Copywriting Do’s and Dont’s

The Do’s of Copywriting

No matter where it’s found marketing copy is written to sell. So there are certain standards that are universal to copywriting whether it’s done for online or offline purposes. Internet copywriting has some of its own unique requirements as well. Here are some of the most important “dos” of Internet copywriting.

1. Do include information that is useful to the reader. Whether you are writing a sales page or articles to market your website, your readers want to read things that are beneficial to them. It’s true that the underlying intent is to sell something but in order to do so you need to provide value to the reader.

How this is best accomplished depends upon what you are selling. If you are selling a tangible product, articles that show readers ways that they may use that product give them both useful information and an incentive to learn more about the product and buy it. A sales page for an information product may include information that is supplemental to that offered in the product for sale or short snippets from the info product itself.

2. Do write as though you are writing to someone you know personally. The Internet is a rather impersonal medium and anything you can do to make your writing feel more personal will make your readers feel more comfortable purchasing from you. Pretend that you are trying to sell something to your brother or sister if it helps.

3. Do use action words and phrases. This type of language will excite the reader and compel her to buy. Instead of “If you would like to purchase this product and get a free gift, you may do so by clicking this link,” try “Click here to order now and receive your free gift!”

4. Do include testimonials. Seeing that other customers have tried your product and found it useful will lead readers to expect the same if they purchase it. If possible get testimonials from high-profile people or experts in a field related to yours. Include the person’s name (at least the first name and last initial), location and picture if you can get permission to do so.

The best testimonials include quantifiable results. If you have testimonials but they do not include any concrete evidence of your product’s benefits, ask the people providing them to elaborate. Buyers respond better to numbers and percentages than to a generic statement that a product is good.

5. Do utilize keywords. Choosing the best possible keywords and using them in headlines and text will increase your search engine rankings. A well-ranked page could potentially get a large number of visitors from the search engines without requiring pay-per-click campaigns. If you’ve done everything else correctly a significant percentage of these visitors will become customers.

Successful Internet copywriting involves getting readers, keeping them interested and enticing them to buy. Taking these things into consideration will help you get visitors to your pages and turn them into customers.

The Don’ts of Copywriting

Just as there are certain things you should always incorporate into web copywriting there are some things that should be avoided. Certain mistakes can be deal-breakers for your potential customers. Here are five things to look out for when you are writing copy.

1. Don’t focus on product features. This may sound counterproductive but features are not what will sell your product. The benefits of your product will. Focusing on what a product can do for your potential customers will create a need for your product. This need will result in more sales.

For example, let’s say you are selling automated budgeting software. This software can take the information you give it and compare multiple different scenarios. Instead of just stating that fact think of a way to state it as a benefit for the customer. “This software makes budgeting a cinch by allowing you to compare multiple scenarios automatically,” for example.

2. Don’t write in an overly complicated manner. Using big words will turn your reader off and might even confuse them. Simple yet powerful words used in short, easy to read sentences and paragraphs get your point across much more effectively.

Don’t go overboard with the adjectives and adverbs. While these are an important part of a successful sales campaign, it’s easy to get carried away with them. Instead of using more words use more powerful words.

3. Don’t go off on a tangent. Stick to the subject at hand and don’t stray too far from it. While throwing in a story from your own experience can add a personal touch to your writing, don’t forget what you’re writing about. Doing so will cause you to lose your readers and losing your readers means losing sales.

4. Don’t be vague. Readers are much more impressed with specifics than they are with vague generalizations. The use of statistics and real figures makes your writing much easier to identify with. Real-life examples of people who have benefited from your product take that a step further.

Which would be more impressive to you? “People make a lot more money using this system than they did without it,” or “Sue Jones increased her profits by 75% using our system”?

5. Don’t overuse “is” and other forms of “to be.” These are not action words and they do nothing to excite the reader. If you find yourself using these words in a sentence try to come up with a way to say the same thing using action words. If you can find a way to do so while still making sense, it can result in a much more positive response.

For example, instead of “Our product is the highest in performance of its kind,” you could try “Our product outperforms all others of its kind.” Don’t forget to back it up, as shown above.

The purpose of copywriting is to sell something. Successful salespeople are not dull and boring. They engage the consumer, hold her attention and create a need for the product. By remembering what causes readers to go elsewhere and avoiding it, you can do the same.