Writing Websites

2. Writing Websites Modern Day Dilemma • Write for Google • Write for Human Visitors • DO BOTH • Get Google to rank you • Get visitors to come to you • Get those visitors to CONVERT

3. What does Google honor? Chasing The Algorithm aka – the four priorities of almighty Google • Links In • Useful Authoritative Content • Unique Tags (Title and Description and Header) • Site Dynamics

4. What does Google honor? Content You have to have text. Spiders don’t read graphics. Words… Left to Right, Top to Bottom. Critical info above the fold.

5. What does Google honor? Content A TOPICAL page for each target keyword phrase 500 – 1000 words!

7. What does Google honor? • Google does not read images • Natural ‘keyword density’ – 2% to 5% BUT • Don’t do THIS:

9. Don’t! • We provide high quality native-English articles for organizations at a reasonable cost.   • My team of US-based writers specializes in high volume, unique articles priced at $5 for 500 words.  We can handle up to 50,000 words per day and can discuss if you need more.

10. What does Google honor? • Keywords: • In your internal anchor text • The link to another page • Click here for info on top schools abroad • In your tags • Header (H1, H2, H3…) • Description • Title • in your captions

11. What do PEOPLE like? SPEED It’s different than print • Attention span is 7 seconds – click & go AWAY! • Reading takes 25% longer on screen than on paper • It’s a physical problem – fuzzy type, glare, weary eyes

12. How Web Differs from Print • Traditional academic writing follows a pyramid style—laying a foundation using many sources and supporting research • It gradually works up to a logical conclusion • This is not the way to write for the web.

13. How Web Differs from Print • Good web writing follows the inverted pyramid style, which is borrowed from journalism. • The most important information is presented first, with additional supporting detail to follow.

14. What do PEOPLE like? Remember PR mantra: “Who, what, where, when, why and how!” Only one idea per paragraph BENEFITS – not features!

15. Benefits First • Wrong: “Graphical, point and click user interface saves hours of your valuable time” • Right: “Save valuable hours on a wide range of tasks, thanks to an easy to use, point and click interface!”

16. What do PEOPLE like? ‘Silence the English teacher in your head’ • It’s OK to start a sentence with • And or • But • Keep readers on the edge of their seat

17. What do PEOPLE like? White Space • Short paragraphs • Short sentences • Bulleted lists • Subheads • Captions

18. What do PEOPLE like? • Clarity • No inside jokes or jargon • No confusing underlines – they’ll think it’s a link • No misspellings – always be professional • No outdated or undated content

19. What do PEOPLE like? • A casual, interactive tone • Approachable, relaxed, alive • Think: is this fresh or stodgy? • Use the active voice vs passive • “The letter was mailed by Laurie” • Use the second person tense • Be “You’s-full”!

20. What do PEOPLE like? Have a persona in mind – a compilation of your target audience’s demographics, psychographics and points of pain!

21. Write for PEOPLE - USPs Unique Selling Proposition! • Something that you can say that your competitors cannot • With a good USP, you are no longer vulnerable to side by side comparisons • Something that’s important to your audience, non trivial differentiation • Something to base an entire site on

22. Guess the Company Tag Lines based on USPs: • “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand” • “Kids never forget their vacation here” • “Kills bugs dead!” • “Takes a licking and keeps on ticking”

23. USPs • USPs – spend the time to know yours! • Feature/Benefit/Advantage – and Announce it • Answers the question: SO WHAT? • Or WIIFM!

24. NOT Unique • “Our Customer Service is second to none” • “On Time Delivery” • “We Keep to Your Budget”

25. Unique! • “Long held family recipe from the old country”

26. USPs Sure, wooden furniture is all the same UNTIL: • Every cabinet is hand-picked and polished, shipped free with white glove expedited delivery service and assembled in your home by capable monks *thanks to Nick Usborne for this example: I added the monks

27. The Home Page • The Website Homepage • The overture to the symphony • The welcome mat to your website • 7 seconds – what do you DO and WIIFM • 200 words or less • The home of the USP

28. AIDA • Awareness – the Home Page • Who you are, why you exist, how you’re different • The PREMISE & The Promise! • Interest – the product or service descriptions, facts, features… in “you’s-full’ fashion

29. AIDA • Desire – testimonials, case studies, the PR postings, the “After” pictures & captions, the reviews, the ratings…. • Action – the close – could be the Contact Page form, a first time discount, a software trial, etc

30. Getting the Sale Write for People • The website is a silent salesperson – 24/7 • It takes a writer that’s a pro! • Need a call to action on every page • Even if that action is to GO to the next page!

31. Getting CONVERSIONS • Cause an ACTION to occur Phone call, purchase, wish list, download a white paper • “Lead a horse to water and you CAN make him drink!”

32. Getting CONVERSIONS • Empathy is a powerful entrance – “We bet you have been looking for a learning system that makes home schooling more manageable.” • What will take them over the edge – a personal session by phone with your lead author?

33. How Web Differs from Print Jakob Nielsen • The guru of web page usability per The NY Times • The world’s leading expert on Web usability” by U.S. News and World Report • Fortune Magazine called him one of the top 10 minds in small business

34. How Web Differs from Print Jakob says: Users have time to read at most 28% of the words during an average website visit • 20% is more likely. • scanning text is an extremely common behavior for higher-literacy users

35. How Web Differs from Print • Eye Tracking Studies Summary:F for fast. • That's how users read your precious content. • Eyes move at amazing speeds in a pattern that's very different from what you learned in school.

37. How Web Differs from Print • The first two paragraphs must state the most important information • There's some hope that users will actually read this material

38. How Web Differs from Print • Start subheads, paragraphs, and bullet points with information-carrying words that users will notice when scanning down the left side of your content • They'll read the first two words, vs the third!

39. Favorite Newspaper Headlines • Ford To City:Drop Dead! • Headless BodyIn Topless Bar • Skool Budgets Drop

40. What do PEOPLE like? TO • Scan pages • Pick out key words and phrases • Read in quick, short bursts • Be action oriented • Click and forage in search of bits of information that lead them towards a goal

41. Content is King • Content is everything – it’s information, utility, inspiration, provocation, link-worthiness, reputation building, bookmarking fodder. It’s King Kong!

42. Contact: • Laurie@blueskiesmktg.com • Twitter/lauriemacomber • LinkedIn/pub/lauriemacomber • Facebook/blueskiesmarketing • Phone: 970 689 3000