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Home::Copywriting

Common Mistakes That Can Kill Your Web Copy

Author : Karon Thackston

by Karon Thackston � 2005 http://www.copywritingcourse.com

Sometimes learning what not to do is as important as learning
what to do. Copywriting is no exception. I oftentimes see copy
that is well written, but obviously created by an amateur. How
do I know? One or more of the following five mistakes was made
and that killed the copy� dead.

Once you understand why these mistakes are, in fact, mistakes,
you can easily avoid them. It isn't like they are complicated
concepts. It just takes someone to bring them to your attention
so you can guard against them.

Pull up your site in a browser and follow along. See if you've
made any of these mistakes on your site.

#1 - Writing Without Knowing Your Target Audience

This is, without a doubt, the biggest mistake of copywriting and
the #1 killer of conversions. Why? I'll answer with a question.

When you write a letter (or email), do you just start writing
and decide afterwards who you're going to send the letter to? Of
course not! So why, then, do so many people just jump in and
start writing website copy without having a clue about who they
are writing to? It makes no sense to me.

How can people possibly communicate with their site visitors if
they have no idea who they are, what they are looking for, their
preferred communication style, what problems they face, how they
hope to use the product/service to solve those problems and
countless other information? Truth is, you can't.

Take knowing your target customers to the extreme. Find out
everything you can about them. Then combine all that info to
create an imaginary person (or imaginary people) who fit the
profile of your target audience members. You can even name them
if you want to. Then - with every sentence - write to that
person (or persons).

#2 - Writing Without Knowing the Product/Service

Like it or not, you're a salesperson. That means you have to
know all the details of the product or service you're writing
about. How else can you convincingly convey the information to
prospects who visit the site?

Ask your client for samples of products, use of the services or
access to member areas of a site. Using or taking part in what
your client is offering to his/her visitors will make a huge
difference in the quality and persuasiveness of your copy.
Nothing comes across as well as copywriting that has been
created from experience.

#3 - Writing About the Company Instead of To the Site Visitor

They don't care. Who? Your site visitors. They don't care about
your company. Rather than hear about how long you've been in
business and that you're the specialists in this, that or the
other thing, they'd rather find out how your product/service can
benefit them.

If your home page starts with something like this, you're in
trouble: "ABC Company is the specialist in [insert industry
here] with over 20 years experience. We provide [fill in the
blank] with our extensive knowledge and helpful service.
Dedicated to providing the highest quality, we guarantee our
work with a 100% money-back promise."

You're we-ing all over yourself! The customer has the money.
Don't you think the copy should at least acknowledge him/her at
some point? Rather than using we, us and our so much, turn it
around.

Talk to your site visitors instead of about the company. Let
them know you understand their needs and have answers to their
problems. Don't ignore them by talking only about yourself.

#4 - Outlining Features Instead of Benefits or End Results

Features are nice, but benefits and end results make the sale
because they clearly explain why the customer will be better off
after buying your product or using your service. One of the
biggest selling factors in copywriting is the ability to tell
the customer what he/she can do with a product or service.

Take a tip from the infomercials. They don't simply tell you
that a rotisserie cooker rotates as it cooks a chicken. No! They
tell you that this rotisserie cooker can bake a whole,
marinated, Italian herb chicken that's juicy, moist and
succulent. That the seasonings slowly seep into the meat so you
get bite after tender bite of flavorful chicken so good you'll
beg for more. Who cares that the thing has a pointed, metal
prong that rotates a chicken while it cooks? You're buying it
because it can deliver that wonderful whole, marinated, Italian
herb chicken!

#5 - Neglecting the Medium

Does it make a difference as to where your copy appears online?
Isn't all Web copy the same? The answers are "Yes" and "No."
Landing pages are not the same as home pages, which are not the
same as catalog pages, which are not the same as sales letters,
and so on and so on. Don't neglect to find out the differences
between these and the other types of Web copy. They all have
special considerations that should be studied before you begin
writing.

Now you can add these five "don'ts" to your favorite copywriting
checklist. Avoiding these mistakes will give you a better shot
at reaching your visitors on their level and converting them
into repeat customers.


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