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Five things your home page can do without

September 13, 2010 By Emily Leary 10 Comments

This is a guest post by Tom Albrighton, a professional copywriter and founder/director of ABC Copywriting, based in Norwich.

Planning the home page. So important, and so difficult. Often, our answer is to throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. The trouble is, you end up with a lot of stuff that you really don’t need. So in a spirit of ‘less is more’, here are five things you could consider hacking away from your home page.

Welcome message

This is a contentious one. Many marketers and copywriters feel that the ‘welcome’ statement is embarrassingly old hat, and shouldn’t be present on a modern website.

I agree that it’s a cliché, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use it, or that it’s not effective.

In my view, a ‘welcome’ statement has its place if it talks to the priorities of your visitors and makes them more likely to stay. If it just wastes their time or irritates them, drop it.

For example, a niche online retailer selling speciality coffees is the kind of cosy ‘shop’ you’d like to be welcomed into, while an all-business insurance comparison site would probably do better to lead with an eye-catching offer.

If a welcome message isn’t appropriate, you can use the space to offer ‘doorways’ into other parts of the site, or an orientation statement that tells the visitor where they might like to begin browsing.

Background info

I’m a strong believer in a simple, straightforward positioning statement somewhere on the home page, just so visitors can confirm they’re in the right place. For example:

We are a small, friendly team of accountants serving clients in Carlisle and the surrounding area.

Nothing wrong with that. Every word conveys information that visitors almost certainly need, and it’s almost certainly good for SEO too. But the ‘about us’ chat should end as soon as you get into things you want to say, rather than things the audience wants to hear.

For example, it’s unlikely that anyone needs to know immediately when you were founded, how you developed, how many people you employ or (being brutally honest) anything about your beliefs, values or business ethos. Provide that stuff somewhere by all means, but don’t put it on the home page where it could get in the way of a visitor who wants to get facts or make a purchase.

Generic pitches

Many, many websites fall into the trap of making a generic pitch for the products or services they offer, rather than selling themselves specifically. For example:

If you’re setting up in business, you can give your image a major boost with a professionally designed logo and letterhead.

The visitor already knows that. That’s why they went to Google and typed in ‘logo designer’, ‘business stationery design’ or whatever. They’re already persuaded of the general benefits offered by firms like yours, so don’t fritter away their patience by restating those benefits. You’re not writing an ad for the back of a bus – online, your audience is pre-vetted, proactive and attentive.

Remember, the user has probably got a set of nine similar search results sitting right under the ‘back’ button whenever they want them. So draw them in with some reasons they should stay on your site – in other words, the specific benefits of choosing you over a competitor.

Generic selling does nothing to advance your cause and arguably gives a hand to the competition – there’s a risk that you merely reinforce the visitor’s generalised interest, allowing another site to convert it to a lead or sale later on.

Scattergun content

Looking at some home pages, you get the feeling that the company got a bit bored with their own business. On top of the basic text and the navigation, you’re looking at case studies, client logos, special offers, awards, company news, blog posts, knowledge portals, newsletter signups – everything’s been thrown into the pot.

Making a home page is a bit like making a soup. You can put in ten different vegetables if you want, but your users won’t be able to discern every last taste. Instead, you might want to use just two or three really strong flavours and give them a more focused experience. Adding more can lead to dilution rather than concentration. As I’m often telling clients: the more you write, the less likely people are to read it all.

If you look at your home page for years, it’s inevitable that it starts to look a bit dull or elementary. But your visitors have never seen it before. (OK, they might be returning for a second visit, but it still won’t be familiar.) In fact, it may be that your whole industry is a completely closed book to them. Some basic info and a reassuringly simple layout that they can get their heads round in seconds might be just the ticket.

Irrelevant imagery

If you’re selling a product, it makes sense to show the product – holidays, showers, cars. But what if you’re selling a B2B service such as web hosting or copywriting? What should you show then?

Well, you could try to show one of the tools of your trade – a web server, perhaps, or a fountain pen. Unfortunately, those things aren’t that interesting visually, and they run the risk of making your audience think about computer hardware or stationery rather than website uptime and effective communication.

So you go down the road of metaphorical or figurative illustration – light bulbs (=innovation), fast cars (=high performance), shaking hands (=partnership). That gets you a pretty picture, but again, you’re risking the audience thinking about something irrelevant, like cars. And unless you can sustain the metaphor far enough to make every point you need to make, your text is going to end up being on a different theme from your imagery, which means that the overall message will not be harmonious.

It’s difficult. Believe me, I’ve grappled with this beast many a time. But even though it’s hard, you don’t have to make it harder by choosing a design that obliges you to have a leading or ‘hero’ image. Ask your designer to solve the problem with text and graphics.

