Eliminate Boring Web Site Copy In 5 Easy Steps
By Michelle Howe, Sat Dec 10th

Imagine comic Robin Williams has written your Web site copy.What would it be like?

Now imagine president George Bush wrote your Web site copy.Which author would you prefer?

I would bet the copy written by Robin Williams would be muchmore entertaining and fun to read than copy written by GeorgeBush. It's just got to be because there is no way RobinWilliams' personality would not show through in his writing.

Now take a look at the copy on your website. Is it more Georgethan Robin?

So what makes copy boring?

Probably the biggest mistake is to create copy that doesn'tcreate a vision. If I tell you that "XYZ dresses are for themature woman," you know we sell dresses, but you really can'timagine the product. Now, what if I say, "XYZ dresses are onlyfor uninhibited women with luscious curves." Get a visual onthat one?

Use descriptive words that paint a picture for your audience.You want to engage your reader with words that encourage them tostay on your site and completely read your sales message.

Don't just describe your product, make the product appeal toyour reader. Communicate with emotion by telling a story. Letyour readers imagine themselves using your product or service.Let them feel powerful, sexy, successful, clever or whateveremotion it is that will sell your product or service.

People aren't so much interested in what a product does, but howit will make their life better. You want them to have thatemotional connection by psychologically tying into their needs.

Why does someone pay $500 for a pair of shoes when a $50 pairwill do just fine? Because when they imagine themselves wearingthose $500 shoes, they are in a very happy place. They feeladmired, loved and so much better than other people.

So, how do you write good sales copy for your web site?

1) Start with boring copy.

The easiest way is to start with boring copy. Write out what youwant to say without trying to be clever.

Just get your ideasdown first. Don't inhibit your thoughts by worrying aboutwhether it's good or not. At this point you don't need to care.

Concentrate on the benefits of your product or service, not thefeatures. How does your product benefit your target audience?List all the ways your product can make their life better.

2) Organize your writing.

Now go through what you have written and make sure it has alogical flow. Use examples to demonstrate your points.

3) Write in a conversational style.

Pretend you are talking to someone who is sitting across thetable from you. How would you describe your product or services?Now look at what you have written and change the writing to bemore conversational. Get rid of the corporate speak and try fora more natural approach.

4) Introduce emotion into your writing.

Now that you have a pretty good handle on what you wanted tosay, it is time to put some emotion into your writing. Use wordsthat create images in your mind. Examples of some of these wordsare: tempting, mouth-watering, electrifying, rejuvenating andingenious.

Try to rewrite what you have by using words that sell. If youare still stumped, go on to the Internet and look at other websites to see what others have done. Don't plagiarize the othersites, but use them as a way to spark ideas for your site.

5) Proofread for errors.

The final sweep through your writing is to look for grammarerrors, spelling errors and context errors.

Read it out loud to yourself. How does it sound? Good writinghas a nice smooth rhythm and flow. If your writing is too choppyyou will notice the choppiness when you read the copy out loud.

About the author:Michelle Howe, president of Word Magic , specializes in writingirresistible copy for Web sites. She is the author of Web SiteWriting Made Easy and Persuasive Writing Made Easy. Visit herWeb site at http://www.InternetWordMagic.com for a FR^EE audiodownload of "Pay-Per-Click Success: Attract More Customers in 30Days or Less" and FR^EE report, "The Five-Step Plan to ArticleSuccess."