Writing Tips Guides

Are you selling a product online and never seem to make enough sales? Are you trying to raise your search engine placement but gain any ground? Your product descriptions may be to blame. In order to become successful in internet product sales, you must have a good product description that grabs the attention of your customer and the search engine spiders.
In order to rank high in the search engines and sell a lot of products you must stop using generic product descriptions and you must spend some time improving your current sales copy. Writing good product descriptions can be time consuming but the time will be well spent. A good product description includes not only the details about the product but explains the benefits. Spend time using the products you sell and really learn what the benefits are then incorporate your experiences into the product description. You also want to make sure that each product description you create ends with a call to action that has your potential customer taking the next step to purchase your products.

A good product description is only the first step in keeping ahead of your competition and gaining good search engine results. You must avoid duplicate content between you and other vendors who are selling the same product. Search engines hate duplicate content and if your page has the same information found on other websites, you take the change that you will be considered supplemental information and dropped from the main rankings. You should never use the manufacturers pre-written product descriptions and pre-designed web sites. You will not be the only person using this information which means you will end up with duplicate content. If you are working with a company that requires you to use their materials, you may want to consider changing your business plan or suppliers.

You need to stand out in the minds of your customers and to the search engines. If your just getting started and want to build your website quickly, use the information the manufacture provides as the first step in your product description process. You can create a starter product description that the search engine will consider unique content by changing the order of the sentences and replacing several of the keywords with synonyms. Rewrite the information provided until you end up with content that is in your own words and using your own writing style.

You also want to monitor your content to make sure no one else is using your copy. If you write good product descriptions someone will try to copy your work. If your copy is stolen you may find that the search engines consider your website to be supplemental information again. There are several websites that offer free duplicate content checker. Check your content monthly to determine if anyone else is using your copy and take the appropriate actions when necessary.

It is not just content that is important to your website and your search engine results, you need unique content that keeps your customers coming back for more. You need to create product descriptions that are long enough to get noticed by the search engines but not too long to bore your actual readers. Always remember to write content for your actual customer and not just for search engines. There is nothing more irritating to a potential customer than poorly written web content.

Brian Stocker is a writer, editor and online marketer. Visit his website for more information about Writing Product Descriptions, articles and using content to promote your website.

As every website content writer who works for a living writing will be able to tell you, there are certain prerequisites that determine how much impact the final product will have. One of the most important of these is the fact that clear thinking is the predecessor to clear writing. However, it’s often the case that when your thoughts are muddled when you first start writing, they become more concise as you work them out.

The definition of clear writing is simple as well. Writing is considered clear when any reader can identify the point quickly and follow all of the supporting arguments. All content writers and SEO consultants know that any manner of ambiguity is considered bad writing and will not be effective for either drawing prospects into a site or actually selling the product.

All writers that work on or near the Internet know that it’s impossible to be effective if you’ve left the reader out in the dark as to what the most important words mean. Remember that it’s very important to revise unclear references when it comes to pronouns and who they refer to. The website content writer can enter some particularly dangerous territory when they fall into the ambiguity trap when they’re writing blogs. These are one of the areas where space limitation means that every word needs to count and be specific.

It’s necessary for both the novice and the professional website content writer to be aware of sentence structure so that they avoid making illogical comparisons in their text. For example, ‘Company X’s vacation policy is more liberal than the federal government’ makes little sense when compared to a well thought out sentence like ‘ Company X’s vacation policy is more liberal that the federal government’s.’ It’s often the case that correcting the situation is a matter of just inserting the right word.

One of the last things that content writers and SEO consultants need to keep foremost in their minds is that they need to be specific in all areas. Remember that vague words can be misunderstood. A general statement that product y saves you money does not have the same impact as a sentence that gives a specific number about the amount of money that will be saved.

