Creating Effective Web Copy that Sells

Internet businesses experience low ranking at one time or another. The cause is unclear, but there is a solution. With a little brush up, our websites can generate the traffic they once did. All it takes is an understanding of how search engines work, and the creation of words that drive target traffic to your site.

It is almost to the point where companies need a full-time writer with a firm understanding of SEO (search engine optimization) to draft the content necessary to promote your business. But, if you have a creative streak, there is no reason why you cannot do this yourself. You just have to be careful to have enough keywords, but not too many throughout the copy.

Some tips to remember are:

Everything you thought you understood about writing, forget it. Web copy needs to be conversational in tone meaning traditional no-no's such as fragments and sentences ending in prepositions are all right in this format.

Try using a font that is easy on the eyes. Webmasters tend to prefer Times New Roman, Verdana, or Arial. Also, the content should flow.

SEO Friendly

People visiting websites are not known for their patience and often only scan the content to see if it is something they are interested in. With that in mind, less is more so be sure to keep paragraphs short and to the point. Just stick with the basics and don't even try to sound smart as it is likely to irritate readers.

Headers: 6-8 words only Sentence length: 15-20 words on average Paragraph length: no fewer than 3 sentences, 5 maximum Word Count: approximately 350

The keyword madness appears little more than a cruel joke at times. What exactly are keywords and who uses them anyway? What search engine should I employ?

Search engines generally have a little box where you may type in a keyword or a keyword phrase in order to locate websites. So, if you typed in "mechanic" or "repair professional", the search engine would find all websites that have those words in its content. Keyword positioning on each page plays a role in determining how long it takes the search engine to locate your site.

Prior to starting, you want to list all of the words that could possibly be associated with the goods or services sole on your website. These words need to be realistic. A bona fide web copy writer can weave these words in and out of the content so that the copy reads well and is informative at the same time.

Your focus is your home page. Headers should consist of no more than 8 words and no less than 6. Strategically place your keywords within the headline. This will increase your odds.

Remember, the home page is just a glorified sales letter so you want the copy to flow but get straight to the point. A conversational tone is important here so write just like you were talking with an old friend. Still, be sure that the content has those keywords placed throughout it so that the information still flows.

Big Mistakes

Writing search engine friendly content takes time and practice. The biggest mistake new writers make is jumping into writing SEO web copy without a clear understanding of how keywords work. The pages are full of words that make no sense to the reader, and ultimately result in no hits.

Selling is about educating customers about the benefits of buying from you. Don't waste time on the features, they can learn about them in later pages. People always want to know what is in it for them should they buy from you so this is what you need to concentrate on telling them.

Always remember to edit your copy because things like grammatical or spelling errors make you seem unprofessional. It is a good idea to have someone else look over your work.

Web pages are little more than a connected chain of information. Every page prods visitors into probing deeper into your site with the ultimate goal being to convince them to buy from you. If the search engines are not directing people to your site, you will never have a chance to tell people about your great company and what it has to offer them.

Article Source: http://www.articles.ask-me-about.com

About the author: Vlad Ehrsam is the chief writer at Full Info on Business, there's a wealth of knowledge on the website, plus why not sign up for the free Business newsletter.
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