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Writing Content for the web

admin — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 04:34:16 +0000

Content is the king they say. This has never been so true as it is when you are talking about web content. There is so much information available on the web these days that people expect information to be unique, timely and relevant. Your content needs to be fast loading, clean and easy to read, easy to navigate and especially easy for the search engines to index.

Writing for the web is a skill set of its own. Website text, or “copy”, needs to be written in a different tone for the web than a brochure. It needs to be built around the target keywords for the site and be written for a lower literacy audience.

While practice is the best teacher, and there are many things that you can do to write quality content for your website. These tips should get you on your way to providing an extra service for your customers that they will appreciate and you will find very rewarding.

Make your content interesting - Don’t just provide dry information and facts. Make it lively and entertaining whenever possible. Sell yourself, your services or your product. Use humor and make yourself likable. Put yourself into your clients shoes and try to write your content as if you were trying to convince yourself to buy, sign-up, or request your own service. What would make you buy your product?
Do not copy the Print Brochure - This is the most common web writing mistake made by web designers. Brochures and print marketing materials use sales language that does not scan well on a website. Any use of sales language on a website beyond the usual “order our products here” stuff will make your users click off faster than a Guitar Hero champion can shred the final level. Ditto with puffed up marketing claims such as being “the best” or “the greatest”. Brochures are riddled with this stuff as countless marketing studies have shown that such language does work in print marketing materials.Some clients will insist that you use their marketing materials since they are so heavily invested in them. It is your job as the web professional to explain to them that what works offline does not work online.
Do your research - Once you have your flow chart, creating the site copy is a matter of filling in the blanks. Do solid research on your client’s industry while writing these pages. Proper research will lead to factual copy that users will enjoy experiencing. Every sentence you write should be based on a solid fact. Think Twitter, not Great Expectations.
Keep it short - In general, no web page should be over 600 words or four paragraphs in length. If you need to have a larger page for any reason, consider creating a new category with a sub-menu and several lower level pages. If you must have articles in your site, create a separate blog section for them as your users are more likely to actually read them if they are done in a blog format.
Write for humans first - The more interesting you make your content, the more people will link to it and the better your search engine results will be. If you write for humans first and search engine bots second, you’ll end up with way more traffic.
Write about things and provide information that you know well - Do it quickly and efficiently so you get your message across fast but also make quality use of the time someone is spending reading your site. If you try to cover a large topic in a mediocre or unconvincing way, people will probably not bookmark and return or even worse they many not even finish reading and move on.
Keep your content short and sweet when possible-The first paragraph of your article is critical. If it’s dull, boring and lifeless, your reader will surely move on. You must keep their interest right from the start and drive them to pick up the phone or pull out their credit card. On the web people like to get information fast and it better be good. Don’t drone on for pages trying to sell and convince people. Give it to them straight and to the point and then if you feel that it might be beneficial to expand on your topic then do so. But never drag out a sales pitch. Allow your visitors to get the information they need and then if they want more you can always provide it.
Promote your content - The most important thing to remember is that content without promotion is well… just content. You need to get the word out that you have something important to say, get your site address in all of your advertising, get your site listed in search engines, write industry specific content that can be provided to other sites, and in general do everything you can to get people to your site where you do your selling. You can do a lot on your own but consider hiring a full time professional if your site is important to you. The money you spend will be returned ten fold (and I can guarantee it) if you follow the rules provided in this article.

How to use Dropbox: Tips and Tricks

admin — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 22:26:22 +0000

Dropbox is a free service that allows you to store all of your documents, photos, and videos online. It is an excellent and free tool for helping you securely store files that are crucial to your business or your life. It allows you to store just about any type of file you can imagine, and Dropbox gives you a generous amount of storage space to keep your files.