Finally, it’s a good idea to use transitional words. For example, ‘however’ tells the reader that you’re moving off in a different direction and ‘therefore’ generally tells them that you’ve come to a conclusion. The best website content writers are also aware that they need to be as economical as possible with the words that they use and to that end they should be trying their best to eliminate all the negatives in their sentences where ever possible. So whenever you see a phrase like ‘not unaware’, the good writer is immediately replacing it with a single word like ‘aware.’

Writing is a craft and as such it demands that the serious person be constantly upgrading their skill set and looking for the new innovative and economical ways to say things

Robert Starr is a professional writer/editor with several published books and a degree in journalism. He’s brought 20 years of experience in the craft to his own on line writing/editing service. You can reach him at
robstarr

The headline is the most important part of your sales letter because it must capture attention instantly and also fuel interest. Headlines should concisely communicate the essence of your message and wet visitors’ reading appetite. Without a strong compelling reason to read on, the visitor will leave your web page.

There are so many ways to create attention-grabbing headlines. For example, you could:

1 - Start with a question
“Is Google AdSense Driving Potential Customers Away from Your Site?”
“Hate exercise? Me too.”

2 - Address your target market
“Attention Small Business Owners!”
“If You Are A Webmaster And Looking For Free Tools…”

3 - State a fact
“Your Competitor Could Be Your Best Friend.”
“Marriage is the Biggest Investment In Your Life.”

4 - Use a quotation
“I Lost 20 Kilos In 60 Days.”
“I Made $8,397 Last Month With My Affiliate Program!”

5 - Arouse curiosity
“Did You Know That…”
“What Your Boss Doesn’t Want You to Know…”

6 - Connect emotionally
“Do You Feel Tired When You Wake Up in the Morning?”
“Are You Frustrated Because Visitors Leave Your Site Without Buying?”

7 - Present your Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
“Get your University Degree In 12 Months Even If You Have Not Completed High School”
“Combine AdWords and ClickBank for Huge Online Profits and Make $1000 Per Month Without Having A Website Or A Product To Sell.”

8 - Create dreams
“What Will You Do With That Extra $1,000 A Week?”
“If You Could Convert 80% Of Your Website Visitors To Customers, How Much Money Would You Be Making?”

9 - Provide newsworthy information
“New Study Founds That 8 Out of 10 Websites Could Be Damaging Business’ Credibility.”
“Drink Two Glasses Of Red Wine Every Day And You Will Live Longer, Reveals…(name of Study)”

10- Explain ‘How To’
“How to Promote Your Ebook And Become a Celebrity.”
“How to Choose Your Wedding Diamond Ring.”

11- Give reasons
“12 Good Reasons For Drinking Red Wine.”
“24 Reasons To Form Strategic Alliances.”

12- Start by ‘why’
“Why You Should Not Use ‘Click Here.’”
“Why Potential Customers Are Abandoning Their Shopping Carts.”

13- Guide Step-by-Step
“Five Easy Steps To Win Customers.”
“Three Critical Steps To Gain Customer Loyalty”

14- Instil fear
“Did You Realise That You Could Be Sued If…”
“What Will You Do If Your Computer Crashes?”

15- Command
“Lose Weight While Sitting At Your Computer”
“Create Ads That Will Boost Your Sales.”

16- Use Comparisons
“Organic Search Engine Marketing Versus Pay-Per-Click.”
“Should You Give Away Or Sell Your Ebook?”

17- Add Secrecy
“Insiders’ Secrets For Instant Online Profits”
“Psst! For Your Eyes Only…Expert (name of Expert) Shares How He Earns $25,000 Per Month With EBay.”

18- Educate
“Learn To Promote Your Website On A Shoestring Budget.”
“What’s Blogging? Is It For You?”

19- Provoke
“Women Over 35 Are Better Lovers.”
“Buying Shares Is A Waste Of Money.”
Provocative and controversial statements can attract attention but they can also infuriated your readers. Use with caution.

