Writing web content can be a tricky task. The idea is to write copy for what your customers want, not what you want. Try these tips.

What do customer want?

Customers want answers. They want facts, features, benefits, prices. They hate marketese and useless fluff. If you take away one idea today, let it be: Focus content on your customer!

Questions to ask

Before writing, ask three questions:

• Who is our target customer?
• What do they want to know?
• How will se get them that information?

No company news on homepages

Avoid putting company news on homepages, especially press releases. Customers do not care about your news that you hired a new CFO. Besides, who has the time to prepare fresh press releases?

Assume nothing

You know your business, but customers don’t. Write as if they’ve never heard of you. Avoid industry-insider jargon, and be clear.

Web is for action

The web is an action-oriented medium. People want to get things done. Keep that in mind when designing your navigation.

Don’t’ steal content

Surfing great sites for ideas is a long web tradition. Just don’t steal content—that’s copyright infringement.

Facts, not fluff

Ever read a company mission statement? A horrible experience, isn’t it? Customers want useful information. So get a clue and leave out the marketing garbage.

Make it scannable

Online, people don’t read, they scan:

• Break up long paragraphs
• Use bullets and numbered lists
• One topic per paragraph

Headlines and subheads—Yes!

Aid scanning with lots of headlines and subheads. Be clear and obvious; not clever, funny, or ironic. Research shows 6-8 words best conveys your point.

Links that work

How about links? Use keywords to telegraph what’s on the next page. 7-12 words gives  customers enough to make good choices. Make sure the next page delivers on the promise.

Graphics

Graphics can add visual interest to the sea of words on most web pages. Good graphics offer new information that’s related to the text; they do not merely repeat the text.

Use a call to action today!

Too many web pages leave customers hanging without a next step. So include a call to action on every page. Download a whitepaper, order a service, get product support as examples.

Delete!

Ruthlessly delete unnecessary content.

Spell check

Spell checking is like wearing a seatbelt: you’re a numbskull if you don’t.

Contact information

Many webmasters say contact and support information is highly valued by customers. Include it on each page.

Test!

Going live without usability testing is begging to fail. Build testing into your development process and budget. You won’t regret it.

Try these books

• Content Critical by Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton
• Designing for the Scent of Information by Jared Spool et al
• Don’t’ Make Me Think by Steve Krug

Copper Sun has written hundreds of headlines over the years. Some good, some great, and some best not remembered.

But that’s how it works: write many headlines to pick just a few. Here are some facts you should know about writing headlines that reach customers.

Headlines matter

Five times as many people read headlines as read body copy. So make them count!

Long ain’t bad…

It’s a myth that customers won’t read long headlines. Research shows long headlines that are crafted well can outperform shorter ones.

…But no blind headlines

Blind headlines do not mention the product, company, benefit, offer, promise—anything of value to customers. Toss them out.

Humor is hard

Writing humor is a difficult task best reserved for specialists.

‘You,’ ‘FREE,’ ‘now’

Use the most magical three words in advertising.

Localize

If possible, mention the local city or region in your headline.

Three headlines that work

1. Promise useful information

Most people love to learn something new. Give them tips, advice, facts. Not convinced? Then why are your reading this?

2. Self-interest with curiosity

An element of curiosity mixed with customers’ self-interest tend to pull well.

3. News

Headlines with news tend to do well. Use words like ‘announcing’ or ‘introducing.’

A note on shock value

Many writers mistakenly try to shock readers with clever, snarky, or gotcha  headlines. Shock may get attention, but customers oftentimes feel empty afterward (or worse, betrayed) .

Motivate with time limits

Setting a time limit on an offer is a proven way to get customers to act.

Specifics work better than generics

Vague generalities rarely do well with customers. Be specific by using facts, data, and real numbers. And avoid claims like Quality you can’t beat’ or ‘Experts in Auto Repair.’

“Add some quotes”

Research shows putting quotes around a headline increases reader recall by 28%.

Mention your brand

The headline may be the only part of an ad customers read, so try to include the brand.

Hiring freelance copywriters can seem like a shot in the dark. So, how can you measure writing skill and professionalism? Here is some free advice on hiring a good copywriter.

Read the copy!

Many hiring managers actually skip reading the prospect’s copy. Bad idea, you’re hiring a writer — yes? Check these four areas.

Simple concepts?

Writing clear messages depends upon clear thinking — and simple concepts.Headlines

Headlines are by far the most crucial part of ad writing. Do they work? (Watch for blind headlines that don’t mention the product, brand, company, offer, etc.)

The lead matters too

After headlines, the lead sentence is critical — and tough to get right. Do the prospect’s leads pique your interest?

Facts, not claims

Good copywriters prove points with facts, not claims. Spot a claim by its reliance on unfounded opinion and squishy language.

Check backgrounds

Besides evaluating writing skills, a hiring manager should check backgrounds. Consider these six tips.

Talk to references

Ask: Was he or she on time? Worth the rate? Would you hire him or her again?

Any sales experience?

Advertising copywriting is sales, not literature. Give the prospect a plus if they have sales experience.

Journalism?

Journalism teaches writers to ask the right questions. That’s valuable for nailing messages and crafting story appeal.

Do degrees matter?

Maybe…but writing experience matters more.

Smile at…

A tidy website and resume, a professional manner and dress, returned phone calls and emails, hand-written thank-you cards.

…But avoid

Packed schedules, unreasonable demands, personal turmoil. And always trust your instincts.

Before they arrive

Get organized! Make sure his or her assignments are clear. Designate supervisors, workspace, and schedules. And provide the resources needed to succeed.

Should you sign a contract?

Yes, always. Contracts protect both parties from each other—and from third parties.

Evaluate

When the writer’s assignment is finished, evaluate them. Did they complete their assignment? Was their writing good? What about their professionalism?

Hire their friends

If you’re happy with your writer, ask him or her to recommend other professionals.