What Does a Copywriter Do?

Once upon a time (15 years ago or so), a consultant could put up a website, and no matter how poorly written it was, no matter how ugly it was, no matter how ignorant the consultant was about marketing, she would still get some sales from her site. There was so little competition out there compared to today that just having a site put you in the upper echelon. Ah, the good ole days...

Well, not any more. In fact, it hasn't been that way for a loooong time. Everyone has a site (many people have multiple sites). And yet, many consultants still believe in the "Just put up a website, and they will come" myth (alert: veiled Field of Dreams reference!).

So the consultant throws a site up on the web and then waits...and waits...and waits. Maybe she blogs from time to time. Maybe she posts on social media and adds links in her posts back to her website. And maybe she gets some site visitors from that. But when it comes to people actually using her contact form to hire her for some work...nothing. Nada. Crickets.

And so she wonders what's going on. Most consultants in this situation (and there are a LOT of them out there) generally guess that the problem is:

• The website design isn't "cool" enough, OR
• The website design isn't "pretty" enough, OR
• The website design doesn't include enough Flash animation, OR
• The website design doesn't include a snazzy video, OR...

But you know what? 99 times out of 100, the website design isn't the problem. The problem is the copy on the website pages. The text just isn't doing it's job.

Most consultants don't even think about the writing. They're OK with spending some money to hire a web designer to design the look of the site. After all, they know they don't know enough about websites to create their own site. But they think they can do the writing themselves and it will be fine. All they have to do is say who they are and what they do, right? And if they do that, the clients will come flocking to their door. Right? Wrong!

Because here's the deal. Web writing is its own genre. There are a few very specific rules that really good professional copywriters follow that most website owners have no clue about. And I'm going to give you a peek behind the curtain today (alert: veiled Wizard of Oz reference--I must have movies on the brain today). Read the four rules below and check your website copy against them. How does it stand up?

Rule #1

One rule professional copywriters follow is to make the text readable.

Now, there's a few aspects to this rule. For one thing, forget the actual words themselves for a minute and just look at the amount of white space on your pages. Is your copy written in big blocks of words? Or does it "breathe," with lots of white space around the margins and between paragraphs?

Because big blocks of text are daunting and turn many readers off right away. It's like picking up a textbook with solid blocks of text covering every page. What's your reaction in that situation? Ugh! Just...no. And you stop reading. And your site visitors will stop reading, too, if your paragraphs are too long.

But if you use short paragraphs and lots of white space, it's a lot more inviting.

Also, take a look at the length of your sentences. Most of them should be short. Short is easy. The text just flows from one idea to the next with little resistance. On the flip side, it's easy to get lost inside one of those compound/complex/convoluted 95-word sentences. Again, the goal is to have people actually read your website copy. Make it easy for your site visitors to do so.

Rule #2

Another rule professional copywriters follow is to "use the vernacular." What is the "vernacular," you might ask? According to Wikipedia, it's "the speech variety used in everyday life by the general population."

Again, people don't want to work super hard to read a website. They're there for a reason. They're looking for a solution to a problem. And they just want to know if YOU offer the solution they're looking for.

So, don't try to impress them with your erudition. Don't use 15-letter words. Don't try to be "all that."

Now, don't go to the other extreme, either. Don't use lots of slang. Don't use profanity. And don't try to be all over-the-top sales hypey. That turns people off, too.

Just speak to them as you would if you were standing in line with them at Starbucks. Be conversational. Use normal, everyday language. Your site visitors will get the vibe that you're a down-to-earth, friendly person who they'd like doing business with.

Rule #3

Now, in rule #2, above, I said don't use slang. But feel free to use a little jargon.

Let me explain the difference, because a lot of people think that those two types of language are the same--and they do have some similarities.

Slang is very informal language that is often used inside a particular group in order to establish an identity and exclude others. Jargon is similar to slang in that it's used within a particular group (in this case, usually within a job or profession) and that it may not be well understood by people outside of that group. However, jargon is different from slang in that it isn't informal. In fact, it's considered standard usage within the group.

What does this mean for the writing of your site? Well, if you have a clear sense of who your target clients are, that means that you understand and speak their language. You're an insider. And your website's writing should reflect that fact.

Speak to them in the language they use in their work. Keep it free of slang, but if there are insider terms (jargon) that your target audience uses frequently, feel free to use some of that. It will communicate to them that you're one of them. And when it comes to who we want to do business with, it's usually someone we feel comfortable with. Someone who "speaks our language," both figuratively AND literally.

Rule #4

One final rule that professional copywriters always keep in mind is that the website copy should have a purpose, and the writer's job is to achieve that purpose.

Now, your website's main purpose might be to get your site visitors to contact you to inquire about hiring you to be a speaker. Or it might be to sell your books or other materials. Or it might be to get prospective clients to sign up for your newsletter. Or some combination of these--or something else entirely.

Whatever your site's purpose is, the writing should be aimed at driving your site visitors through a step-by-step process that ends with them taking the end action you desire them to take (filling out your contact form, clicking to buy your book, opting in to your newsletter, etc.).

Does your website text do that? Because the website copy on 99.999% of consultants' websites doesn't. Most consultants make the mistake of making their websites all about them. Here's who I am. Here's what I do. Aren't I wonderful?

You know what? Your site visitor couldn't care less. All they're interested in is finding out if you offer a solution to their problem(s). And talking about yourself ad nauseum doesn't answer that question for them.

Rather, your website's copy should keep your site visitor and his goals in mind all along the way. Your Home page should let him know that you understand his problem and that you can help. If it does that, he'll click over to your About page. Sure, your About page is about you and your business, but in addition to establishing your credibility, it should be all about how you are the perfect fit for him (your site visitor).

Do that, and he'll likely click over to your Services or Products page to find out, more specifically, how you can help him. Show him that on those pages and he'll stick with you. If he has some lingering questions, your FAQ page should answer them. And, if you've done all of this right, he'll end up on your Contact page to get in touch (or end up clicking to buy a product, if that was the action you were driving him to take).

The point is, it's a sales process. A professional copywriter knows this and writes the copy and sets up the internal link structure of the site in such a way that the site visitor is inevitably moved from one step of the sales process to the next.

Is your site's copy written in this fashion? Does it drive your site visitor to take the action you want him to take?

DIY of LMDIFY?

So, there you have it. Four of the most important "rules" professional copywriters use when writing website copy. Now, the choice is yours.

Do you do it yourself (DIY), or do you let me (or some other copywriter) do it for you (LMDIFY)?

That's totally your call. If you have (1) the writing skills and (2) the time to do it yourself, then, by all means, go for it. You'll save a little money and have the satisfaction of knowing that you did it all by your lonesome.

On the other hand, if you feel a little iffy about your writing skills, even with the copywriting knowledge I just dropped on you, or if you're so swamped with all the other tasks you need to be doing in your business and just don't have the time, then outsourcing the task might be your best choice. It'll get done quicker, it will probably be done better, and the sooner you have your site written like it needs to be written, the sooner you'll start seeing results.

So, if you're interested in what I could do to help you with your web writing, just get in touch. I'd be happy to give you a free consultation.