By Ann Jarvie
If you’re getting your techies, designers or even your mother to write the website copy for your business, here are seven reasons why you should forget about doing that. Unless, in the case of your mother, she’s a professional copywriter.
1. Copywriters have a way with words.
While everyone took a writing class in school, not everyone can or wants to write web copy that actually sells products and services. In fact, most business people just hate doing it.
An engineer friend of mine recently said, “I don’t want to write our web copy even though I’m asked to do it all the time. I hated the English classes I had to take and every paper I had to write. That’s why I majored in engineering.”
He’s not alone. Many of my marketing colleagues have made comments like this: “I hate it when I have to write copy. It takes me forever. And frankly, I’m not very good at it.”
Copywriters, on the other hand, love to write. And they’re good at it because they’ve spent considerable time researching and learning the nuances of what works and what doesn’t. Copywriters are pros at condensing reams of information into a singular great headline. They delight in the challenge of embedding keywords into smart, benefit-driven paragraphs. They are experienced in writing clear, relevant and compelling content. That’s because copywriters know that before you can have your way with words, you must first have a love affair with them. And it’s a lifelong kind of relationship.
2. Copywriters do their homework.
Your customers don’t want to read content that’s boring or irrelevant. So don’t waste their time and your money giving it to them. But what’s the secret to writing copy that appeals to and motivates customers to buy? In a word: homework.
Experienced copywriters know that a thorough study of your product, target audience, market, competition, trends and the kind of language your customers use isn’t just smart. It’s essential for effective selling. Only from this effort can they turn in their best work, the process of which is covered in the next point.
3. Copywriters excel in the art of persuasion.
With their homework in hand, copywriters go about the business of creating big ideas that sell and writing emotionally compelling content that’s clear, relevant and searchable. But once again, having a way with words comes into play. Copywriters use strong headlines, benefit-oriented language and embedded keywords to resonate with and persuade the intended audience to take that all-important action: buying!
4. Copywriters know how to choose the right words at the right time.
Just because copywriters have a way with words and usually vast vocabularies, it doesn’t mean they’ll throw in some fancy big words or toss around jargon just to show off. When you love words, you want to use the right ones at the right time to communicate in the most effective way possible. Let’s just say, it’s part of a writer’s fun.
If your product is cool, fun and unconventional, for example, the copy won’t work if it’s dryly focused on safety and specifications. Likewise, if your business offers products of a serious nature, flowery language will no doubt wilt the audience. And if your web copy makes your product or service sound cheap, dull, full of hot air or it’s confusing, all of this can rub off on your product or service. Why take that risk?
5. Copywriters know how to collaborate with web designers for (what seems like) magical results.
When your designers have to work with uninspired, lousy copy, you generally get an uninspired, lousy website. Give your web designer a professional web copywriter who has a clear understanding of SEO and big ideas that sell, and the result will be the kind of magic that not only delights and engages, but also creates a higher ROI for your business.
6. Copywriters are creative people who can bring new thinking to your project and make it better.
The hallmarks of an effective copywriter are intense curiosity, mental flexibility, thinking outside the box, a sense of humor, salesmanship and creative problem solving. Now who wouldn’t want the benefit of that?
7. Copywriters know how to spell words correctly.
Okay, this might seem like an obvious thing. But typos can turn off readers about as fast as an error message. Everyone can make a mistake, but built-in to any good copywriter are excellent proofreading skills. It comes from a lifelong love and study of the way words look and flow on a page. So spotting typos is like reflex that benefits you.
In summary, web copywriting demands more than being forced to do it or having a surface facility in writing. You don’t want your web copy to sound like it’s written in code or to be filled with letters like B. and S. And you don’t want it to be dull or confusing.
The way to get great web copy is to hire a professional copywriter who has a way with words, does the homework, excels in the art of persuasion, uses the right words at the right time, can collaborate easily with designers, offers creative thinking and knows how to spell words correctly.
If you can’t find one, here’s another way. Contact Writing Answers here.
