10 Best Rules for

Writing Effective Web Copy

by Dominic Bria

Great Web copy has only one end goal: conversion. Conversion means different things on different websites. If you sell products on your site, conversion is a sale. If you get leads through your site, conversion is having someone leave their true contact info or calling you on the phone. Getting to conversion can be a many-faceted process, so the copy you have on each page of your website should be geared to a specific task. It might be to give all the details of a product. It might be to sell a product or service by talking about its benefits. It might be to help people feel good about your company and what it does. Your Web copy may have to accomplish any of these tasks plus myriad others, as well. For all Web copy, one thing is true: if it's poorly written, it won't do its job well. Here are some basic rules to follow to make sure your Web copy gives your company the proper image and does the job you want it to.

1.     Check for spelling and grammar. Run a spell-checker over every bit of copy you intend to put on your website. Then have at least two other people read through it. Have them look for clarity, proper usage, and anything that just doesn't look right. Deserving or not, nothing will de-legitimize your website in the minds of your prospects like errors in spelling and grammar.Get to know Dictionary.reference.com/styleguide. Bookmark it and refer to it often. It can help you through the pitfalls of proper usage. For example, in the first paragraph of this article, second to last sentence, you'll see the word "it's" and the word "its". Do you know the difference? Look it up.

2.     Write strong copy. Use lots of action verbs and write in active voice, as opposed to passive voice.

a.     Passive Voice: "This herb can be used to aid in digestion or to freshen breath."

b.     Active Voice: "Use this herb to aid in digestion or to freshen breath."

3.     Use plenty of copy but configure it in a reader-friendly way. It's easy to make the error of including too little copy. Many people assume their prospects will already know a lot about the product on the page. When you write a product description, for example, it's better to put too much copy than not enough. That's because people who don't want all the details can skim over the copy that doesn't really interest them. But many people shop online because they like to read about all the details. If your site is missing those details, your prospects will search for a site that has them.

That said, it's important not to use large blocks of solid copy. They appear daunting. However, if you break that block of copy up into short paragraphs, it's much more inviting to read. Also, use visual markers like bold paragraph headings and bullet points. These features make it quick and easy for skimmers to get the information they want. They also help to organize your copy into a meaningful format.

4.     Make sure your copy is easy to see. If you use graphics as background on your Web pages, make sure your copy doesn't disappear into it where the color of the copy and the color of the background graphic get too similar. If your copy is hard to see, your prospects might not bother to read it.

5.     Use keywords properly. Keywords are important for search engine optimization (SEO). The mistake many webmasters make is that they'll try to write the original copy of a Web page around the keywords they've picked. What they end up with reads disjointedly and doesn't sell well at all.

Begin by writing great copy that compels your prospects to act. Then go back over it with your list of relevant keywords and find where you can put them into the copy without hurting its meaning or strength.

6.     Use the "15-second Rule" on your home page. A new visitor to your website should understand what your site is about in 15 seconds or less. If they can't, the chances that they'll bounce right back out of your site increase exponentially. Step one is to tell them what your site is all about. Step two is to interest them in your selling proposition or products, i.e. draw them deeper into your website. If you take those steps out of order or skip one, your conversion rate will always be low.

7.     Speak to a broad range of readers. It's okay to use some technical language when appropriate but always follow it with a brief explanation in parentheses. That way newbies don't feel lost.

8.     Spell out the benefits. It's not enough to just list the features of a product or service. You need to explain why that feature is a good thing for the customer, or what negative thing could happen if the feature is missing.

9.     Tell them what to do. Don't just tell why your product or service is great. Tell your readers what to do next. It's called the "call to action" and every good advertisement has one. Examples: "Add this item to your cart." "Call us today." "Give us your contact info."

10.Know your market. It helps to know what your competition is saying. That way you know how you should be speaking to your prospects. A great tool to use for this is Google Alerts. It's free, and it will let you know whenever someone says something about the keywords you input. You'll know when new competition pops up. You'll know when someone comments on your site, or on the products you sell. Knowing what your prospects are seeing on other websites will help you know what you might say to them that will get them to buy from you, not someone else.

For tips on how to make your website come up higher in search engine pages, come to the March 10 meeting. We have a Web marketing expert coming to teach specific tactics we can us for our respective websites and there'll be a question and answer period.

FARM, RANCH or NURSERY WATCH

    Why YOU should be involved ...

The best way to discourage criminal activity in your nurseries, groves, farmland, and ranches is to establish a communication network known as Farm Watch, Ranch Watch, or Nursery Watch. The program is similar to Neighborhood Watch.

Get to know the folks in the agriculture communities, share information, report suspicious activity, and become crime prevention advocates.  Organize a group in your area and encourage your friends and associates to join. 

The Crime Prevention Unit of the Sheriffs Department is committed to educating agriculture communities on numerous public safety topics. Please contact B. J. Williams of the Sheriff's Crime Prevention Unit to schedule FREE crime prevention presentations and FREE security consultations to evaluate your properties defensible space and deter or prevent crime.

          SHERIFF'S COMMUNICATION CENTER CONTACT INFORMATION

Emergency 9-1-1

(Life in Danger or Crime in Progress)

Sheriff's Dispatch
858-565-5200

Countywide NON-EMERGENCY(24 hrs a day)

number to report a "Crime After the Fact"every day or to report "Suspicious Activity"  request information, etc.

OTHER IMPORTANT CONTACT INFORMATION
B.J. Williams760-751-4408  
Agriculture Crime Prevention
Crime Prevention Specialist
 Betty.williams@sdsheriff.org