If it is filled with a lot of hype, the customer could experience buyers’ remorse and have ill-feeling toward you (the seller).

Marketing online is more than just making a quick sale…it’s about building your reputation as much as anything. If your website gets the reputation of having too much hype, people will know and either leave your site quickly or not visit at all.

So how can I create persuasive copy that doesn’t contain too much hype?

Many of these copywriting tips have proven their worth in terms of consistent conversions and sales. Continue reading for 3 quick steps you can use to create persuasive copy without resorting to hype.

Focus on your readers, not your products and services

Be sure your copy is focused on your readers and solving their problems. Focusing on how great your products and services are will only make you seem less than sincere. If someone lands on your site, they either clicked an ad or a link on a search engine results page or some other site. They came to you so you can assume they know what they’re looking for and why.

Therefore, focus on the readers to capture their attention and move them through the buying process.

Draw readers’ attention with a great headline

We’ve discussed before how headlines are one of the most important elements in a landing page or online article. If it doesn’t grab a reader’s attention quickly, they will move off your site quicker than you can blink!

Your headline needs to do two things – it needs to ‘catch’ the readers’ attention and it needs to be relevant to the sales copy. To fulfill both of these conditions of an effective headline, place an ‘emotional trigger’ in the headline to keep people’s interest. Focus on the problem your readers have and the solution your products/services offer rather than resorting to hype.

Quickly make your point and provide a ‘call-to-action’

Without resorting to promotional pitches, quickly tell people what your product can do for them. People are not concerned about your business but their situation, which is why they’re searching online for a solution to their problem.

Therefore, that’s why it’s important to speak about them and their problem rather than your products. And do it quickly and provide instructions on what to do next. Most people’s attention spans are quite short and they won’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out what they should do next.

Additionally, your sentences and paragraphs should be quick and to the point…one, you don’t want to lose readers’ interest by taking forever to get to the point and two, you don’t want to intimidate readers with large chunks of text. Therefore, keep your paragraphs short and to the point (5 lines max.)

Harnessing these 3 steps will go a long way to ensuring your copy is persuasive without the hype that’s so common in many websites and marketing materials. Today’s shoppers are more meticulous than ever…they won’t spend much time on a site that spends all its time talking about itself.

Saying the same thing over and over again may work in politics but when you’re marketing your small business online, it appears fake to prospective customers. Most who come across content like this immediately leave a website as they are seeing right through the angle the site is trying to play…if not consciously realizing it, site visitors will feel something just doesn’t seem right about the site so they leave.

Besides helping build links and SEO rankings, good content builds trust with site visitors. Continue reading for four ways you can build trust with prospective customer with your site’s content.

1.  Do not hype anything

Hype is still a favorite tactic of low-level marketers. We’ve all seen hype time and again – in commercials, on billboards and in magazines. We’ve become accustomed to it. But the Internet is still relatively new and useful for many things – research, business, shopping and more. People have a much lower tolerance for hype in the online world.

Substantiate all claims. Don’t say you’re “#1” or “the best” unless you can back that up through a third-party. Simply claiming you’re the best because you want it to be true isn’t enough…people find unsubstantiated claims very suspicious.

2. Be genuine, like a friend

Great copy that sells generally reads like a conversation between friends. Writing in a conversational tone that helps the reader solve their problem goes a long way toward building trust. Since online shoppers cannot meet the seller in the flesh, they get extremely suspicious and leave if your content is bland and boring.

Also, don’t spend much time telling outlandish stories or make claims that appear too good to be true…be able to backup claims with third-party verification.

3. Don’t use hidden text that’s hard to find

In the infancy of SEO, webmasters used to write content and make it the same color as their background to hide it from readers. The keyword-rich content got the attention of the search engines at first but no real person would spend much time on the site. You can still “hide” content like that but there’s a right way and a wrong way to do it.

It’s okay to employ hidden content to make your page more usable as long as the reader can easily find it with a simple click of a mouse. But hiding content to make it more difficult for readers to find is wrong.

Before using hidden text though, ask yourself is it valuable? If it is, then your visitors need to be able to read it. If not, then it probably shouldn’t go on the site anyway.

4. Include negative reviews

Another powerful way to gain trust in your site’s content is to include negative reviews of your products. Only including positive reviews will only serve to turn people off…you can lose credibility pretty quickly. Negative reviews help because they give the reader a better-rounded picture of what they’re purchasing. They also help readers determine how the positive attributes of your products outweigh the bad.

Courtesy of SearchEngineGuide.com

Your site’s content is where you make your impression on potential customers. Therefore, it needs to build trust if you want site visitors to purchase your products or use your services. Make sure you’re giving your site visitors a good first impression and not simply creating a jumbled mess of keyword optimized content.

You don’t want to give away too much but you do want to draw their interest enough so they will click on that link to learn more or buy.

