Pixels Articles

Why do you have a website?
The answer is most likely that you want people to get information about a product or service you have to offer, so that you can make a sale. This article is for those who want to know how to write content for your site that sells.

Providing Freedom of choice
The biggest reason the internet is so successful is because of the massive amount of information available to us at the convenience of a click of a button. Another reason is that there is freedom of choice. If you think about when you want to go shopping for a gift, but you’re not quite sure what to get, or where to get it. You will most likely go to one of two places, the internet, or the shopping mall. Why? Because there is selection. You choose where you want to shop, and you can quickly go from one place to another.

If convenience and choice are the two biggest reasons people go onto the internet, it is something worth thinking about when filling a website with content.

One way to offer freedom of choice is to provide information about several related products or services on the home page, then let the user choose where to go from there. Once they have entered a section of the site specific to one product, always provide a way back to the original list with one click of a button.

Writing headlines that sell
Here is a quote from an excellent article found on A List Apart:

Headlines provide busy visitors with an immediate measure of your site’s relevance… A good headline will seduce site visitors. It should grab their attention and convince them the information on the page is worth investigating.

Here are some valuable ways to improve content headlines:

Use facts within the headlines. Especially when the facts effect a large consumer market.
Use Phrases that provide the user with valuable information, such as tips and resources.
Provide an example of your product or service fulfilling a need.
Ask the visitor a question that relates to your product or service.
Focus on the product’s unique selling point.
Make a news announcement that will get the users attention.
Start a story that will grab attention because it sppeals to our natural desire to be entertained or informed.
Play on words - make a statement about your product or service that will leave the user thinking.
Associate your product or service with a connected idea, feeling, or emotion.
Writing content that sells
People read much slower on screen than on paper, so keep sentences and paragraphs short and to the point. If the website/page is offering something specific, make sure the offer is clear and simple.

Make sure important information is what appears first. Visitors will use this information to make a decision on whether or not they will stay on the site, or scroll down to read further information.

People are on the internet to save time, so make sure your offer is clear and simple, right from the start. Be specific, especially in the first sentence of the content, providing valuable information that will encourage further reading. Also, make it clear where to go next on the site to get more information, don’t force your visitor to think!

Finally, Personalize your content by doing research on the type of users that will visit your website. Make sure your content appeals to this audience.

*Some information and/or ideas taken from Who Needs Headlines written by Shaun Crowley for A List Apart