There are so many ingredients that go into making a successful
Web site. Layout, design, colors, graphics, photos, links and
copy (text) are all included in the mix. Do you know which of
these is the most important element? Believe it or not, copy!
That's right. Copy is where your attention should fall first
when designing a site. There are several reasons why this
component requires special consideration. Let's look at three
areas copy impacts and discover the true bearing it has on your
site and your visitors.
GETS YOUR MESSAGE ACROSS First and foremost, the copy on your
Web site must get your message across to the visitor. Its
function is to provide information and/or sell a product or
service, depending on the purpose of your site. Photos can show
products, but they can't make the sale by themselves. Stop and
think for a moment. Have you ever purchased anything based
solely on a photo? The majority of customers will require
details about a product or service before buying. Copy is the
bridge between indecision and purchase.
DRAWS ATTENTION The headlines on your Web site draw more
attention than the graphics or photos. Stanford University, in
conjunction with The Poynter Institute, recently completed a
four-year study that proved the importance of text over graphics
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on Web sites. (See www.poynter.org/eyetrack2000/body.htm)
According to this research 'readers of print newspapers looked
first at the lead art element on a newspaper page and then moved
their eyes to the biggest headline.' However, the study
continues with, 'Web site readers tend to look first and most
intently at plain text, passing lightly over photos and images'.
Contrary to popular belief, the copy on your site gets attention
from the visitor before the other elements.
INCREASES CHANCES OF GOOD SEARCH ENGINE POSITIONING Robin
Nobles, of the Academy of Web Specialists
(www.academywebspecialists.com), recently wrote an article
discussing doorway pages. In it Robin made the following
comment, 'Since every page is essentially a doorway into your
site anyway, concentrate on building content. Now you're giving
the engines just what they want to see these days: content'.
Unfortunately, many Web designers and do-it-yourselfers are not
aware of the importance of copy in the overall workings of
search engines. Without solid content it is almost impossible to
get positioned well by search engines. The copy on the site must
be a delicate balance of repeated keywords and promotional
information in order to make sense to the reader and meet engine
criteria. The more times your keywords are presented within the
copy, the greater your chance to receive a position in the
coveted Top 20. However, overload your copy with keywords and
key phrases and you'll find yourself labeled as a spammer and be
banned from the engine - permanently!
There are also other factors involved with copy and engine
position. The site title and site description must be just as
delicately created as the body copy in order to obtain high
rankings.
Considering these three facts brings a whole new light to the
importance of excellent, well created Web site copy. Before you
decide on colors or graphics or photos or design, stop and give
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human life. Many people put .....
due thought to the copy first. It will pay off in the long run!
About the author:
Karon is Owner and President of KT & Associates who offers
targeted copywriting, copy editing & ghostwriting services.
Subscribe to KT & Associates' Ezine "Business Essentials" at
BusinessEssentials-subscribe@topica.com or visit her site at
http://www.ktamarketing.com
