This worksheet has been designed to help you decide what content you want on your web site, how it would help you meet your business/personal goals, and how to write it. 


Browse our Designs or Search the World Wide Web for companies like yours that have web sites. It is a great way to get ideas and start to think about what you might want on your site. 

Purpose

Why do you want to be on the Internet? What business goals would the Internet help you achieve? What new services could you offer? 

Reach new customers 
Provide information to existing customers 
Sell a product or service 
Provide selected information in easily accessible web form 
Provide additional ways to communicate with your customer 
Provide new services to your customers 
Publish a newsletter 
Have an up to date image 
Provide educational information 
Keep up with the competition 
Use bulletin boards to discuss topics 
Show pictures of your product 
Reduce printing costs 
Conduct surveys 
Email access 
Other: 


What ideas do you have for things on your web page? 

Mission statement 
Company logo 
Description of your company, employees and each business segment 
Hours of operation 
Email address 
Map to your business 
Pictures of you or products 
Surveys 
Catalogue of your products 
Links to other sites 
Teleconferencing or chat sections 
Reciprocal links with complementary businesses, community 
"Friends" page 
Coupons and discounts 
Guest Book 
Discussion group boards 
New services that you could charge for if they were available on the internet 
Shopping cart 
Password protected information 
Email to selected customers 
Educational or humorous sayings or quotes 
Graphics 
Music or voice 
Other: 


Audience 

Who is your current market (profession or industry, age, location, income bracket)? 

Do you think your market has internet access or uses email? 

What is the market you want that you are not reaching? 

What is your competition doing with Internet marketing, advertising? 

What do your customers want from you? (examples: high quality, selection, low price, service, convenience ) 

What do you want from your customers? (examples: one time sales, repeat business, add on sales, service contracts) 

What message do you want to communicate to your audience? 

Describe in about thirty words what your business does. 

How do you currently market or advertise your business? 

Business Cards 
Brochures-direct mailing 
Brochures-broad mailing 
Newspaper-community 
Newspaper-city or national 
Industry related magazines 
Phone book white pages 
Phone book yellow pages 
Coupon books 
Newsletters 
Radio 
TV 
Trade shows or conventions 
Other: 


Content 

What existing information do you have to put on a site as advertising information, newsletters, brochures, handouts, company logo, pictures, catalogue? 

Do you have the information in electronic format such as Word, WordPerfect or the digital format of your company logo? 

What ideas do you have for new information? 

What information will need to be updated on an ongoing basis? For example, will you have sales, coupons, prices that change, newsletters, inventory that changes, new products or services that you offer, a new look for the site, a calendar of events that changes, changes in days or hours of operation. 

How often will it change-daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually? 

Who will provide the information that needs to be updated and what format will it be in? 

Who will answer email or requests from forms ?

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I have gathered some of the best advice I could find on writing the content for your website. This is the hardest part for YOU when it comes to your website's success. I know this is rather long, but I opted to include all of it so it will be easy for you to keep and refer back to during the creation of your site. Enjoy your success! :)

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When writing the content for your website, keep these rules in mind.

Write To Be Scanned.
It's a well known fact that people who surf the Internet are in a rush. If your text can be scanned easily, you stand a better chance of getting your message across. By breaking up your text into small paragraphs that flow in a logical order, your page's content will be easier on the eye and won't overwhelm your visitor. Bullets are another great feature to help you accomplish this.

Effective use of bolding and italics.
There is a saying that I heard applies to this topic. "Less is more!"
It's true, if every other word in a paragraph is bold then the use of the bold text loses it's effectiveness. Web designers use bold text to draw attention to something they feel is of importance. By using a minimal amount, your bold text will have a higher effectiveness. The same can be said for italics, but keep in mind that most fonts when italicized end up looking pixilated.

Bullets!
I know I mentioned this earlier, but thought I better reinforce it again. Ever been to an e-commerce web site? Then you noticed they've used bullets quite a bit. Well, the reason behind it is due to the fact that bullets break up text content quite well. Although they can be misused by placing too many bullets, this is a rare occasion. A way to avoid it is by limiting your bullets to a maximum of 6 and never surpassing 10.

Short sentences.
Whatever you are trying to say can be said in less words. Keep your sentences sweet and to the point. I understand that sometimes sentences run on a bit, but never to the point of causing the reader to run out of breath. A good rule for this. Keep your sentences no more than 7 words, followed by a break. What is that break? Well, you could use a period, comma or anything else that allows the reader to breathe.