Ideally, every image should have a semiotic, rather than purely aesthetic, justification – paying its way in terms of meaning as well as decoration.

Tips for a better home page

It’s so easy to criticise. So here are a few positive pointers to help address the problems I’ve covered in this post.

  • Imagine yourself as a newcomer to your site – one with little or no knowledge of your field. How will it come across?
  • Develop your home page for visitors – not for yourself, or to outdo competitors.
  • Make sure everything on your home page has a reason to be there.
  • Don’t be afraid to use space and simplicity to emphasise key messages (or a single message).
  • Keep in mind what you want the user to do. Include a call to action and don’t be afraid to state it early on. You’re selling products or services, not website content.
  • Think of your home page text as an ‘elevator pitch’, or the words you would choose to say if you were introducing your company. Be memorable, but don’t be afraid to state simple details. Facts are reassuring.
  • Don’t sweat it. Remember the user is actively searching – they want to use you. All you have to do is remove the barriers in their way.
Filed Under: Copywriting, Guest posts, Marketing, Writing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Six questions to help your designer frame your words effectively

March 15, 2010 By Emily Leary 3 Comments

Tick boxes

This is a guest post from Andy Clayton of printing.com Lincoln & Newark.

So you’ve written – or had someone else write – some great copy all about your business, ready to go into print. The question now is how do you make this into a leaflet / brochure / flyer / booklet (delete as appropriate)?

This is where design comes in, and where things can start to go wrong. The common myth is that design is all about making things look pretty, but this is far from the truth. Design is fundamental to the success of a print marketing exercise: it’s about making the copy work, creating mood, attracting attention and initiating an action. For this reason, the first thing you need is someone who is skilled at acheiving these ends, and the next thing you’ll need is a good, clear design brief.

The following are the six questions I go through with each client before commencing any design work:

Who are you targeting?

Be specific – think about who this is actually aimed at. Every sector is different and designers will know the best way to attract the attention of different people whether it be by industry / role / gender / age. The worst answer any marketeer can hear is ‘everybody’ or ‘anyone, really’ as it is impossible to produce any material that targets everyone successfully.

What is your corporate identity?

You need to supply details of any relevant logos, images, fonts and colours so that the designer can keep to your business identity. Consistency is key in marketing. If you constantly change your image, you will dilute and weaken your message.

How do you wish to appear?

This is about how you want to position your offering in this particular piece; do you want to be seen as traditional or modern? professional or informal? luxury or budget? With this information, your designer can look at the appropriate fonts, images and colours to make sure the perception is correct.

What is the purpose?

Is this aimed at attracting new businesses who are unfamiliar with the brand or is it to give information that has been requested by clients? Designers need to know the purpose of the material so that the design can be maximised to that effect. It will dictate how the content is laid out and the focus throughout the piece.

How are you distributing?

Will you be posting, handing out or taking to an event? It is important that the design is done to the correct specification from the start as it saves time at the end. For example, if its to be posted then you need to remember the rates go up after A5 so therefore you need to either keep to that size or if it’s to be folded then it needs to be designed in such a way that the fold looks right.

What is the expected outcome?

You need to decide what you want people to do, as this defines your call to action. You need to spell out what the readers should do next and the designer needs to know this so that the design can emphasise and draw attention to the preferred action or point of contact

The questions above are there as a guide to help you create the best possible brief. By taking the time to collate the relevant information, you can reduce the time taken to produce designs, ensure your designer incorporates all relevant aspects, and therefore increase your chances of achieving success with the final piece.

Are you a blogger? March is Be My Guest month, and we’re encouraging bloggers from all over the world to swap posts and reach new audiences. See Be My Guest for more information.

Filed Under: Copywriting, Guest posts, Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Lost for words? Five novel ways to beat writer’s block

January 14, 2010 By Emily Leary 7 Comments

Fountain pen

Getting examples of your knowledge out into the public sphere is a great way to raise your profile and prove that you understand your industry. Whether you write a blog, place articles in the media, or even pen a book, you can be sure that one day, without warning, you’ll suffer from the dreaded writer’s block.

Faced with this malady, some scour the internet for ideas to inspire them, while others head to the shops or water cooler, hoping a distraction will allow their next brainwave to come naturally. But sometimes, these methods just don’t work.