Creating copy that simultaneously achieves both of those objectives is the needle you need to thread to effectively harness the Internet to grow your small business.

So when you’re writing landing pages for your website, consider the following 5 tips to maximize their value on both ends…that is serve as good search engine fodder on one end and an effective marketing message on the other.

Write attention grabbing, eye-catching headlines

Headlines are the best opportunity you have to really grab your reader’s attention…if it doesn’t, they will most likely leave the page. You will want to include a primary keyword that will grab both your both your reader’s and the search engine’s attention.

Include call-to-action often

Next, you need to include a call-to-action that instructs visitors on what to do next. Generic forms of this are “Click here to learn more” and other quick anecdotes but those have shown to not work as well as more unique calls-to-action like “…start increasing your online presence and find more customers by contacting search engine marketers at SEO Advantage today to learn more.

Read 3 Elements of a Good Call-to-Action to learn more.

Like our example, you should also include a keyword phrase for your link in this call-to-action statement for additional search engine benefits. Include at least 2 calls-to-action for a short landing page and 3-5 for longer ones.

Directly address the customer

In your main copy, address the customer as “you” and “your” rather than saying “we,” “us” and “our.” Let the customer know what your company and its products/services and do for them. This relaxes the customer too…making them feel like they’re talking to a friend.

Directly deliver the message

When you’re writing landing pages and other content for marketing your small business online try to think about your copy as a business tool and not an art form. You’re trying to persuade readers to take action, not feel good about your ability to express yourself.

Keep content closely written

Whether your landing page is short (500 words or less) or longer, keep the context of the page tightly knit. Meaning, don’t get sidetracked by including extraneous facts and benefits of your products or services. There’s much debate amongst copywriters on an effective length for a landing page but no matter which one you choose, keep the subject matter within certain parameters.

Accomplishing both SEO and marketing goals through your landing pages and other content will maximize the value of your site for both you and your customers. Not only will search engines reward you for compelling, keyword-rich content, those who find you will be reassured that your products/services can address their needs.

A call-to-action is just as necessary an element of web copywriting as your keywords and message…simply writing your message without instructing the reader on what to do next will hinder your potential for getting new customers.

Call-to-actions have to be strategically placed throughout your copy (landing pages, solicitation emails, etc.) in order for you to move visitors from one phase of the buying process to the next. If they have to look for how to contact you, how to download that white paper or how to purchase your product, they will most likely get very frustrated and leave.

Continue reading to learn some good call-to-action strategies you can employ in your marketing emails and landing pages to ensure you move prospects through your site effectively. (Notice the call to action there.)

Position call-to-action above the scroll

You don’t want people to have to scroll down to the bottom to see the call-to-action…we’re an impatient lot so place a call-to-action (i.e. contact, order or download) in a prominent location at the top of your page. Different Internet ready devices layout things differently so factor that into your decisions.

Include several call-to-actions throughout your copy to give visitors multiple opportunities to take the next step…keep your words consistent though so you don’t confuse anyone. And in considering the layout, position your call-to-actions directly in your reader’s visual path.

Choose your words carefully

The tone and words you choose for your call-to-action are vital since you’re essentially asking someone to take another step. Incorporate powerful words in your call-to-action to prompt the reader to act and make them feel good about what they’re doing.

Be sure the words you choose create the effect you’re looking for…consider them from your reader’s point of view. And while words are important, the format of your call-to-action is important as well. Evo, an online outdoor outfitter, tested a couple of different calls-to-action with a recent marketing campaign. Would “15% off” or “$50 off” be a more powerful message…they found $50 off worked better even though it was roughly the same amount off the original price.

Make your words appear prominently

Once you have those powerful words down, you have to figure out how to draw attention to them. You may have a great call-to-action in words but if no one can find it, then you’re not going to get very far.

Think about how your call-to-action appears to your readers…should it be an image, a button or an anchor-text link? Take a look at this button vs. text link experiment from Aweber for ideas.

Remember, your call-to-action needs to be unique since your brand, industry, purpose and audience are all different. Considering that, these tips may not even work for you but they are a good place to start.

Need experienced help in developing your site’s infrastructure, content and even calls-to-action? Contact web copywriters at SEO Advantage today for a premier evaluation of your website, business and goals.

What is voice, exactly? And how can you make it shine through your blog?

In the context of writing, no one can literally hear you…but, they can ‘hear’ you through the words you use and how you use them.

Your English teacher in high school likely didn’t spend much time discussing the voice and who can blame them…it’s a messy, abstract venture that few instructors embark on.

Fortunately, we have a list of four ways you can use to find your ideal writing voice from Joy Tanksley, a middle school English teacher and philosopher. Employing these tips can help you transform your writing from a static compilation of words to an electrifying piece that lights fires in the minds of your readers.

