That Was a Close Shave!

Remember those old Burma Shave billboards?  Yes, I'm dating myself here.  But surely you've at least heard of them, if not seen them.  I never actually saw them myself either (wink, wink).

In any case, they were a clever advertising device that delivered their message in simple, snappy bite-sized pieces.  They played beautifully off the human brain's desire to know what comes next, without being overloaded with information.

Now think about some of those homemade posters you see on telephone poles, advertising this weekend's latest garage sale.  They're crammed with details in inch-high letters which seemed big enough when viewed from the dining room table, but look miniscule whizzing by at 35 miles per hour.

What's the difference here?  (And more importantly, what's your point, Helen?) 
Well, the Burma Shave folks were writing for their audience.  The garage salers were writing to get the job done.

The Burma Shave folks fit their message to the medium of delivery - and even made it fun.  The garage sale folks tried to squeeze their communication into an unsuitable venue.

The Burma Shave folks focused on the desired results.  The garage sale folks focused on what they had to say.

And here's my point, finally.  There is no element of your website more powerful for your bottom line than your copy.  That's where your message lies.  

Just like a Burma Shave ad, writing web copy is different from writing other material.  To get the results you want, you need to write for your audience, taking into account the medium of delivery.

Because people read websites differently than they do books, magazines or print ads.  You've got about 5 seconds, tops, to catch your website visitor's attention.  And if what they read bores or confuses them, they'll click that mouse button faster than you can say, "But wait..!"

Here are 3 smooth as silk tips to shave the rough edges off your website's pages:

1. Understand that web visitors don't read, they scan.  Write your copy in a friendly conversational style, with short, crisp sentences and paragraphs.  Use words that evoke emotion and energy.  Make sure every sentence has a reason for being there.

2. Spend the time to craft a bold, attention-grabbing headline that points toward the challenge your visitor is facing (and that you solve).  If your visitor doesn't get past the headline, they're certainly not going to make their way to the end of your Home page, let alone your Services or About Me pages.

3. Keep the headlines and sub-headlines meaningful and to the point.  The text should tell a story - your reader's story, in fact, from problem to solution.  Your web pages will be most effective if the reader can get the point just by scanning the headlines and sub-heads.  Then they're more likely to go back and read the main content.

A great website, one that authentically reflects you and your Choice Client, can do more than "look pretty."  It can bring in business.

The content of your site is the key to turning interest into action.  Make sure that yours sparkles.  Your clients, and your business, will thank you.

And remember:
A BEARD
THAT'S ROUGH
AND OVERGROWN
IS BETTER THAN
A CHAPERONE