Words sell. It is the words you use on your Web site that lead a visitor to buy from you, or sign up for your newsletter, or fill out a form to request more information.
Optimizing your site so it ranks high on search engines can drive more people to your site. However, these people are still only prospects. A well-written site helps turn prospects into customers.
Here are seven tips to help you write for your site.
1. Make your home page irresistible. Your home page, like the headline of your print ad or the first page of your brochure, should hook your visitor and invite her to read on. Clearly state your offer. Give your visitor a reason to stick with your site.
2. Edit ruthlessly. Web copy should be at least half as long as printed copy. Write short words, short sentences, and short paragraphs. Make your copy easy to read by using bullets, indents, and subheads.
3. Have a friendly and informative tone. People go to the Web looking for information. So tell them everything you can about your product and its benefits. The more they know about you, the more likely they are to buy from you.
4. Run your copy over several pages. Unlike a brochure, where you have limited space to tell your story and must put all your arguments in one place, the Web allows you to describe your product on one page, its benefits on another, technical specs on a third, and to place ordering information on a fourth. However, every page should keep your visitor engaged.
5. Take advantage of the Web's graphic and interactive features. Graphics and text should work together to highlight key portions of your sales message. Use links and navigational aids to guide visitors from page to page.
6. Be specific about your call to action. Do more than simply list your generic contact information. Tell the visitor whom to call for sales, or service, or investor information. If you're selling products on your site, let your visitor know exactly what he has to do to complete the transaction.
7. Test, test, test. If something is not working, change it. Do people navigate to your order form, then bail out? The problem might lie in one of your earlier pages. Test alternate offers or selling points or calls to action. The Web makes it easy and inexpensive to learn from your experiences and change your approach.
