Don't Let Web Copywriting Stress You Out

You are a savvy business owner with no clue about writing copy. You cannot afford to hire a professional copywriter to sell your offerings through words. Don't worry, you don't need a Masters' Degree in English or be a skilled wordsmith to present your brand compellingly to visitors.

Copywriting is a bit of art, a bit of science, but at its heart, it's just the plain truth of what you can offer. Nobody understands your product or service better than you do – use this knowledge and the needs of your target audience to create copy that sells.

Getting started: The checklist

• What problems does your offering (product/service) solve?
• If there are similar offerings in the market, what is your unique selling proposition (USP)?
• Are there any features of your offering that your target audience may not like, or is there something that may discourage them from buying your offering?
• Have there been discussions, opinions, predictions about the category of your offerings in the media, or any statistics around it, which can create interest in consumers' minds or give them a better feel of your offering?
• Do you have customer testimonials to share?
• Is there a story behind how you started your business?

At the very least, you can have a Home page, an About Us page, a Product page, a Contact Us page, and possibly a landing page that visitors clicking on your sponsored ad are directed to. The questions will help you lay the groundwork for essential copy pages.

The AIDA Rule

AIDA is a copywriting approach that copywriters swear by, and for good reason. It is a time-tested way of making your copy come alive.

Web users are impatient and have a very short attention span. Your copy's headline must grab their attention instantly.

“Is Your Husband With This Woman?” for an infidelity private investigator (You don't have to name anyone or post a picture! Calling her 'Mistress X' and warning potential clients about how infidelity is more common than they may imagine, can appeal to their emotions immediately)

“Would You Like to Take Your Relationship to the Next Level?” for a relationship coach

“Commercial Pet Food May Be Making Your Dog Sick” for an organic pet food seller

Hold readers' interest by giving them fresh information about the solution (your solution). Here's where you can add statistics, opinions and predictions about your product/service. Talk about the problem or the opportunity in a friendly and open tone. This builds trust and encourages readers to read further.

“56% of men who have affairs claim to be happy in their marriages. Most are not out of love when they cheat, just dissatisfied with the current state of their relationship. The sooner you can verify that your spouse is cheating on you, the more time you get to address the issue thoughtfully, wisely and while respecting the emotions of everyone involved. Our discreet infidelity private investigators can remove the doubts and set your mind at ease, or provide you evidence of your spouse's infidelity so you can confront the issue judiciously.”

Create a desire in readers' minds about your offering. Here's where the bulk of your checklist will go: USP, compelling features of your offering and real-world evidence of your offering's benefits (testimonials).

“Rory the Alsatian would often throw up his food and be irritable. Now, he is active, happy and loves his organic treats.”

Always end your copy with a call to action. A simple “Call Us Today”, “Fill Our Form Now” or “Get an Instant Quote” can motivate readers to take the desired action if the rest of the copy has motivated them enough!

Tips to keep in mind

• Avoid verbosity, get right to the point
• Add subheads to organize your copy
• Limit copy to a maximum of 400 words unless you have a strong reason not to
• Keep the content targeted to the page. For instance, don't talk at length about your product on the 'About Us' page. Talk about how, when and why you started your business, your team, your credo/beliefs, mission, commitment to environment or local community (if any)....make your brand seem human and trustworthy.
• Use bullet points to state product features/benefits