someone will request a bio from you. For websites, blogs, to profile you in newsletters or in a newspaper etc and the quicker you can get this information to someone, the better chance you’ll have of being profiled. Bio tip #1 Your bio should be written in the third person (which means, written as if you were talking about someone else) and should be kept very short. An ideal bio is 100 to 300 words or three paragraphs. It’s also worth preparing an additional, longer (approximately two pages) bio that might be requested for more indepth media opportunities or promotional avenues. Bio tip #2 The first paragraph should explain immediately what you do. Straight away launch into the most important information— don’t waste time mucking around trying to be fancy. Imagine that readers are only going to read your first sentence. Does it explain what you do in a nutshell? Use your professional definers. For example, mine reads: Vanessa Jones is a copywriter, marketer and author with her own business who lives in Adelaide. Put what you want to be known for first. Or another way of looking at this is put what service you want to offer the most. Do you want to be a masseuse, healer and then physiotherapist? Or do you want to be a writer, physiotherapist and then masseuse? This serves the purpose of letting the public know what you prioritise when it comes to what you offer and the skills you hold. Bio tip #3 Just like with all your other copywriting (website, articles, brochures, Facebook etc), make sure that your bio is jargon free and the language kept succinct and simple. It’s worth taking some time to research good bios in print and online magazines, on corporate company’s websites and LinkedIn profiles to get a sense of what makes a great bio. Here’s an example of a client’s bio I have written:

Quick and easy marketing plan

Want a simple way to come up with your business’s marketing plan? Use these five basic questions to generate a formula that can be used to create the bones of your marketing plan. WHY? Why are you doing this? Why is your business important to you? This is your mission for the business, if you can distil this into a sentence or two, this becomes your mission statement. WHAT? This is your objective. What exactly is it that you want to achieve for your business and by implementing this marketing plan? WHEN? When do you want you to achieve your goals? Do you want to have an income of $200 000 by the end of the year? Set a realistic timeframe. HOW? Now this is where the strategy comes into play! How are you going to achieve your WHAT through marketing? This is question will need more time dedicated to it than the first four as it is going to be a complete breakdown of the exact steps you need to take to achieve your goal and good marketing plan is looking at least twelve months ahead. What techniques, activities and avenues are you going to use to achieve your objectives or your WHAT? A great way of doing this is creating it backwards from your end goal, retracing your steps until you arrive at where you currently are. Don’t forget that disgusting “B” word… budget. Boring but vital. WHO? Look at the WHO of your marketing plan and it may not just be you, as you first suspect. You might need and want to bring in extra resources and freelancers – there a lot of people out there that have the skills and knowledge that you just don’t have (you can’t know it all!) Don’t hesitate to hire an expert. Bonus challenge: Whack on the WHERE question. Where are you going to implement your marketing plan? Is it just your home city? Or are you going to plan some goals that focus on broadening your business’s reach to interstate or overseas or very importantly, the internet? GET A HANDY MARKETING STRATEGY TEMPLATE HERE