20- Start with negatives
“Don’t Make Your Sales Page Look Like An Advert.”
“12 Reasons Not To Buy A Web Cam.”

21- Offer expert advice
“All You Should Know About…”
“Doctor (name of Doctor) Recommends…”

22- Give a new perspective
“The Art (or Science) of Writing Headlines.”
“The Language of Success.”

23- Exaggerate (if you can justify it)
“The Revolutionary Formula Of…”
“The Best Recipe to Cure Hangovers.”

24- Give away incentives
“Free pedometer.”
“Win A Holiday In Paris.”

Now that you know how to make headlines, let your own creativity take the lead.

Henriette Martel is a website strategist, author of 200 Marketing Ideas for Your Website and director of the Australian Training Guide, Australia’s A to Z Training Database and Resources for Speakers, Trainers & Coaches.

Copywriting presents special challenges when your website visitors arrive with a mindset of, “I can’t afford this service.” To convert these prospects to clients, you copywriting needs to reframe your prices and fees.

Recently someone sent me an email, saying, “My target market is people who are very smart but who chose fields where they don’t make a lot of money. How do I motivate them to buy?”

(1) Emphasize value.

Frugal clients have learned how to spend money wisely. For example, clothes can be compared on “cost per wearing.” Demonstrate that your product or service can

–help buyers earn far more than they invest
–help buyers save far more than they invest
–help buyers save time so they can earn (or save) more than they’re spending

(2) Show buyers they’re getting much more than they realize. Often they’re buying one service but gaining additional, unexpected benefits that have real value.

“You’re not just getting business information,” one coach says. “You are also getting accountability and a sounding board. So you won’t just get ideas: you implement them and you gain energy.”

“When I walk your dog,” says a pet sitter, “you get a whole evening of peace and quiet. Fido is too tired to chew your socks or chase the cat.”

(3) Recognize that some website visitors will not be ready to become clients. Help them screen themselves.

I get concerned when someone tells me, “I went thousands of dollars into debt to buy John’s program and I haven’t been able to work with it.” Usually clients least able to afford your services will also have greatest difficulty identifying their own needs.

If John charges the level of dollars that can plunge a client into debt, his process could include

–a self-assessent “is this program right for you;”
–an application or interview where he asks tough questions;
–a detailed description of what’s involved in the program; or suggested income and earnings guidelines

(4) Give detailed descriptions of clients who successfully used your service. For example, your success stories might come from

–clients with 5 or more years of business experience; –clients with specific types of experience (such as teaching, managing or coaching); and/or
–clients with a huge network of family and friends

You’ll be more likely to attract clients who will benefit from your service. These clients are the ones who write testimonials and refer others.

(5) Break down your service into small daily amounts.

Why do some people spend as much as $200 a month at Starbucks? Because each day they spend two, three or four dollars. Each purchase seems small.

Often your service will seem insignificant when you break down the amounts into weeks or even days.

(6) Introduce the Cappuccino effect.

“Tom” struggles to pay his bills, but I see him carrying a tall cup of cappuccino…mocha, pumpkin or frosted, depending on the season. “Jane” had to borrow last month’s rent from a friend, but she just got her nails done.

When presenting your service, copywriters encourage comparisons of “apples to oranges.” Today’s copywriters tend to compare service to cappuccinos (or some other luxury product).

“About as much as you spend on your cable bill each month…”

“Probably less than you spend each week on lattes…”

Or my own personal favorite: “Less than the cost of a power lunch.”

Sometimes I even say, “If you took me out to lunch to pick my brain, you’d pay more than you might pay for this ebook.” It’s true. And I’m not available for lunch, most days.

(7) Recognize that people make decisions based on attitude, not bank account.

“Michael” once told me, seriously, “I’m earning X dollars a year. Your fees sound high.” Michael was actually earning more than most of my clients who comfortably paid for my services.

