Annie Anderson | Blog

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The failure of content

As a writer, I often help small business owners create content for their websites. I’m usually hired after another writer has backed out of the project for one reason or another. Sometimes I’m hired long after the original writer has flown the coop. Most of the time, I’m hired because the website isn’t working as well as it should or in the way that the business owner wants.

And the problem facing these business owners usually centers around content that is inadequate and/or unappealing. From a writer’s standpoint, it looks great. The failure is that the content isn’t written to compel the reader to take the next step. It isn’t written to inspire or to sell or even convert. It looks pretty, it reads well, but that’s about it. It’s stagnant, at best.

So, what does the content need to do? What’s the purpose?

The purpose of any writer, of any written content, is to convey to the reader a sense of urgency, something that moves them forward in the buying process. It’s purpose is to get the reader from one step to the next, whether that’s asking for free information or buying a product or service or both.

A writer’s job is to figure out the action a visitor to a website should take and get them to take it.

When I speak with someone about their website and marketing materials, I ask them a series of questions designed to help me figure that out.

Now, I do a lot of writing for the real estate market - that’s my main niche. And most real estate agents and brokers will tell you that it’s all about location, location, location. But I’m here to tell you - no it isn’t. It’s about selling homebuyers a dream - the American Dream. It’s about making things easy for them and helping them feel good about their purchase. It’s about appealing to their desires. Any good broker will be able to hone in on what a buyer really wants and sell them that ideal.

And a writer’s job is to help that agent or that broker look like a friend and yet professional. A professional who cares, is knowledgeable and can sell them that American Dream.

Writers create a mental image and the key is creating an image that reflects the business owner as well as the ideals of the target audience. The website must be comfortable to the website owner and it must also appeal to the buyer.

Image is just as important as content.

A poorly designed website will do nothing. In fact, the site owner might even be so embarrassed by it, they don’t share it with potential clients or customers! I’ve seen this happen many times. And the result is that the business owner loses money and has little or no return on their investment. Their business might even dry up because nobody knows about their website.

As they say, first impressions are everything. This is as true for the web as it is in person. Hiring a good writer is just as important as hiring a good designer. It could mean the difference between few sales and a booming business.

What’s your website saying?

In the arena,

Make $10k in a weekend - “Too good to be true.” That’s the first thing I said when
I heard of http://tinyurl.com/5lq2g4. You can’t REALLY make $10K in a weekend. But I quickly bit my tongue once I saw the content. . .

Annie Anderson is a freelance copywriter and graphic designer specializing in the small business and real estate markets. Her tagline “Making your business, my business” means that she’ll take the utmost care when creating words and images for your business - just as if it were her own.

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