| "Good things, when short, are twice as good." ~ | | | | 1. Get straight to the point. Whatever business |
| Baltasar Gracian, The Art of Worldly Wisdom | | | | you're in, state it in the opening paragraph. Don't |
| Wow! You've opened your door for business, | | | | make the reader guess or even worse, make an |
| (albeit via a website), and you're anxiously | | | | assumption on what they 'think' it is that you do, |
| awaiting your first sale. And you wait... and you | | | | because we all know where that wonderful word |
| continue to wait... and after 2 weeks nothing's | | | | 'assume' can lead, right? If the reader can't figure |
| happened. Whoa! Wait a second here - what's | | | | out what your business is about in 5 seconds, |
| going on? Why aren't the masses flocking to your | | | | trust me, you've lost them and they're on to the |
| website to purchase the latest and greatest | | | | next company they found in their search list. |
| shazam shiner or whatever product/service you | | | | 2. Offer the reader a free sample of your wares. |
| happen to be offering? | | | | Hey, you wouldn't buy a car unless you took it |
| Before you start revamping your whole website | | | | for a test drive would you? Then offer your |
| and spending thousands of hard-earned dollars on | | | | potential online customer the same deal. Give |
| new graphics, designs etc., what exactly is your | | | | them a small sample of your services or products |
| landing or home page saying about you and your | | | | for free because after all, everybody loves the |
| company? Have you made it perfectly clear from | | | | notion of getting something for nothing. Whether |
| the nanosecond your potential client's mouse lands | | | | it's a free report that is directly linked to your |
| on your first page, what wares or services you | | | | services, or a free trial sample of your products, |
| provide? Or have you done what I call the 'song | | | | your offer will have left a wonderful warm and |
| and dance' online writing routine where you've | | | | fuzzy first impression. And yes, even online first |
| used heaps of flowery, flattering prose and all | | | | impressions DO count! |
| you've managed to do is confuse the reader to | | | | 3. Watch your adjectives! Remember when I |
| the point they have no idea what you have to | | | | mentioned about using flowery, flattering words? I |
| offer? I've seen hundreds of these sad sites | | | | call this sort of text 'fluff filler' - done by people |
| which I'm sure you as an avid internet surfer | | | | who love putting in reams of meaningless words |
| have as well. They're the sites that have amazing | | | | for the sake of seeing ink marks on the page (or |
| flash animations, surreal voice-overs welcoming | | | | in this case, the computer screen). Be careful of |
| you to "LaLaLand" and bedazzle your eyes with | | | | the adjectives you do use and place them wisely! |
| colorful images dancing across the screen. Yet | | | | Overused and worn-out words such as 'fantastic, |
| when the flashing lights have dimmed, you still | | | | wonderful, amazing' etc. should be used sparingly |
| have to have text for the reader to absorb - and | | | | and not repeated over and over ad infinitum. |
| crystal clear words at that - or your potential | | | | After the reader has seen the word 'fabulous' for |
| client is off to visit another dancing duck site | | | | the 35th time, they may start to think of you |
| quicker than you can say 'Ptizlefik.' | | | | and your product as 'frivolous.' When I write copy |
| The landing or home page of any website that | | | | for my client's website pages, I endeavor to use |
| aspires to do e-commerce has to be as close to | | | | as few words as possible on their home/landing |
| perfect as a carefully prepared and baked | | | | pages, as well as cram in as much information I |
| soufflé. One bad 'ingredient' or doing | | | | can in the simplest manner possible. |
| jumping jacks while your creation is cooking and | | | | Those precious 5 seconds which you have to |
| poof - there goes all your hard work into the | | | | make a lasting first impression doesn't leave any |
| kitchen garbage can. Or in the case of your | | | | wiggle room for errors with mere words. I |
| website, no clicks equal no sales. Here are 3 super | | | | guarantee you that if you make each syllable |
| simple ways to ensure that your landing page | | | | count you'll see your bottom line soar. And isn't |
| provides 'eye candy' and information | | | | that why you went into business for in the first |
| simultaneously: | | | | place? |