We all know people who claim to be struggling financially, yet we see them ordering double mocha cappuccinos, eating out, buying expense workout clothes and/or driving cars when they have access to an excellent bus system.

These decisions may be rational. A manicure may give Jane the confidence to head off on a job hunt. Tom’s coffee shop visits may have high social and even networking value.

But your goal is to identify clients who can comfortably afford your service and gain real value from working with you. Use creative copywriting and strategic conversion strategies to beat price resistance.

To learn more about getting greater results from your website marketing, download The 7 Best-Kept Secrets of Websites That Really Attract Clients. From Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D. Copywriting and Website Marketing Success Strategies

Use these eleven super-hot copywriting methods to set your online sales on fire.

1. The “Past Purchases” Method
The “if you’ve bought (product 1) before then you get it for this price, if you’ve bought (product 2) before then you get it for this price, etc…” Method tells potential customers that you are basing the price of your current product on what products they have purchase from you in the past. If they haven’t bought anything from you, they’ll have to buy it at the regular price but you’ll give them a lower price for purchasing a higher price product in the past.

2. The “Cheap Repurchases” Method
The “you don’t want to go cheap on (your product’s benefit)…” Method tells potential customers your product may be priced higher than your competition’s but they don’t want to skimp on achieving their goal. You can tell them the reason is that if they purchase a lower price product, they might have to turn around and buy another one later on, so in the long run your product is cheaper.

3. The “Fast Returns” Method
The “(no.)% of people report making their money back the within the first (day/week/month)…” Method tells potential customers that they have a very high chance to make their money back shortly after they purchase your product. You could base the percentage on your affiliate sign ups and stats or what affiliates tell you.

4. The “Breaking The Law?” Method
The “be smart, don’t break the law, I’ll give you a fair chance to order before I take action…” Method tells potential customers if they came to your download page illegally without paying, you will be tracking down all illegal sellers and visitors. In case you can’t track them down and don’t want to go through the time and expense of taking them to court, you at least make some of your money back from people who give in and order to avoid legal problems.

5. The “Daily Commissions” Method
The “for the next (no.) days I’m offering (no.)% commission…” Method tells potential customers that for a limited time, you are going to up your affiliates’ commissions. It could be for your older products or for a new product you are launching. Make sure you give them the date it starts and ends. Extra money can persuade people to work harder, just like at a real job where people work harder for a pay raise.

6. The “Crying” Method
The “have you ever seen a (type of person) cry?…” Method tells potential customers they better read on or click to see why someone is crying. People respond to people or situations where someone may need comfort or need to be cheered up. People also cry when they are happy. For example, one of your customers may have cried because they finally received their desired benefit.

7. The “Resell It First” Method
The “bonus: you’ll have the first chance to purchase the resell rights…” Method tells potential customers that if they purchase your product, they will be alerted first and know ahead of time when you offer the resell rights to your product. It could also be master resell rights, private label resell rights, master private label rights, rebranding rights, etc.

8. The “Qualification” Method
The “to qualify you must meet at least (no.) of these (no.) qualifications…” Method tells potential customers that in order to be successful with your product, they need a few qualifications but not all of them. If they do possess the number of qualifications you require, then they will assume they will reach their goal. Some qualifications could be - follows directions well, have so much spare time a day, commit to using your product for so long, can afford to invest in your product, etc.

9. The “On Call Expert” Method
The “almost every business has my personal contact information…” Method tells your prospects that other businesses really trust you and your advice. It could also be your phone number, instant message name, cell phone number, etc. You could tell them that they have your number programmed in on auto dial, your e-mail address saved in their address book, they keep your contact information by their side, they never leave the office without your contact information, etc.

10. The “Puzzle Solver” Method
The “I found the missing pieces…” Method tells your prospects that your product will provide what other products that failed them lacked. Many people have bought a product that didn’t seem to give the exact benefit they were hoping for. You could tell them you will solve their puzzle, that you cracked the code, found the missing ingredients, etc.

