Writing for your website

Here's another excerpt from 'Effective writing for the web' www.writerslittlebook.co.uk
When you ask these questions about your business it will concentrate your efforts and give you the focus you need to write targeted text.

WHO, WHAT, WHEN, HOW, WHY?

These are your best friends. Before you do anything for your business they’ll work hard on your behalf and shortcut your path to a website that brings you the results you want.

Let’s wind them up and set them off working for you.

WHO are your customers?
WHAT do they want?
WHEN do they want it?
HOW can you deliver it?
WHY should they buy from you?

This is research I expect my clients to do before I start to write. They are in the best place to know it. My research is based on what they’ve already done though I don’t rely on it completely.

If I told you that doing this research can be the difference between having an okay site and one that brings you the business you want, how prepared are you to put in the effort?
Where do I start in writing the text?

At this point in the book I’m assuming that:
1. You’ve carried out all your research. If you haven’t go back and do it. Any time you spend writing before you have a clear focus in your mind will be wasted otherwise.
2. You’ve checked out websites in your market sector and worked out what you like what you don’t and found out how successful these sites are.
3. You’ve looked at the language they use on the sites and why you like it or don’t.

KEYPOINT: Never steal from them. Develop your own approach based on ideas you like. Making it your unique site is important in the long term.