Online copy, in a league of it's own

Question: Do you trust people you have never met? When shopping online, it can be difficult.

Trust is a major asset for online business. How do you earn trust? One important method is the credibility of your online "copy".

The style of your copy depends on your clientele. As a storefront owner, you speak differently to individuals shopping for baby crib bedding compared to an individual browsing the Internet to purchase commercial construction tools.

Successful "marketing" copy leads a consumer to "act". Written properly, the contents of the site will steer the consumer in the right direction. The copy will lead the user through a chain of links.

Pretend you are a first time visitor to your site. Does your site maintain copy that is meaningful and concise? Does it contain short sentences? Does your copy maintain consistency and flow?

The tone of "marketing copy" is also important. While it may seem like a good idea- don't try to spice up the boring stuff like return policies. Items like these should maintain a professional tone.

Also important, don't allow your copy to "distract" your visitors. Structure your site so navigation is intuitive. Create a clean site design and keep the number of links per page to a minimum- clean up the clutter. For example, when KnifeWorks.com advertises case knives, the path for the visitor to take is clear: read the text at the bottom of the page if you're interested, but click on the large image to find what you are looking to buy.

Take a look at your site. Is the text genuine, lively, exciting and educational? Does it stimulate buying?

Online copywriting is difficult and its mission critical. Think of "marketing copy" as a work in progress. There is always room for improvement, and you can always be adding more pages of information for your visitors that the search engines will reward you for.

Remember, by writing your own text, you control the focus, tone, and scope of the text that appears on your optimized pages – and who knows your business better than you? Here are some tips for getting started writing copy for your site:

• Create bulleted lists for one or two pages listing some of the more popular items you sell, or you could list items you carry in a particular category.
• Write about one keyword phrase in which the paragraphs are designed as a “buying guide” for your customers.
• Encourage visitors to start browsing through your site or to click on specific links in your left category navigation bar, which appears on that page.
• Take the standpoint of “tips” or “guides” full of information for your customers who land on these pages.
• Think about what your products can be used for: Gift items? For whom? What are all the different uses?
• Be salesy or informative – pick a tone and go with it.
• Refer back to your company name in the text: “Discountwidgets.com strives to be your one-stop shop for all the widgets you need!”
• Try to come across as customer-oriented and enthusiastic about what you sell.
• Write about your site’s Valuable Tools: Does your site offer useful tools to your customers? If you sell gifts, do you provide gift guides for men, women and children broken down by age and interest? If you sell clothing, do you have a very detailed sizing chart? Can customers track their purchases online? Are there any other tools that you can offer to encourage customers to return again and again?

People go to the search engines to do research. The engines want to return web sites that will provide the best information related to what searchers are looking for. The more information you provide the better the chance that your site will satisfy that need or answer the searcher's question. Valuable, unique, optimized content will help you get into the top 10 and increase your chances of turning that visitor into a customer.

The bottom line is that the more information you offer, the more legitimate your company becomes to both search engines and customers.