Web copy that counts:

For some marketing communicators, making the transition from print to online media is like packing for a trip to destinations unknown. Before you venture, it’s important to know what to bring, what to leave behind and something about the online culture. For example, long lines of text and certain typefaces don’t belong online, but strong headlines and tight, benefit-oriented writing are always welcome. Here are some guidelines to help you create online copy that counts:
1. Before you begin, know the reader’s goals, your goals and how they successfully come together.
Looking at many corporate Web sites is like peering through the wrong end of a telescope. Content that’s focused on the company’s vision, history, or organizational structure is of little value to most readers. If you can’t draw a direct connection between organizational goals and your readers’ goals, your content is probably off the mark. It may help to outline the audience needs, your solutions and the successful outcome you’re promising. Then write the story so your reader is the star and the company, products and services are supporting players.
2. Clearly define your success criteria.
Writers who begin with vague goals usually achieve marginal results. Your purpose may be general, such as building brand awareness, but it’s likely that you want readers to take some action as a result. Broad goals such as building brand recognition can often be measured by more specific results - capturing 100 new e-mail addresses, 25 requests for additional information or 10 new orders.
3. People don’t read online, they scan.
Keep in mind that many people won’t read all of your copy, and some won’t read it at all. Many will scan your pages to for something eye-catching and move on if it’s not there. Take the time to craft an attention-getting headline and use subheads and bulleted lists to break up blocks of text and move readers onward. Think in terms of “chunking” information because people may begin reading at the beginning, middle or end.
4. Edit mercilessly.
Usability guru Jakob Nielson says that reading from a computer screen takes 25 percent longer than reading from a printed page. He recommends giving online readers about 50 percent less text than print readers. Listen to Jakob. Think of your words and sentences as individual workers, each with a specific role in creating successful copy. If it’s not the best word or sentence or it’s not bolstering your message’s effectiveness, it’s fired!
5. Let your words do the work.
Identify the strongest benefits of your product or service and present them in clear, convincing language. Don’t try to grab attention with loud colors, excessive bolding, capitalization or punctuation. In addition to compromising your credibility, it makes for a spotty, unattractive page on the reader’s computer screen. As F. Scott Fitzgerald said, overusing exclamation points is like laughing at your own jokes.
6. What is it? What’s in it for me? What’s my next step?
Readers should be able to answer these three questions about your product or service after reading your copy. Answers these important questions quickly, along with another one if it’s appropriate - How much does it cost?
7. First the horse, then the cart.
Have you written to share ideas and insights, change behaviors and build relationships…or to close a single sale? In writing copy for Web sites and e-mail, many marketers make the mistake of trying to jump from introduction to sale too quickly. Building customer trust is a powerful, but fragile process. Asking for a sale before you have clearly established trust and demonstrated value is a sure way to alienate potential customers. Know where your readers are in the process, set realistic goals and target your words accordingly.

Charles Warnock,
Editor/Webmaster, BusinessTechKnowledge
Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA
cw@businesstechknowledge.com