Lose Your Copywriting Cynicism To Achieve Online Success

We all have an inner cynic somewhere. It is the thing that helps us differentiate those things we believe in and those that we do not. As a copywriter, I have the unfortunate disposition of being completely turned off by sales speak, that’s just how I’m programmed; however, that isn’t to say that it doesn’t work or that I won’t use it.
Copywriting is all about producing the best possible content for an individual site. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution and there can be no cynicism when it comes to writing quality copy.
One major hurdle that copywriters constantly face is to explain exactly why it is that people should invest, often quite heavily, in writing words. After all, most of us have the power to write content; however, writing online is a wholly unique proposition.
At no point, for example, does a newspaper or magazine journalist need to concern themselves with the notion of keywords. Whilst most copywriters will invariably try to write as naturally as possible, there is a very real need to maintain a conscious acknowledgment of your key terms for each individual page. With content playing such a large role in any website’s SEO success, getting the right words in the optimal quantity is essential. This is why a copywriter is a unique entity.
Aside from the financial side, there are also time implications to consider. If you’ve created a website from top to toe that includes dozens of pages, when are you going to find enough hours to write optimised copy right throughout. As a fundamental part of the entire process, copy should be given as much attention as you give to design and site architecture.
All website visitors have certain expectations when they land on a page. Easy to follow navigation, clear design and copy to help guide them through are the most basic of these. You don’t have a physical presence or a voice online; therefore the words you use on each page must fulfil this part of your business.
If you’re working on an ecommerce site, everything has to be pushed towards selling. Like any good salesman, you need to be reassuring, knowledgeable and, above all, be able to close. This is where my own aforementioned issue with sales speak needs to be pushed to one side. Copy and websites in general, are often based on percentages. What will most people that visit your site be looking for? Based on this one simple question, you can go about implementing it.
The audience should be at the forefront of your ideas. It doesn’t matter if it conflicts with your own personal preferences, you won’t be the one using the site. Everything should be targeted towards the demographic that you’re targeting regardless of how you as a writer, or website owner, would prefer it.
Copy has the dual-functionality online of providing essential SEO support as well as persuading visitors to utilise your company’s services. With so much importance placed on it, nobody can afford to take it lightly. Content is king for the search engines, there’s no way around that – fortunately. Visitors need it too, so the investment is more than worth it, as is leaving any cynicism at the door.