More than 45 million people across every continent use Dropbox to always have their stuff at hand, share with family and friends, and work on team projects.
To use Dropbox there are two things you need to do:

First, you want to sign up for an account. It’s absolutely free and it is remarkably easy to use (If you decide later that you want to upgrade your account, you may upgrade and get even more storage.
Now click the link that says Log In. At the bottom of this box you will find a link that says “Create Account.” Click this link and follow the instructions.
Next, you’ll want to download the Dropbox utility and create a “Dropbox” on your computer. This is really simple, and you may use Dropbox on a PC, Mac, or any another mobile device. Download the proper application for your device and then install it. (You’ll need your username and password for this to log into your account).
Once you get set up, then open your Dropbox folder and start dragging files into the folder to synchronize with your online account and store your files. Every time you drop a file into this folder it will sync with your files and folders online as long as you have your Dropbox turned on.

what to know more go the Dropbox fact sheet…

Some Ways for Using Dropbox

Store your business files and folders. if you have a lot of business file to carry with you every where then use dropbox on your mobile device. You can store your files for website updates. You can have a folder for tasks you do. By creating these folders, it will save you a lot of time locating file and projects.

Store videos or any other files you sell. You can even send your buyers directly to the folder where you have stored their purchased files.Heres’ how you do it: Create an autoresponder and download page. Add the subscription box to your download page so your customers can subscribe. Write an email for your autoresponder and make it the first email in your autoresponder series. Include the download link inside of this email.

Keep backups of your backups. If you delete a file, it’s not a problem. Dropbox maintains a copy of all deleted files for up to one month. All you have to do is log into your account and “undelete” the appropriate file. Your files will sync back into your folder on your computer.

Take everything with you. It doesn’t matter whether you are using these files on your computer or on your mobile phone, you’ll always have access to them even when you are offline. Download the free app and install it on your phone. This is especially useful if you shoot photos with your camera in your phone.

By installing Dropbox on all of your devices which syncs your files and documents every time you make an update, and you’ll have everything you need when you need it and where you need it.

Branding Your Business

admin — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 09:13:01 +0000

What Does Branding Mean?

Branding is not having an attractive logo, a catchy slogan, or a good-looking website. There’s more to branding, then that.
Branding refers to how you prospects look at your business. Branding helps your customers and prospective customers know how your business is different from other businesses that offers similar products or services.
When you are starting to build your business, at some point the question of branding might come up. Things like what do you want to call your business (You may choices: either your personal name or come up with a “formal” business name.) what slogan you want to have, what kind of logo do you want to design or get it designed and what image do you want to have before your customers / clients / prospects? This is when you’ll want to think hard about your business’ name and identity.
The reality is can you control what your prospects think of your business? You just have to know how to motivate potential clients/buyers. You Have to build customer loyalty?
It’s not an easy task to do, but by properly branding your business you can carry out all the goals you have in mind. A Good branding effectively communicates what your business is all about.

We will show some quick tips to help you narrow your branding method.

Research — Do your research. Ask your self some question when starting on a new business, like what really is your business really about.
Target audience — know who your target audience really is and focus your branding efforts only towards that group.
Simple — Keep your branding message simple. The simpler the message that you are trying to display, then long, complex messages that confuse customers, and your message gets mistranslated.
Business name — Should you choose to use your personal name to make a real business name. Here both have its pros and cons, you have to think on this for some time.
Similarity — You business should have a same theme and color everywhere. It should be looking the same when visited your website or offline shop and same messages that you are sending to the public.
Presence — In order to brand your business you first need to have a presence in the marketplace. If you haven’t already done so, set up a website and social media presence. Then build up a network.

What this All means to you?

At the end, brand your business shouldn’t be that hard, but it requires some thinking and doing some research.

Tell us what do you think about branding in the comments below…

Guide To Website Copywriting

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 07:56:22 +0000

When writing for the Web, writers should always keep one analogy in mind: the Internet is a jungle and Web users are information foragers within it. Majority of Internet users only scan websites in their hunt to find useful information as quick as possible. The success of website writing depends primarily on shortness, scan-ability and objectivity.

Clear and Concise

Because the majority of Internet users scan websites for the information they are looking for, good website writing must be clear and concise. A good general rule of thumb is that the word count for websites should be half that of traditional writing. You want visitors to be able to locate the gist of each paragraph as quickly as possible. fancy language and complex sentences have no place on the web.

Divide into Chunks

Good web copywriting isn’t only about the number of words on a site. Organization is very important. Split your text into chunks that are easily digestible for readers who are glancing through your page. Divide these chunks up with clear subheads that tell the reader what the next paragraph is about. Bulleted lists are a great way to provide the most important information in a quick and easily sound format.