11. The “Stimulation” Method
The “what do you think of when you (see, hear, feel, smell, taste) (object/thing)?…” Method tells your prospects to imagine a specific stimulus that will bring up certain mental images, emotions, physical sensations, etc. The stimuli should trigger effects that will persuade them to purchase your product. For example, if you’re selling candy for Valentine’s Day, you want to use red for the color. It can trigger the emotions of love, passion, sex, and the images of lips, hearts, etc.

Try utilizing these proven methods to energize your online sales copy. These secret approaches will work for you and should boost your conversions and profits.

Go to Web-Profits-Now.com (owned by R.T. Markovsky) to see how to start a profitable Internet business fast with absolutely no experience. Get 100 more free Secret Marketing Strategies by going to 100 Free Secret Strategies

One of the strongest trends for small business is the need to build connections with your clients -giving them an insight into who you are and what you do. You need to do that through words, stories or parables and testimonials. Written words can only go so far.

The trend I am seeing coming from the US in marketing is the addition of video to things like websites, promotional DVDs and blogs. Think of the explosion of You Tube. More people watch You Tube across the world each day than people watch TV.

The cutting edge of the trend is live self-broadcast TV streamed from your website. Think of it like your own ongoing TV program. One of the gurus in this is a guy who talks about wine - Gary Vaynerchuck. A guy who is passionate about wine talks about it in laypersons terms complete with plastic character toys. It is out there, loud, real and he out-rates many of the top US TV shows.

People want to see you, engage with you, look you in the eye and check you out as a person. They want to see if you really are sincere about your product or service. They don’t want a highly polished TV presenter. They want to see and connect with the real person, warts and all. If you are too polished they click away as they can’t connect with you.

With a website you only have a few seconds to grab someone’s attention. With the addition of video their average length of stay on your site increases. Length of time someone stays increases the likelihood of them signing up for your newsletter, reading your words or buying your product. So, going by trends, the addition of video to your site or your blog is something worth considering.

If you are going to add in video (and we still call it video even though it is something else) to your website or your marketing mix, what should you do and how should you do it?

The technology

Let’s start with some basics. The technology you use does not have to be complex or expensive.

It is possible to add video to your homepage for $12US. Use your web camera to record the film of what you want to say. Then use Microsoft Movie Maker (free with windows XP) to edit the film. One cool tool is Video Web Wizard to convert the film to a flash file and to put the little TV screen around the film. Finally add your flash file into your website.

The words

What you say on your video is important. You need to treat it just like any other piece of copywriting. Consider your audience and what they are interested in hearing about. You need to have a logical flow through your words and you need to have a strong call to action in conclusion.

You also need to keep it simple, and not too long. Use a copywriter to help you refine your words if you are not confident in what you are going to say to present your business in its best light.

Adding video to your home page should not replace your general words and text. Remember the search engines can’t index a video so you still need your keyword rich text beneath your video to help search engines find you.

General stuff

While the people want to connect with you, you want to make sure the location you are filming in is attractive, not too distracting in the background and has sufficient light (you don’t want to look like you are in a nightclub).

You also want your basic appearance to be neat and tidy. Remember to smile, to look down the lens of the camera (and not to the side or away as that can make you look shifty). Remember to blink - some people get the fixed in the headlights stare look and forget to blink.

Don’t expect to get it right the first take.

Rehearse your words until you are confident with them, and then expect a few goes to get your video to the point you are happy with it.

Finally it is OK to change things around. The technology is now so simple you can change it as often as you are comfortable with doing it - daily if you like.

So dip your toes into the waters of video marketing. Like everything you need to test and measure your results to make sure it is working for you.

Ingrid Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter with her Brisbane Copywriting Business (Heart Harmony). Ingrid writes a free weekly small business newsletter packed full of articles and tips and Small Business Ideas blog for small businesses. www.heartharmony.com.au