Headers!
They are an important part of your text. By using headers, you can let a visitor know what the text below is about. Headers will allow a visitor to scan your page easily. Writing attention grabbing headers is a whole new story. Try to make your headers descriptive and you shouldn't have any problems. Also make sure you differentiate your headers from your text with size and weight.

So these are the rules that I have come up with when writing text. By following these rules you can create web pages that can be scanned easily by those that visit your site.

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Avoid These 5 Web Site Blunders!

BLUNDER #1: Hiding who you are and what you do.

      It's sad that many sites make it a challenge to figure out what they're about. Yes, it may be cool to have a giant dancing logo on your home page, but don't forget WHY your visitors are there: to learn what you can DO for them!

      Be sure your home page includes a *short overview* that clearly and concisely describes what you have to offer. It's also a good idea to repeat your tagline or a short mission statement on *every page* of your site. Why?

      People can pop in and land on an inside page via a search engine/directory link that you may not be aware of. Make sure they know who you are right away.

BLUNDER #2: Writing for print.

      Reading copy on a computer screen is different than reading printed text. We read online text more slowly, and we tend to scan rather than read because, visually, the words are harder to digest. Help your users find key words and concepts quickly by making your copy "scannable." Instead of intro paragraphs, use subheads. Use shorter sentences, paragraphs, and pages. Use bulleted lists. And use hyperlinks to give readers more info if they want it.

BLUNDER #3: Writing too formally.

      Online readers expect a personal, upbeat tone. If you write like a bureaucrat, you risk turning off many users. Think ACTIVE voice rather than passive. (For example, instead of saying "the computer must be turned on" say "turn on the computer.") Write to your customers like you'd talk to them, and nix any industry jargon they may not understand.

      Interestingly, I occasionally see the opposite problem. For example, a respected law firm's site shouldn't shout excitedly at customers as in a sweepstakes offer. Ask yourself: "How do my customers like to be talked to?" and that's your answer.

BLUNDER #4: Designing cryptic navigation.

      Unfortunately, many sites don't seem to be truly designed with the end user in mind. Consider why users are visiting your site, then turn those reasons into your main navigation choices. Try to limit them to 8 or less. Then, create sub-navigation within those choices. But if there's an especially popular page on your site, why not put a special direct link from the home page? For example, on the home page of our site, we keep a direct link to our latest article or information about new awards we've won.

BLUNDER #5: Making it difficult to contact you or place an order.

      I recently visited the Web site of an acclaimed furniture manufacturer, and I was ready to order one of their renowned ergonomic chairs. I clicked around, found the chair I wanted, and then quickly grew irate. Not only couldn't I find where to order it online, I couldn't even find their phone number to call and order one or find the nearest dealer! The results? One lost customer.

      Put your phone number, an e-mail link, and a link to your order form (if you have one) on EVERY page of your Web site. Don't rely on your users having the patience to take a few extra steps. Make it as easy as possible, and they'll be much more likely to follow through (and return)!

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

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Basic formula that most copywriters use.

      The fact is that anyone can use this formula and when you do,
you will see measurable results. Here is the formula:

attract - Attention

generate - Interest

stimulate - Desire

ask for - Action

      When people are scanning ads, and their eyes move across your ad,
you only have a few seconds if that to capture their attention.
The first objective is to write a headline that can attract the
reader's Attention. This is the first step of the four part
formula for writing successful ads. You want it to be your ad
that grabs the reader's attention. You may have to write pages
of different headlines to get one that stands out from the rest
but this is really a small price to make the difference between
success and failure.

      Start by writing down the main benefit of your product or service.
A benefit is something that fills a need in the reader's life.
It may be more money or better health. It maybe a service that
saves valuable time or just makes life easier in some way. When
you know what your main benefit is, start writing headlines
using power words to emphasize and magnify your main benefit.
Before you begin, it would be wise to read ads for the purpose
of learning to write ads. You will start to see the big differences
between ads.... from the bland to the downright compelling! One
person might write 'Eggs for Sale' but the next person may make
his eggs sound so much better even if the eggs are identical!
'Farm Fresh Eggs for Sale!' Now don't those eggs sound much better?