If you’re getting your techies, designers or even your mother to write the website copy for your business, here are seven reasons why you should forget about doing that. Unless, in the case of your mother, she’s a professional copywriter.
1. Copywriters have a way with words.
While everyone took a writing class in school, not everyone can or wants to write web copy that actually sells products and services. In fact, most business people just hate doing it.
An engineer friend of mine recently said, “I don’t want to write our web copy even though I’m asked to do it all the time. I hated the English classes I had to take and every paper I had to write. That’s why I majored in engineering.”
He’s not alone. Many of my marketing colleagues have made comments like this: “I hate it when I have to write copy. It takes me forever. And frankly, I’m not very good at it.”
Copywriters, on the other hand, love to write. And they’re good at it because they’ve spent considerable time researching and learning the nuances of what works and what doesn’t. Copywriters are pros at condensing reams of information into a singular great headline. They delight in the challenge of embedding keywords into smart, benefit-driven paragraphs. They are experienced in writing clear, relevant and compelling content. That’s because copywriters know that before you can have your way with words, you must first have a love affair with them. And it’s a lifelong kind of relationship.
2. Copywriters do their homework.
Your customers don’t want to read content that’s boring or irrelevant. So don’t waste their time and your money giving it to them. But what’s the secret to writing copy that appeals to and motivates customers to buy? In a word: homework.
Experienced copywriters know that a thorough study of your product, target audience, market, competition, trends and the kind of language your customers use isn’t just smart. It’s essential for effective selling. Only from this effort can they turn in their best work, the process of which is covered in the next point.
3. Copywriters excel in the art of persuasion.
With their homework in hand, copywriters go about the business of creating big ideas that sell and writing emotionally compelling content that’s clear, relevant and searchable. But once again, having a way with words comes into play. Copywriters use strong headlines, benefit-oriented language and embedded keywords to resonate with and persuade the intended audience to take that all-important action: buying!
4. Copywriters know how to choose the right words at the right time.
Just because copywriters have a way with words and usually vast vocabularies, it doesn’t mean they’ll throw in some fancy big words or toss around jargon just to show off. When you love words, you want to use the right ones at the right time to communicate in the most effective way possible. Let’s just say, it’s part of a writer’s fun.
If your product is cool, fun and unconventional, for example, the copy won’t work if it’s dryly focused on safety and specifications. Likewise, if your business offers products of a serious nature, flowery language will no doubt wilt the audience. And if your web copy makes your product or service sound cheap, dull, full of hot air or it’s confusing, all of this can rub off on your product or service. Why take that risk?
5. Copywriters know how to collaborate with web designers for (what seems like) magical results.
When your designers have to work with uninspired, lousy copy, you generally get an uninspired, lousy website. Give your web designer a professional web copywriter who has a clear understanding of SEO and big ideas that sell, and the result will be the kind of magic that not only delights and engages, but also creates a higher ROI for your business.
6. Copywriters are creative people who can bring new thinking to your project and make it better.
The hallmarks of an effective copywriter are intense curiosity, mental flexibility, thinking outside the box, a sense of humor, salesmanship and creative problem solving. Now who wouldn’t want the benefit of that?
7. Copywriters know how to spell words correctly.
Okay, this might seem like an obvious thing. But typos can turn off readers about as fast as an error message. Everyone can make a mistake, but built-in to any good copywriter are excellent proofreading skills. It comes from a lifelong love and study of the way words look and flow on a page. So spotting typos is like reflex that benefits you.
In summary, web copywriting demands more than being forced to do it or having a surface facility in writing. You don’t want your web copy to sound like it’s written in code or to be filled with letters like B. and S. And you don’t want it to be dull or confusing.
The way to get great web copy is to hire a professional copywriter who has a way with words, does the homework, excels in the art of persuasion, uses the right words at the right time, can collaborate easily with designers, offers creative thinking and knows how to spell words correctly.
If you can’t find one, here’s another way. Contact Writing Answers here.
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