What Makes A Good Web Copywriter

In the economic scheme of things, absolutely nothing happens until somebody sells something. Selling is the foundation of our economy.
The main concern for a web copywriter is to write copy that sells products or ideas.
A web copywriter must get the reader to invest in the product or service being promoted.
A web copywriter is a salesman.
The following article will help you understand the basics of good copy writing and get you started on the road to becoming a sought after writer.
Web copy writing an interesting job. You very often begin with a blank screen and don’t begin writing until lots of research has been done. After you feel comfortable with your understanding of the subject matter, you will start writing. Try to write copy that is crisp, clear, and concise. You have to draw the reader into your copy and keep them reading.
Keep in your mind that what you are doing is communicating. You are helping your client communicate their message to others. And you will accomplish this by the use of words. You will use words that communicate an idea and you must make your reader realize the extreme importance of the message and get them to take action. If you are not really interested in your subject, the reader will likely sense this and lose interest as well.
When a copywriter creates copy, whether for the web or for other purposes, he or she should write the copy with these goals in mind:
#1. Explain the benefits of a company, its message or its product.
(Usually this is simply telling the reader what problem the product can solve).
If you can do this as a person who really understands the problem, your writing will reflect that and help keep the reader at ease.
#2. Let the reader know what they will gain.
(How does this product solve the problem better or faster or cheaper)? How will this product benefit the reader?
There is likely competition out there and the reader must be told how your product stands out.
#3. Ask for their business.
If the web page is selling something, don’t hesitate to let the prospect know to expect a purchase request.
Don’t forget to put the reader in a position to make a buying decision. Build your case in the beginning and ask the reader to buy. Close the deal!
As a copywriter, you will likely be working for many different people. You could be writing for wall street companies, large corporations, small businesses, or anyone in between. You will be writing copy for anyone who needs or wants to get their message to their customers or prospects. You may also find that these companies need various other types of copy written or edited.
In some cases, the copy you write for a web page could be as little as 5 paragraphs or as many as 30 pages. It depends on the product, the intended audience and the desire of your client.
Be aware that writing for the web is much different from writing copy for any type of offline market. Unlike magazines where readers can flip pages to get to the end, they have to sit there in front of their screens and read over your web copy. So it is vital that web copy be written so it can capture the attention of those who read it.
The problem with websites is that each one is different. There are websites that are two pages or ten pages long. There are also websites that are only a single page. One such type is known as a landing page. It is called a landing page because everybody lands on it. Another single page website is a squeeze page. The purpose of this type of page is to advertise something briefly that will encourage the visitor to offer his or her name and email address, after which they are presented with another web page with an actual offer.
Regardless of the web site size or products, a web copywriter must be prepared and find a way to be very clear with the text. They need to make sure the text is also easy-to-follow and that will lead the reader to taking some kind of response.
As a web copywriter, you have to keep the following things in mind when writing web copy:
1. Be direct, clear and accurate.
Big words may show off your education but they won’t make you a better copywriter. However, bad grammar and punctuation will ruin your efforts. Just keep everything very simple and you have done your job.
2. Be “keyword” relevant.
This is very important. Keywords are critical to site ranking. Therefore, as a web copywriter, your job will be to make sure your copy is relevant by including the appropriate keywords for that site. If the site sells discount hotel rooms, you must use “discount hotel rooms” in your writing.
3. Be personal.
When addressing the customer in your copy, keep it at an informal level. Pretend you are sitting face to face and discuss your subject as you would in person.
You want the text you create to be lively and still have a light touch. You definitely want to avoid sounding like a big corporate salesman. Try to be down-to-earth and sincere while making your copy matter-of-fact. The best way to describe it when writing web copy is that you are writing it like you are talking to a friend. Let your empathy show.
The author has many years of experience in technical and creative writing. This includes “How To” manuals for such groups as the US Department of Defense and DEA.