Continue reading for four methods you can use to find your ideal writing voice and take your writing to a higher level.

Get into the flow

Sit down each day or fairly regularly and just write. Don’t worry about grammar or accuracy, just let the words flow…you will be surprised at how good your writing is in these bursts of activity. By focusing on quantity rather than quality, you get a natural and authentic piece…something with a voice attached to it.

Write like you talk

Another way is to write like you talk. Take some prior writings and read them out loud. Does it sound like you? If not, take a tape recorder and simply talk your compositions for a while. Take your recording and transcribe what you said and whammo, you will have some great voice-rich snippets to integrate into your final product.

Forget grammar conventions (…at least at first)

When you were taught about writing in school, you probably learned all of the rules that go along with it. Yes, writing does involve communicating a message so to that end, standard grammar conventions are important. In many instances though, these conventions hinder our ability to create a realistic voice for our writing.

Rather than spending too much time worrying about grammar, start out by pretending the writing conventions do not exist. And when you’re editing your piece, base your decisions on what best communicates your message and not on what satisfies all the proper rules.

If it will enhance the flow of your piece and give it voice, it’s okay to play around with the rules a little bit.

Write about what you know

Many web copywriters try to write about the latest, trendy topics. This may seem like a winner but in reality, if it’s not near and dear to your heart, it will have no voice. Instead, strive for authenticity over popularity…or as Dolly Parton says, “Figure who you are; then do it on purpose.” In other words, don’t try to sound like anyone or anything except who you are.

Harnessing tips like these can help you go beyond simple content creation to satisfy the ever hungry search engines…creating compelling content with the right voice can not only get you to the top of the search engines, it can get you more conversions as well.

Some techniques are more SEO related and “behind the scenes” (coding, tags, etc.) but other techniques are more in the layout of a page, its tone and how we communicate important things to know…our new press room page is an experiment to see how creating a more holistic press room can help site visitors – specifically editors, bloggers and journalists – find information more easily.

In fact, even if you never plan to issue any press releases, it’s important you have one place where people like this can learn more about your company and what you do…reaching out to journalists and bloggers is another way to help you get noticed by search engines and prospective customers.

In the past, most pressrooms simply listed a company’s news press releases. However, having a better understanding of what editors and bloggers are looking for in a pressroom allows you to build a more complete resource.

In fact, a main pressroom page can simply serve as a hub where you can link out to not only your press releases but knowledge center resources, blogs, case studies, testimonials and more as shown by this handy flowchart.

Check out SEO Advantage’s new pressroom and our guest blog post on SEO Site Reference for more insights on turning your pressroom into a powerful online marketing resource.

We figure phrases with strong demand give us good enough insight into what our prospects are trying to find, learn, do or purchase.

But a lot of the time, customers don’t even know what they need to find when they begin searching. They will type some distant phrase into Google and see what comes up, perhaps hoping they will find more descriptive language about what they’re looking for.

Anyone who has searched for things online can understand this after a couple moments of reflection. How many times have you searched for something then found another term that better describes what you were looking for? A lot it’s safe to say.

With that in mind, think about some keywords you may see in your research tool that may not have much demand. Step away from all the research tools for a moment and think about what you would search for if you had no knowledge of what you offer – all you know is that you have a problem that somehow needs addressing.

What terms would you use?

Take these, and integrate them into your copy along with others. While you don’t want to target too many keyword phrases in your copy, many phrases you can target will simply be add-ons to ones that are more in demand. Therefore, Google will pick up the main one along with the extended version – not diluting keyword impact for ranking purposes.

Remember, it’s not all about pleasing the hungry Google bots that love keyword rich content that’s unique and relevant. Success largely depends on gaining a deep understanding of who your customers are down to the most basic levels.

Getting people to your site is only half the battle – you need to keep them there and guide them to the ultimate destination – making a call, purchasing a product…whatever metric you use for success.

Many great websites offering great products experience difficulty mainly because their copy isn’t designed to motivate customer’s to act. Of course I’m talking about that part of your copy that’s intended to close the sale – or the final step in the inbound marketing funnel.

In the end, your headline is the make or break part of any sales page. If the headline doesn’t entice someone to go further, then it won’t really matter what you’re offering and how good it is. While it doesn’t make the sale on its own, it certainly plays a pivotal part in setting someone up for the sale.

Here are three tips you can use to make a great headline.

1. Identify the problem you’re solving and who your target market is

The more you target your market, the more effective your copy can be. It usually doesn’t take long to identify your market in broad terms but narrowing it down allows you to address their specific problem, creating a relationship between you (or your copy) and the potential customer…the more you relate to a customer, the better your chances of closing the sale.

