Reading on the web is different than reading in all other formats. People approach it differently and you need to have strategies that capitalize on those differences so you can connect with your prospects. Creating website copy that attracts your perfect clients, holds their attention and gets them to take action and connect with you should be your only goal when writing your website copy.
The words, on your page create a portrait of the content you offer and they are read as a picture. People usually don't read from beginning to end on web pages unless they have already made a connection with you and know they like what you have to offer them; instead they scan.
So you will need to create a picture that interests them by using short paragraphs, which they can scan through to see the items that resonate with what they are looking for. You can use bullets, subheadings, and lists to get your benefit driven message across. You want to start with the most important message at the top of the page, and make sure you answer the marketing question "what's in it for me" so your reader can clearly identify the solutions you are going to provide them.
The internet is a vast place with lots of information. Creating a sense of credibility is one of the first things you must accomplish to keep your visitor from clicking onto the next website. You can do this by the look and feel of the website. Make it professional looking and make sure it reflects your unique style and the passion you bring to your business. Having your complete contact information at the bottom of every page is not only convenient but makes people feel comfortable. You are willing to take ownership of your business and offer a variety of ways for people to contact you including your email, telephone, and mailing address. This is also handy when people print out an article or other information from your website, because your contact information is also printed out making it easier for them to contact you or to pass your information onto someone else who will also know how to reach you.
You only have about seven seconds to capture someone's interest when they come to your website. In those seven seconds you want them to feel comfortable, see information that interests them, know what actions to take next, and get them to be a prospect by giving you their name and email address so you can build a long term relationship with them.
By being very clear on who your perfect niches are you can provide information that interests the people visiting your website. They will easily be able to determine if you have the solutions they are looking for, if someone they know might find it useful or if this is not the right place to find what they are looking for. This saves everyone a lot of time and energy.
Now that your visitor has determined you have the solutions they are looking for, they want you to clearly tell them the best actions to take. You can do this by offering different resources, products, samples of your work.... This is where the dual purpose call to action comes in. Remember because you are not there in person you need to capture contact information about your new visitor so you can turn them into a prospect and build a relationship with them. So the intention behind your call to action is to get their name and email address, to give them value for taking action, and to start leading them down a path that will be a valuable relationship for you and them.
If you have a service business you could do this by giving them an assessment to help them get clearer on what their challenges are and what solutions would be best. If you have a product business you could give them a sample so they can see the value for them in the products you offer. Of course you would ultimately like them to buy from you right then and there so they could get value and you could get their contact information and a sale. But you need to remember that your perfect clients come to you at different stages of readiness. So you need to have calls to action and follow ups to them as your new prospect that will give them value every step of the way as they move from their initial stage of readiness to where they become a customer.
The tone and voice you use when communicating with your visitors needs to be interactive, friendly, and convey something of you. A website is flat and impersonal so it's important that visitors can get a sense of who you are and your business style when making the decisions of staying on your website and finding out more or moving on. Your tone and voice will also lend to your credibility and your passion for your business and how you want to be of service; both are very important for getting your visitors to take action and build a relationship with you.
Attraction marketing is about building a relationship not just making one sale. By using strategies in your writing that set: Tone, Voice, Credibility, Niche, calls to action, solutions, and passion you will attract perfect visitors and turn them into prospects so you can use follow ups to connect with them at their different stages of readiness and create a customer for life.
©BZ Riger-Hull. Powerful solutions for Small Business owners, Self Employed Women, Professional Women in midlife? so you can THRIVE in your Business, Bottom Line & Life. Free Teleclasses for small business and self-employed success, monthly Answers & Resource call for attraction marketing. Visit http://www.allowingprosperity.com. She is a certified Strategic Attraction Coach, Prosperity Guide, and Author of The Soul of Success. mailto:BZ@allowingprosperity.com