Someone in the printing business recently suggested to me websites are “overrated.” I was blown away. A website is not just a piece of the marketing pie; it’s the actual hub that connects all the marketing strategies and tactics, online and offline.

Regardless what business or industry you’re in, websites have evolved into the base of operations, where prospects and clients inevitably go to gain product, service, and company information.

Of course, other marketing elements play a role: postcards, e-mails, PR, commercials and much more. But these sources frequently push people to a website. Even TV commercials are trading in 1-800 numbers for website addresses.

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Good web copy layers details via links to help visitors easily access information relevant to their needs.

Links help visitors scan pages. Properly developed links stand out from normal text, and provide strong cues as to what the page is about.

When naming links, the more specific, the more useful. Don’t just give visitors a hint — give them the necessary information they require to act, right then and there.

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What is an SEO writer? That was a question at a recent web writing workshop, and one that gets asked frequently by business owners learning about the Web.

An SEO writer, or SEO copywriter, is basically a writer who develops keyword-rich website content.

Well-researched, keyword-rich content is a highly effective online marketing tool savvy businesses use to gain high search engine rankings, and generate leads and sales.

Accordingly, it’s the job of the SEO writer to effectively optimize website content with keywords that align with popular search terms.

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Copywriters, designers, developers — they all have a part to play in building a successful website.

Like life, there are sequential stages of progression. A child learns to lift his head, turn over, sit up, crawl and finally walk and run.

As Stephen Covey points out in his best seller, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, he states: “Each step is important and each one takes time. No step can be skipped.”

This hold true for websites as well. The planning, copywriting, design and development take time, too, and need to be a part of the process.

Otherwise, skipping any of these steps cause websites to fall flat on their faces.

White papers offer an effective way to generate new leads for business, especially for service providers.

A professionally written white paper can demonstrate your know-how in a way that provides value to your prospects. It puts forth your point of view, addresses issues your prospects face, and serves solutions.

A white paper that contains useful, practical information builds trust and rapport with prospects, and can help grow your client base.

Is there a common pain in your industry you could address with a white paper? If so, you could be sitting on a productive lead generation and relationship building tool.

Most of us are aware of the golden rule for plain writing on the Web: Keep It Short and Simple.

But there’s no getting around it — at some point you are likely to have a long piece of complex material that you have to put up on your website.

It might be a ‘terms and conditions’ page for a contractual agreement. A set of instructions for a new product. A detailed explanation of a business policy. Whatever it is, you want your customers to read it because it will improve your business.

You can’t force them to read it, but you can encourage them to read it. You can make it inviting. Enticing. Kissable. Here’s how.

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Before you start your website’s development, it’s a good idea to determine who will be in charge of website updates and how much time will be required to stay on top of them, suggests Brad Haima of Circle, an Abbotsford-based Vancouver web design firm.

“Many companies have great expectations but are often too busy to do simple website updates,” said Haima. “Having a good game plan ahead of time will allow you to prepare for how much time and staff you are willing to commit to website updates.”

He points out there are a number of pros and cons for each site editing option:

Outsourcing to a Web Design Firm

Pros:
1. Work will be done professionally and reflect the image your company deserves.
2. Because each page is edited manually your site can have a unique look throughout rather than a website that uses the same template over and over on every page.
3. Many web firms can also provide automated software solutions.

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It’s one thing to learn about nature in a book. It’s quite another to see mother nature and its amazing creatures up close.

That’s what Webcopyplus helped Canadian tour operator Expore Travel get across with its recently overhauled web content. Through a series of stories, their web content brings to light several outdoor adventures in BC, each designed to connect with and inspire people.

In fact, well delivered stories can entice visitors to become fond of a company and ultimately prompt purchases. That’s because people make decisions emotionally and then rationalize them logically. On and off the Web, stories can be very influential communication tools.

By the way, if you’re looking for some of the best BC travel guides in the business, you should talk to Nick Gudewill or Cory Matheson. You can reach them through their adventure travel website.

The mapped story format is an interesting way to make longer news stories more reader-friendly.

Devised by the Calgary Herald’s David Hedley—a friend and former colleague—the mapped story format begins with the summary written in a classic inverted pyramid style.

The body of the story is organized into mini chapters, dealing with one news element at a time. The mini-chapters are led by informative subheads, signaling to readers what comes next.

Hedley suggests the mapped story format offers several advantages over the commonly used inverted pyramid, including improved clarity, scannability and comprehensibility.

While this guideline focuses on news, the principles apply to any field of writing. In fact, it works very well on the Web, where well-versed designers frequently utilize anchors, links, subheads and digestible chunks of layered web copy to promote positive online experiences.

Read entire report: Mapped story format helps readers

This spring, forget about your garage and closet — clean out your website!

If your site’s been online for more than a few months, chances are it’s cluttered with unnecessary content. Meanwhile, every extra item on your website competes for your visitors’ attention, reducing the impact of your key message.

Employ the following six steps to eliminate these distractions and instantly improve your site’s usability:

1.    Sweep out useless items
Is that welcome message necessary? Are some of those buttons or links redundant? When it comes to web content, less is more. So scrutinize every element on your website and discard whatever you can.

2.    Update your information
Keep your web copy up to date. If you don’t have adequate resources, keep time-sensitive information to a minimum.

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