2. Include words your target market feels comfortable with

Once you have identified your target market and their problem, you’re in a better position to write your headline in a way that speaks to them. This is vital…you want them to feel you’re writing directly to them and that you’re not simply regurgitating a generic message that’s applicable to everyone but resonates with no one. Everyone likes to feel loved and that it’s about them.

3. Tell them how you can solve their problem and include benefits

Often times, your headline will focus on how your product solves the target market’s particular problem. Initially, people are interested in benefits, not features. Seeing what your product does for them will maintain their interest to continue reading and ultimately buy your product in many instances.

One more important thing to remember – many sites often use their headlines to make outrageous claims about their product. It’s okay to pump yourself up this way provided the claim sounds believable and is verifiable.

Web copywriting isn’t simply writing some copy that has targeted keywords sprinkled throughout it…mastering the art of persuasion with your writing is the ultimate challenge, and ultimate satisfaction of copywriting. Think of your ‘sales’ pages as being like the salesman in a store that’s speaking face-to-face with prospective customers.

Considering the time and resources it takes to create landing pages and articles, you may think optimizing for as many keywords as you can is the way to go.

Absolutely not!

To be clear, I’m not saying you should only have one or two words on your page and that’s it…you can’t simply have your keyword(s) with no supporting content to go with it.

However, your page needs to have one primary focus, one underlying concept. Optimizing your webpage for several keywords dilutes the impact of your copy which means you will have wasted your time rather than taking it slow and doing it right.

In many instances, you may have two words that mean exactly the same thing – take “certified public accountant” and “CPA” for example. Both essentially mean the same thing and conceivably either one will be used in an online search. But adding “tax accountant”, “tax services” and “income tax filing” to the same page will dilute your results and keep your rankings off page 1. While these concepts are related to one another, combining all of these keywords onto one page will only frustrate your efforts.

You shouldn’t think of web pages as a catch-all where you can optimize for several different concepts at once…doing so usually results in confusing the search engine and lowering your rankings.

Reading this is probably leading you to one conclusion – “I’m going to have to create a lot of landing pages!”

Quite true…and while it’s a long endeavor, it’s well worth it in the long run. Start out with the big keywords and work your way down. In due time, you will cover your target markets and have a better position in the search engines and well on your way to higher site visits and conversions.

So it’s no surprise that sites like Yelp.com have sprung up to meet this demand…and if you’re a B2B firm, you may be faced with providing another form of a testimonial – references.

Providing customer testimonials on your own site is a great way to keep prospects engaged within your site.

Continue reading for 8 tips on how you can best integrate testimonials into your website and/or blog…these tips were provided to a web site promoting cabin rentals in Georgia but are applicable to a wide range of industries.

1. Leave testimonial in original text

Testimonials have a lot more credibility if they’re left in the writer’s original text. Of course you will want to edit it if it has a lot of typos or any profanity but the testimonial will be much more believable if you leave it in its original text.

2. Include person’s full name and other relevant data

To make the testimonial as meaningful and credible as possible, include the person’s full name, company, job position or location and age. Doing so makes the testimonial transparent to the reader – meaning they will trust it more.

3. Post small snippets in main site to support message

To make testimonials more meaningful, take relevant snippets and include them within your main site’s copy or on the side. Let’s take the rental cabin company for example. If you have a paragraph professing how much fun your cabins are for kids, include a testimonial supporting that fact somewhere nearby.

4. Create a dedicated testimonials page

Have a separate page where you include all testimonials in full in addition to using bits and pieces in your site like tip #3. Include a link entitled “see what others are saying here” after each snippet peppered through your site so visitors can easily access the full testimonials page.

5. Bold important parts of testimonials, points you want to get across

Bold parts of sentences to draw the reader’s eye to main points you want them to come away with – especially on long versions or on your dedicated page. Since most of us scan text online, we will notice bold face text. This will help customers understand what you want them to even if they don’t read the full testimonial.

6. Include testimonials in your blog too

While you have to be creative in the context you use testimonials, including them in your blog presents a great opportunity. You could perhaps include a section – “Customer Stories” – where you could provide a brief intro that would be interesting to someone checking out your services. You can then link to the full testimonial page on your site.

7. Encourage testimonials at each interaction with customers

If a customer expresses something nice about you, ask if they would be willing to allow you to use their words as a testimonial on your site. If you have any reviews on Yelp.com or other review sites, migrate them over to your site as well.

8. Encourage the use of pictures and videos

Give your testimonials an even bigger boost by including a picture or video from the customer. You can include the photo or video next to their testimonial and send them a link once it’s live so they can share it with family and friends.

Testimonials can sure be a fun part of online reputation management, providing you with kind words that you’re doing the right thing and motivating you to keep striving for the best.

As a side, remember there are rules governing the use of testimonials – now you must clearly disclose any material connections (like providing compensation for the testimonial) along with being transparent when a testimonial depicts results that are not typical.