Take the point of view of your customer

If your customer is going to buy your product, they have a particular need to address or problem to solve.  This is your starting perspective point. Start with describing a problem first, and then talk about how your product addresses it.  End with your credentials. Don’t make the mistake of reversing the order. Don’t start saying you are the most effective exterminator in town and that your service features organic compounds—and only at the end talking about eliminating termites.

Use words your customers use

Many companies communicate internally with jargon that can confuse and alienate customers. Take the time to listen to how customers talk about their problems and how they describe their ideal solutions.  You might think your business is “managed services” while your customer says “someone to help me keep my software current”.

Rich copy replaces long copy in selling effectiveness

It was once the axiom of the direct response business that “long copy sells”.  What works in print doesn’t work online.  Readers engage with your content in successive dives.  First they’ll do a quick scan to see if what you have to say is worth their time.  Make sure your copy scans well and engages readers.  Then they’ll come back and read in more detail.  If they are really interested, they will want to do a deep dive.  Accommodate interest by making access to rich copy easy.  Provide white papers, definitions, detailed specs, demos, videos, maps and charts—whatever is relevant to slacking the thirst of a truly interested prospect.

Be findable:  Write to optimize search

You can’t sell if no one can find you. We are constantly shocked that many companies don’t do the basics for optimizing their Web sites for search. Do you know what your company looks like on a search engine results page? Does each and every page, image, download and link on your site have its own relevant title, description and keywords? Are you using formatting to boost the effectiveness of your copy? Search engine optimization is a complex and constantly changing art and science—but don’t let complexity keep you from getting the basics right.  (see this post on writing the most basic elements for search engine optimization)

Have a call to action

Writing to sell is writing to convince the reader to want to do something.  No piece of sales writing is complete without giving the reader at least one specific action to take and a reason for taking it. Your call to action can be as simple and direct as asking for an order, as in “Buy It Now”.  It could be more complex, like “Call for a free consultation and get a copy of our ‘Guide to Air Condition Options’, a $30 dollar value”. Just make sure your call to action is clear, specific, prominent and compelling.

Meta-data Triple Crown for Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Meta-data is the content that search engines use to present your site in search engine results pages (SERP).  You can find the meta-data of any site or any Web page by using the “view” command and “page source” or “source” selection in your browser.  You’ll then see the source code for the Web page. Within that code you’ll find the three most important meta-data elements of every page of your site:

1. Title: <title>whatever your title is</title>
2. Description: <meta name=”description” content=”whatever copy you use to describe your site—only 160 characters will show up on most search engines”>
3. Keywords: <meta name=”keywords” content=”list words and phrases, separated by commas, that people type into search engines to find your site”>

How Meta-data Works in Search Engine Optimization

Experts debate how metadata is used in search engine algorithms. Whatever the value this data is to the algorithm, it is invaluable to getting a human being to click on your content.  Here is what the source code for the Central Park Conservancy looks like:

And here is how the site appears in Google search engine results:

You will be amazed, once you start looking, how few Web sites get these three basic steps right. Do it right, and a person scanning search engine results pages will click to your site.  Do it wrong and you may actually drive potential visitors away.  Consider the AVR Enterprises Web site, which has almost no meta-data at all.  Here’s their source code:

And here is what AVR Enterprises looks like as a result of a search query on Google.  You have no idea who they are, what they do or why you would click on their site.

Write Meta-data Copy Customized for Every Page

Every page of your Web site needs meta-data.  Lazy Web designers simply copy the same title, description and keywords from the home page and use them for every page of the site.  You waste a huge opportunity to build visitor traffic if you don’t take the time to use create a title, description and keywords for every page.

Search engine optimization is a complex and constantly changing art and science.  Top-notch search optimization takes time, expertise and money, but don’t let complexity and cost keep you from getting the basics right. With just a little effort, good copy writing, and hardly any technical expertise, you can up the qualified traffic to your site with these three easy fixes.