One of the most important priorities of evey online business
should be their copywriting. Online copywriting skills are a
“must have” for anyone who is thinking about real success with
their online business.

It doesn’t matter if you’re marketing a product, a service, a
network marketing opportunity, or if you’re an affiliate selling
someone else’s products; you need to know a little bit about
online copywriting. You don’t need to be an expert at it, but
you should know some basics to help with constructing landing
pages, content pages, or just simple ads for advertising.

When I bought my first car, I made sure that I knew how to do
some basic repairs. I wanted to, at the very least, be able to
do the regular maintenance to help save money. Things like
changing the oil, air filter, spark plugs and wires, being able
to flush the radiator, add any fluids necessary, change any
hoses, and even put in new brakes. I saved a lot of money by not
having to go to the garage every three thousand miles or when
any basic repairs needed to be done.

The same thing can be said about basic copywriting skills. Here
are five copywriting tips for you to keep in mind when doing any
type of online marketing.

Know Your Audience

The first thing to consider when writing anything on the
Internet is to know who you are writing it for. For example,
when I am writing an ad for a client I write it for a specific
targeted audience. I don’t like “generic” ads that appeal to
everyone. The more focused your ads, web copy, articles, ezine,
special reports, or anything written is, the response rates are
much higher.

When you know your audience you can write from certain angles.
You can identify their problem and present your product as the
solution. People are looking for solutions to problems to
everything from cake decorating to finding out how to advertise
for effective results. If you know your audience you know their
problem and can aim your writing at them.

Remember Benefits

A lot of times when we’re writing we get into the “add as many
features as I can” frame of mind, when we should be thinking in
a different direction. People want to know “What’s In It For
Me?”, and they want to know now. They don’t want to have to read
a bunch of crap about you before they get to them.

By listing exactly what your product, or service, will do for
them within your copy people will be much more apt to do what
you are leading them to do. Which leads me to the next
copywriting tip

Have A Direction

Know where you want to go with your copywriting. Here’s and
example of what I’m talking about. I was contacted by a
prospective client about rewriting some web copy that dealt with
a pretty good piece of exercise equipment. Of course, with the
initial look at the copy I knew the problem, but to make sure I
asked to see the traffic stats for his site.

The site got great traffic, but hadn’t made a sale in over two
months.

The copy was all over the place. There was no real direction
that can take a hold of the reader and take them directly to
where you want them to go. The key to online copywriting is that
the person reading your copy does what you want them to do while
thinking they’re doing what they want to.

Once I explained to my client that his copy needed a direction
to make it flow, did the necessary rewriting, his response shot
through the roof.

Showing people where to go, without them knowing it, is
essential to great copy.

Give A Call To Action

Having direction to your copy is great, but if you don’t take
the next step and tell people what to do, you’ll be missing out
on enormous profits. This is called a “call to action”. It’s
getting to the bottom of your copy, or anywhere you feel will
help, and saying “Click here to buy now”, or “Take the time now
to subscribe to our free ezine”.

This is a must in your ads. Especially in ads like solo ads.
People are reading through and, if left without a compelling
take action now statement, will delete the ad or just click off
it. Ads are a vehicle to get people to your site. A call to
action is the way to get them there.

Give A Guarantee That Can’t Be Refused

People still need to be left with a sense of comfort. Especially
when dealing with people they don’t know. A guarantee the
ensures people that if they are not satisfied, or don’t receive
what they thought, or any other number of reasons don’t want
your product, can get their money back.

And doing it with a smile, at least in your correspondence, will
go a long ways toward maybe keeping them as a subscriber or as a
customer down the road. People like guarantees.

Basic Tips For Great Copywriting

Of course, like auto mechanics, there are a lot more advanced
strategies and copywriting techniques that you can use to
further increase your website’s effectiveness. But, if you use
these five steps towards your own copy you’ll see a major
improvement in your overall advertising strategies and/or
website conversion.

Tim Bossie
http://www.articlesbase.com/copywriting-articles/five-steps-to-online-copywriting-success-809.html