1. The “so what” test … After you write your copy, read it and ask whether it passes the “so what” test. Copywriter Joan Damico explains: “If after reviewing your copy, you think the target audience would just respond with ‘so what,’ then keep rewriting until they’ll say something like, ‘That’s exactly what I’m looking for. How do I get it?’”
2. Use the key copy drivers … Make sure your copy hits one of the key copy drivers as defined by Bob Hacker and Axel Andersson: fear, greed, guilt, exclusivity, anger, salvation, or flattery. “If your copy is not dripping with one or more of these, tear it up and start over,” says Denny Hatch.
3. The drop-in-the-bucket technique … “You have to show that the price you are asking for your product is a ‘drop in the bucket’ compared to the value it delivers,” says copywriter Mike Pavlish.
4. Know your audience … Understand your target market — their fears, needs, concerns, beliefs, attitudes, desires. “My way to be persuasive is to get in touch with the target group by inviting one or two to dinner for in-depth conversation,” says Christian Boucke, a copywriter for Rentrop Verlag in Germany. “I also call 15 to 40 by phone to get a multitude of testimonials and facts, and go to meetings or exhibitions where I can find them to get a first impression of their typical characteristics. Ideally, I accompany some of them in their private lives for years. By this, I understand better their true underlying key motivations.”
5. Write like people talk … Use a conversational, natural style. “Write like you talk,” says Barnaby Kalan of Reliance Direct Marketing. “Speak in language that’s simple and easy to understand. Write the way your prospects talk.”
6. Be timely … “Pay very close attention to goings-on in the news that you can and should link to,” suggests Dan Kennedy. “Jump on a timely topic and link to it in useful communication with present clients, in advertising for new clients, and in seeking media publicity.”
7. Lead with your strongest point … “When I review my writing, or especially others, I find they almost always leave the most potent point to the last line,” says John Shoemaker. “So I simply move it to the first line. Instant improvement.”
8. The Tremendous Whack Theory … “I employ Winston Churchill’s ‘tremendous whack’ theory, which says that if you have an important point to make, don’t try to be subtle or clever,” says Richard Perry. “Use a pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time — a tremendous whack.”

Links to other content can be added on the site’s perimeter to satisfy secondary audiences.

I found several reliable sources for the ideal length for a web page …

I found this with a quick Google search: http://www.useit.com/alertbox/percent-text-read.html

This study is dated 2008. I doubt online reading habits have changed much since. Naturally, the longer the page, the fewer number of people who read all of the text. However, the sharpest decline seems to be at about 200 to 300 words.

I like a lot of what Bob Bly writes about writing. I found this excerpt on his enewsletter (http://www.bly.com/archive/?p=111):

According to web expert Gerry McGovern, the ideal length for a
page of web copy on a regular web site (not a landing page) is
300 words. He says 50% of visitors will read a 300-word page to
the end, while only 5% will scan 1,000 words.

Headlines should be 4 to 8 words, sentences 15 to 20 words, and
paragraphs 40 to 70 words. Hyperlinks should be in the right-hand
column, not embedded within the body copy. Reason: links in the
body copy distract readers, making it difficult for them to read
the paragraph.

Source: IntelBuilder

This provides a practical rule of thumb.

300 words seems reasonable to me. It gets tough to keeping online reader engaged for more than that. If I have more content than that on the subject, I need to either condense the content (always good to do anyway), spread the content to multiple web pages (yikes!), or encapsulate in a different medium (such as video).

The Four ‘U’s Headline Writing Formula

When writing a headline, strive to include the four ‘U’s in your headline (a headline writing tip I learned from copywriter, Michael Masterson):

• USEFUL: Be sure it’s written in a matter that explains what’s in it for the reader. e.g., “How to Save Time and Improve Service Quality at the Same Time”
• UNIQUE: Don’t be predictable. e.g., “The Most Important Business Lesson I Learned from My Plummer”
• ULTRA-SPECIFIC: Package your ideas or use. e.g., “The 17 Real Reasons Why 79% of All Small Businesses Fail”
• URGENT: Give the reader a reason to pay attention now. e.g., “What Top Professionals Are Doing Now with Social Media to Win Marketshare”

It’s tough to write a concise headline with all four elements. Shoot for 2 to 3 and you’ll do just fine.

Types of Headlines

I recently found this blog post on writing blog headlines:

http://www.blogussion.com/writing/headline-techniques/

This is a decent guide explaining different types of headlines:

• Headlines that leave you wanting more
• Ask an important question
• Promise to teach or solve a problem
• Goes straight to the point
• Exposes some sort of secret

I could write a book on headline writing. It’s certainly an art once you get into it. But the above tips keeps writing a good headline practical.

1. Picture. What does the prospect want?
2. Promise. How does my product solve the prospect’s problem?
3. Proof. What evidence do I have that I do that best?
4. Price. What does it cost?
5. Push. What should the prospect do next?

I explain each step below …

Step 1: Picture

Usually in the headline and first paragraph, I illustrate the prospect’s ideal result. This gets the prospect engaged to read more. If done well, the prospect should be saying to himself, “yeah, that’s what I want!” However, this is not a feature of my product (or service). This, instead, is an emotional appeal. Tip: fear is one effective emotion to engage readers. More effective are envy and exclusivity.

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Step 2: Promise

Next, I explain how my product solves the prospect’s problem and delivers the ideal result. I usually do this by writing a bulleted list of features. I also briefly explain how each feature benefits the prospect.

Tip: try to tie every benefit back to the picture you established in step 1.

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Step 3: Proof

Next, I not only provide evidence that I do this well, but also evidence that I do it better than the competition. I can use credentials, statistics, client testimonials, case studies, and awards.

Tip: much like a police officer’s badge, graphics work well as ‘visual evidence’ … credentialing agency logos, photos of clients, graphs, awards.

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Step 4: Price

Next, I let the prospect know how much it costs (in time, pain, and money). Also at this step, I try to remove as many purchasing risks as I possibly can (unless, of course, I want to keep risks in place in order to qualify prospects). There are several ways to reduce purchasing risk:

• Guarantee (e.g., if you’re not satisfied, we’ll rework your case until you are at no added cost)
• Privacy (e.g., your information is kept strictly confidential)
• Time (e.g., the exam takes just 11 minutes to complete)
• Pain (e.g., the procedure is completely painless)

Tip: there are several ways to avoid ‘sticker price shock,’ to include:

• Incremental payments (e.g., 3 monthly payments of only $299 sounds better than $900)
• Competitor comparison (other practices charge as much as $7,000 … we charge just $4,500)
• Bundled value (e.g., for all of this you might pay as much as $4,000 … we offer it for just $1,750.)

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Step 5: Push

Finally, I remind the prospect of the picture and let the prospect know how to purchase my product. I keep it simple. Most of the time, it’s just a phone number or e-mail address. A long or complex purchasing process may hinder responses.

Tip: If I have a complex or expensive product, I also offer a lower-priced or free product. This lets the prospect get something now. In turn, this lets me keep in touch with the prospect. Information product downloads can work well for this.

Tip: I make sure the prospect knows who they are contacting. Me? A front desk person? I also let them know how soon they can expect a response to their inquiry.

Tip: Sometimes it helps to add urgency to the push if there’s a good chance the prospect won’t return once they leave your site (e.g., if you subscribe to my e-newsletter by January 30th, I’ll send you my free 105-page report).

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That’s the basic formula. Is it possible to do more or better? Sure. But this practical web writing formula establishes a solid foundation.