Bright Ideas # 44 – What You Need to Say: Part II of Why Writing for the Web is Different 

Last week, I talked about the three major differences between writing for the Web and writing for print:

1. You have to write for two audiences: potential customers and search engines
2. People read differently on the Web than they do in print
3. You have to consider usability, because the last thing you want is for visitors to have to search all over your site for the information they need

Then I talked about the three things your site content must do in order to generate sales:

1. Make the shopping experience easy and convenient
2. Inspire confidence
3. Show what’s different or better about buying from you

Today, I want to help you break these down even more. That way you can be sure your content is going to do the job.

In order to do this, you have to start by thinking about your content from three different perspectives: your own as an Internet shopper, your customer’s, and your perspective as the business owner.

So first I want to help you put yourself in your customer’s shoes.

If you’ve shopped online before, this should be fairly easy. If you haven’t shopped online before, go buy something right now.

A book from Amazon is always a good investment, and they have one of the best E-commerce Websites around. So make a purchase or two, then come back to this email.

Now, as an experienced Internet shopper, grab pen and paper and write down the answers to these four questions:

• What questions do I need answered before I will buy from a particular Website?
• What questions do I need answered before I will buy a specific product or service?
• Other than brand familiarity, what would make me buy from this Website versus another?
• What stops me from making a purchase?

Chances are, your customers are not all that different from you in their general Web buying needs. So your answers should serve as a good starting point for deciding what is important.

But this is just the beginning.

Because the specific content you use depends on two things: what you are selling, and who you are selling it to.

So let’s take a look at your ideal customer and their specific wants and needs…

Grab your pen and paper again and ask yourself:

• Who is my target audience?
• What problem(s) do they hope to solve by visiting my Website?
• What’s most important to my target customer?
• What questions or concerns might they have about my products or services?
  
• What questions or concerns might they have about doing business with me?

If you already have an established business, answering these questions shouldn’t be too hard. If you are starting a brand new business, you may need to do a little soul searching. Or even ask potential customers what they think.

Ready to move on?

Now, it’s time to look at your content from a business owner’s perspective. So yep, you guessed it. You’re going to need that pen and paper again.

This time ask yourself:

• What is my number one goal for this Website (make sales, generate
  leads, use it as an online portfolio, communicate with current customers, etc.)?
• What is my secondary goal for this Website?
• What interesting or unique information do I have to offer about my business, products or services (press releases, articles, audios, videos, comparison charts, scientific studies, testimonials, etc.)?
• What is the single most important idea I want people to take away from the Website?

Once you’ve answered all these questions, you should have a pretty solid idea of the information you need to include on your site. So the next step is to list out all the Web pages you think you need.

That way, before you write the content, you know exactly how it is all going to fit together. And you can make sure all your bases are covered.

Most sites start with at least Home, About, Products and/or Services, and Contact pages. Beyond that, you are only limited by the questions your customers need answered, and the information you have to offer. So at this point, write down every page you want.

Now look back at your page list. Are there pages that will specifically address all your customer’s needs and concerns? Have you included pages for everything you need to meet your goals? Are there pages for all the interesting information you have available?

If you answered yes to all of the above, then it’s time to start outlining your content!

Which is the subject of next week’s newsletter…

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Do you have a marketing, advertising or writing question you’d like to have answered? Email me and you might see the answer in a future edition of Bright Ideas.

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