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How to Write for the Web – A Step by Step Blueprint for Writing Killer Copy (Part 1/3)

Written by: Zeke Camusio

Article Overview: Do you want to discover how to write web copy that makes your visitors reach out for their wallets and buy your products? These tips will teach you how to write for the web. Use Short Sentences Don’t try to use fancy words. Get right to the point and make it simple. If a sentence looks too long, it probably is. Most of the times, long sentences could easily be broken up in two, three, or even four short sentences. Mix sentence lengths to make the text easier to read.

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How to Write for the Web – A Step by Step Blueprint for Writing Killer Copy (Part 1/3)

Avoid Text Cluttering
Text cluttering refers to those boring and long paragraphs that seem impossible to read. Some tips that might help you:

- Don’t go over 6-7 lines per paragraph.
- Don’t use the whole screen width, stay within 550-600 pixels wide.
- Use bold, italics, underlined text, and highlighting to make some sentences stand out.
- Use bullets, they are very easy to read.
- Use subheads to break down long text.

Get Your Reader to Say Yes!
Ask questions that your readers will say yes to. By saying yes they are identifying themselves with the problem you are presenting and they are qualifying themselves as people who could benefit from reading your copy. An example: “Do your feet itch? Do you wake up at night scratching them?”

Your Goal is to Get Your Readers to Read the First Sentence
Getting people to read your first sentence is 80% of the battle. Use graphics, captions, and headlines to make them feel like they HAVE to read the first sentence. Do you know what the goal of the first sentence is? To get people to read your second sentence.

Do Your Homework
Before you start writing your copy you need to find out what your prospects buttons are. There is usually one main reason people buy and usually three to five secondary reasons. Find out what are the “reasons behind the reason”. Your prospect might want to make more money, but her ultimate reason might be financial freedom or to spend more time with her family.

Find out what motivates a prospect to buy and write your copy around this concept. I’ve read many copywriting books and almost all of them teach you “the magic words that cause your readers to buy immediately”. I don’t believe in magic words. Your prospects are smarter than that. Don’t manipulate them. Learn what they want and give it to them.

Use Stories
Stories work because people love reading them. Would you read my copy if I started it like this: “On March 16 I received a little box. The mailman delivered it and then ran away. When I opened it, I couldn’t believe what was in there…”?

Use stories to tell your facts. Your copy will be a lot more entertaining and your readers will be glad you did.

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Home > Marketing > Zeke Camusio > How to Write for the Web A Step by Step Blueprint for Writing Killer Copy Part 13
Article Tags: bold italics, bullets, captions, cluttering, financial freedom, headlines, homework, magic words, mailman, money, paragraph, paragraphs, prospects, sentences, use graphics

About the Author: Zeke Camusio
RSS for Zeke's articles - Visit Zeke's website

Zeke Camusio is a serial entrepreneur. His sixth endeavor, The Outsourcing Company, is a web design agency with offices in Aspen, CO and New York. Zeke's blog, Let's Do It! is a great Internet marketing and entrepreneurship resource for all those who want to start or grow a business of their own. Check out Zeke's blog at www.TheOutsourcingCompany.com/blog. Join Zeke's Facebook Group: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=52648031032

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How to Write for the Web A Step by Step Blueprint for Writing Killer Copy Part 23


Related Forum Posts
Need a book recommendation for writing better Need a book recommendation for writing better - I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing skills, so I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a good copywriting or copyediting book? I was actually thinking of reading "The Copywriter's Handbook : A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells" by Robert W Bly [u:w3cg00nn]OR[/u:w3cg00nn] "The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications" by Amy Einsohn. Would anyone know if these books are any good? Thanks
Re: Your choice between... Re: Your choice between... - I will take the $100,000 and double it on it becomes millions before I spend it. Though I am crazy about information, yet I would rather take the money and turn it into a million before I spend a dime out of it. I will do it in 4 steps. Step 1 turn $100,000 to $200,000 Step 2 turn $200,000 to $400,000 Step 3 turn $400,000 to $800,000 Step 4 turn $800,000 to $1600,000. After getting the goal of step 4, I will spend the $600,000 on myself then continue to double the millions again. I could then by the book for $1,000,000
Step by step approach Step by step approach - Here's what I would do; Step 1 - Observe Wal-Mart’s target customers, what does Wal-Mart offer them? How long do they stay? Discover what it is that they might want or need that Wal-Mart doesn't offer, and then write those ideas down. Some ideas to get you started are - A cafe or fast food venue, something for the kids to do while the parents shop, etc Step 2 - Take that list, and weigh up the pros and cons of each idea, and then select the best one for you. Don't worry about not using all the space. Step 3 - Start the best business for you, and then release the other ideas to the general market and sublet the rest of the space to those who could fill some of the niches you've come up with, plus any they can come up with. If money isn't a factor then developing the building to suit multiple small leases may be a better option, as it's a diversified income, which is potentially more stable than one big income stream.
Re: Video conference system for families living in different cou Re: Video conference system for families living in different cou - 1) How much will someone pay for the service? 2.1) What costs are involved on the business end? 2.2) What percent on top of that do you think you deserve as profit? 3) How many people will sign up for the service? These three will give you a rough estimate of the value of your idea. use the equation below with respect to the questions above to figure out the value of your idea. ((1 - (2.1 + 2.2)) X 3) You have alread identified major problems for your idea -- you have competition that is free! Computers are easy to hook to televisions, and it is becoming easier at very fast rate. (For free stuff other than skype, look up NetMeeting if you have Windows XP.) The video conferencing systems do a poor job of creating the feel of a physical presence. Even high dollar systems with dedicated internet bandwidth and extremely nice tracking video cameras do a poor job, especially for long distance runs. I have the experienced the disappointing performance of some of these systems on our campus. Video can not recreate the connection felt when in the same room with another person. Step 1, Quickly and roughly calculate the cost of the system you propose. Step 2, Compare that with what you think someone will pay and the cost of your current compeition. Step 3, Go / No-Go.
Top 19 Copywriting books Top 19 Copywriting books - 1. Ogilvy on Advertising. David Ogilvy. Wiley. 2. Positioning: The Battle for your Mind. Al Ries and Jack Trout. Warner. 3. The New Positioning. Jack Trout. McGraw-Hill. 4. Tested Advertising Methods. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 5. How to Make your Advertising Make Money. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 6. Guerrilla Advertising. Jay Conrad Levinson. Houghton Mifflin. 7. Direct Mail Copy that Sells. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 8. Sales Letters that Sizzle. Herschell Gordon Lewis. NTC Business Books. 9. Herschell Gordon Lewis on the Art of Writing Copy. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 10. Romancing the Brand. David Martin. American Management Association. 11. The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, George Gribbin, David Ogilvy, Rosser Reeves. NTC Business Books. 12. Confessions of an Advertising Man. David Ogilvy. NTC Business Books. 13. My Life in Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 14. Scientific Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 15. How to Become an Advertising Man. James Webb Young. NTC Business Books. 16. The Lasker Story as He Told It. NTC Business Books. 17. Advertising Concept and Copy. George Felton. Prentice Hall. 18. The Copy WorkShop Workbook. Bruce Bendinger. The Copy Workshop. 19. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Luke Sullivan. Wiley. This should keep you busy for at least a year. Enjoy!


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