The next time you find yourself staring at a blank screen, bereft of inspiration, these five questions should help get you writing once again:

  1. When was the last time a client asked you a question about what you are doing for them or how you do it? Keep a note of these questions to create a ready list of article topics to dip into.
  2. What are the most common misconceptions about the kind of services you offer? Posts that make a complicated industry easily understood can be very popular, and will also put potential clients at ease.
  3. For each of the services you offer, there’s usually a line between DIY and calling in the professionals. Can you define that line, and what advice can you give DIYers?
  4. Do you subscribe to industry news sources to keep up with events and legislation affecting what you do? Translate these into layman’s terms to create useful news snippets for your readers.
  5. Are there others within your business with a related but different skill set or knowledge base? Make the most of the rich resources around you by inviting staff to contribute ideas, anecdotes or even full articles.

So, would these ideas work for you? What do you do when your creativity takes an unscheduled vacation?

Filed Under: Copywriting, Featured, Writing Tagged With: , , , , ,

Embrassing errers: the ten biggest proofreading gaffes

June 15, 2009 By Emily Leary Leave a Comment

Proofreading error

When it comes to proofreading copy, whether it’s intended to be published online or in print, there’s no room for error. As soon as that copy is out in the public domain, it stands as a representation of whoever has written it.

The job of a proofreader is to act as a safety net for these errors, catching and modifying mistakes before they can be allowed to slip through – but sometimes, mistakes slip through regardless. Even the most diminutive of proofreading errors can cause huge repercussions, at the very least making the author seem careless and uninformed, and at the worst changing the meaning of what is being said entirely.

Although this can be amusing in some circumstances, ultimately this casts a bright light on just why proofreading is so important to your business.

Read on for ten of my favourite famous proofreading gaffes, where small instances of poor proofreading have gone on to cause widespread chagrin for the red-faced authors.

1. Proofreaders wanted

When posting an advert looking for proofreaders, you would expect the job description to be grammatically flawless. However, a job advert posted recently seeking a ‘Copy Editor for Women’s Magazine Site’ contained no less than 3 spelling errors: twice asking for ‘editting’ experience, and going on to cite the name of the magazine incorrectly as ‘Women’s World’ instead of ‘Woman’s World’.

2. Continuity error

Of course, it isn’t only orthographical gaffes that need to be picked up on by the proofreader – maintaining continuity is just as important. An early edition of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein contains the phrase ‘the latter days of December’. However, a vigilant proofreader would have altered this to ‘September’, which was the month being referred to in the rest of the passage. Later editions of the novel carried the correct date.

3. Grauniad or Guardian?

The Guardian newspaper has garnered an impressive reputation for frequent typographical errors, so much so that it has earned the nickname ‘The Grauniad’ (first used in Private Eye magazine). Often cited is The Guardian’s first ever issue, which contained the spelling error ‘atction’ for ‘auction’.

4. Mis-stated

In 1988 the University of Wisconsin awarded thousands of diplomas with the glaring error ‘Wisconson’ typed on every one. Six months passed before anyone picked up on this blunder. An official at the time defended this by saying the certificates had been proofread, but only to check their names and degree-subjects – not any of the ‘standard information’.

5. When corrections become errors

A poem by W.B. Yeats, ‘Among School Children’, contained a reference to the ‘solider Aristotle’. An over-zealous printer assumed the poet had made a spelling error and corrected it to ‘soldier Aristotle’ – a correction that stayed in print for years and gave the sentence an entirely different meaning.

6. Adulterated text

In the 1632 edition of the King James Bible the omission of the word ‘not’ gave whole new meaning to the seventh commandment, appearing as ‘Thou shalt commit adultery’. The printer of this error was fined £300 for his mistake.

7. Web figures gone awry

Several products at Comet’s online store were advertised at bargain prices in 2002, when some obviously incorrect figures were left unnoticed and went live on the site. This resulted in some lucky shoppers being able to buy, for example, an Aiwa hi-fi worth £89 for £8.43.

8. The costly comma

The case of a comma cost a Canadian cable television provider over a million dollars in 2006, when it lost a court case in a contract dispute with a telephone company. This was due to the inclusion of the second comma in the line of the contract which stated that the agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

Though the cable television company believed that the first five years of the deal were secured, the inclusion of the second comma changed the meaning of the sentence, which allowed the telephone company to terminate the contract at any time with one year’s notice.

9. Checking failure

GCSE students across England were left in the lurch in 2008, when their exam papers contained a significant disparity between question and answer booklets. The exam board responsible for the papers had failed to pick up on this and allowed some hundred thousand exam booklets to be printed before school invigilators noticed the mistake.

10. Not consulting a dictionary

A newspaper headline touting the benefits of reading Webster’s Dictionary in 2000 can hardly have done much for the Jackson Citizen Patriot’s credibility. The published story about an avid reader of the famous dictionary was accompanied by the headline: ‘Want to spell like a champ? Read Wenster’s dictionary.’

Filed Under: Copywriting, Proofreading Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,