It is also important to know how your website looks in each different browsers and with different screen sizes so that you know what visitors see when they come to your site. Know how much of your home page is seen before having to scroll down, and make sure that the most important and eye-catching information is placed at the top of the page before the scroll.

How to Draw Readers InOften, website homepages are organized so that users can click on several options that will take them to another page of the site. Whether or not users click on a particular item usually depends on the attention-getting ability of two things: headlines and accompanying photos or multimedia.

Magazines and newspapers rely on their headlines to attract newsstand buyers, and website copywriters should think of their headlines in a similar way. Headlines should emphasize verbs that suggest action, something that will inform or entertain readers. But they also must reflect what the article is about. There is nothing more frustrating for an Internet reader than clicking on a link expecting to get one type of information and finding something different.

Who, What, Where, When, Why

Once users have clicked on an article, Website writers should follow the inverted pyramid style of newspaper writing. This style means that the most important information in the article is presented first, and then expanded upon throughout the rest of the article. In other words, the “who,” “what,” “when,” “where,” “why” need to be answered first. The “how” will make up the rest of the article. Another reason to use the inverted pyramid style is because the majority of readers will not click to the second page of an article. Place the most important information to readers before the page break.

SEO

The 90s are over and search engine algorithms have evolved. Keyword stuffing is no longer necessary, but SEO literacy is just as important as ever. Consider the keywords most relevant to your page, and think of ways to include them in the title and body of your article. Today’s web copywriter will use applications such asGoogle’s Keyword Tool to add a scientific dimension to their intuition.

Hyperlinking

Web writers should understand the function of hyperlinking. Hyperlinks provide attribution and more information to readers without bogging them down. For example, if you mention a specific fact, but you don’t want to explain the details, simply link to another article that explains that fact. Either highlight one specific word, which will clue readers in about what information that link will provide, or write something like “for more information see this study,” and link on the word study. Make sure that you set the link to open in a new tab or window so the reader will be able to get back to your website easier. Otherwise, readers will be whisked away to another site and may forget they ever began on one of your pages.

Another reason to hyperlink is for attribution. If you are quoting another source or lifting an idea from another writer, it is best to provide the reader with that information. Then if the reader is more interested in a particular point you mention, they can find more sources about it. Sites that hyperlink to other well-written and helpful sources will become invaluable for readers, and they will return to your site if they know you will provide more sources and information they can use at their own discretion.

Style

Style will make your website stand out while drawing readers in. For most websites, an informal yet lively voice is the best, helping you achieve simplicity and easy readability. Internet readers prefer sites that are written in a conversational and informal style.

Make sure you write in active rather than passive voice. Active voice will also force you to be concise.

Use of Multimedia

Finally, remember that the appeal of the internet is its ability to mix all forms of information and entertainment. Use photos, graphics, videos and flash to grab readers’ attentions. You don’t want to distract the reader by relying on these things too heavily, but make sure you are always thinking about how to best illustrate your text with multimedia.

Online shopping getting better and smarter

admin — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 08:19:02 +0000

There are not many shopping days left until Christmas, but gift-buyers won’t just pack shopping centres this Christmas.

Millions will trade heavy lifting, car park rage and queue shuffling for the near-effortless clicking of online shopping.

And some online shoppers won’t even bother turning on a computer to make a purchase - opting to use a smart-phone instead.

Figures show that many consumers are checking product prices on mobile phones before committing to buy.

Google searches sky-rocket for online products ,shopping searches are up 29 percent, ”At the moment mobile searches make up one in four online shopping inquiries which will get up to one in three closer to Christmas,”.

Online purchases are certainly growing and the challenge will be that we’re still in a market where not all of our favourite retailers have a fully functional online presence”.

Studies shows online shopping is crossing limits now there are “portable shop windows sitting in consumers’ pockets”.

Online shopping is now a major retail trend in the world, with more and more people choosing to shop online everyday.

The fact is, its cheaper to buy online, there are a better range of goods and services, and its often the convenience of online shopping that works for time-poor consumers.