      Once you have a headline that you feel can get the reader's attention, your next job is to develop 'Interest and Desire'. As with most ads, you will have to do this with a limited amount of words so don't waste them! The reader of your ad should be persuaded that what you offer will solve one of their problems. Let them know that your Herbal Pain Relief Formula really will give them a pain free life once again! Use power words to emphasize the benefits they will get if they respond to your ad. Solve one of the reader's problems with words and your are just about there!

      One of the biggest mistakes made by ad writers is when they fail to
ask the reader to take 'action'. If you have a Herbal Pain Formula
website, you might close the ad by writing 'To End Your Pain -
Click Here!' If you want the person to respond by email, by phone or
to write to you, tell them how to respond. If you don't tell them to
respond they probably won't! Here is how an ad for a herbal pain
formula might read:

Live Pain Free!
New Herbal Formula with
Pain Free Guarantee!
To End Your Pain - Click Here Now!

      Ad writing or copywriting is an art and you can't learn it all from
any one article. But if you will seek out the information and spend
some time at developing this art, you can see a difference in your
response rates. With time, you may even write an award winner that
could pull for years to come!

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Here are the 5 most important things you should do to maximize your online presence:

1. Represent your brand -
      Your web site should represent your brand. Images must be sharp,
navigation intuitive. Everything about your site -- right down to
the colors and fonts -- must invoke specific feelings and
demonstrate certain characteristics about your business. For
example; a luxury car manufacturer must make their site elegant,
beautiful, and flawless. A technology firm must make their site
appear high-tech, modern, and functional. Because this is what
their brand represents. This is what their clients want to see.

2. Know your target audience -
      To leverage your investment in an online solution, you need to ask yourself some questions: Are you selling services, products, or both? Who is your audience? New prospects, existing customers, or both? How comfortable are they with technology? What do they really need from you? What new services does the Web make possible that would benefit your customers? How are you doing a good job of serving them now? Where are you failing? What is your competition doing in this area? Why is your service or product better than your competition?

3. Put your customer's needs first -
      The bottom line is your customers needs. Nothing else matters. Because if their needs aren't met, they will take their business to someone else. Make it easy for your customers to get what they need from your web site. That means posting information about your industry in general and about your products, services, procedures, and policies in particular. It may be helpful to "layer" information so that a few clicks take the visitor from overviews to in-depth specifications. A well-designed online solution will help you meet your customer's needs along the entire sales cycle (Awareness, Product/Service Knowledge, Consideration, Conversion, Post-Sale Service and Support).

4. Complement your existing promotional materials -
      Your site should be congruent with your existing advertising and marketing materials. To do otherwise invites confusion and reduces the impact of your online presence. Make sure that you incorporate the key elements of your visual identity into your web site. Behavioral experts inform us that a person needs to see your brand name nine times before you are familiar enough to do business with. Maximize your branding effect by using similar fonts, logos, and colors online.

5. Communicate your unique selling position effectively -
      What is the primary benefit your business offers that differentiates you from your competition? Think about it. That benefit should be the focus of most of your marketing communications, and will be key in developing an attractive and informative web site you can leverage to YOUR competitive advantage.

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YOUR WEB SITE IS PUBLISHED, NOW WHAT?

      OK, so you found something that you feel will sell over the
internet. You have a computer, a phone, a fax, and you are now
searching for a way to accept credit cards for your business.
You are almost ready to sit back and let your web page become
your money machine, right?

      Well, don't start counting your money just yet. You have a lot
of work remaining. You have continual reading, and ongoing
testing and searching for cost-effective ways to advertise your
site. Remember, there are thousands and thousands of other
entrepreneurs out there with the same idea as you! Plus, as
you already know, the Internet and Internet users change
rapidly, including tastes, technologies, user sophistication,
business models, and relationships, as do customer behaviors.

      And once you've attracted visitors to your site, the next
challenge is how do you persuade these potential buyers to buy
from you? Here are a few web basics to keep in mind.

Present a professional appearance.

      You've got a tough job: You need to have a professional-looking website that lets customers know you are real and credible. Even though you may be working out of the basement of your home, the appearance of your site needs to be sharp, professional, and coherent. Does it look like it was done by an expert or pieced together by a bunch of kids? That's one unique aspect of the web: it puts the one-person shop on the same playing field as any large company, in terms of how you present yourself to the world. Make sure you take full advantage of it.

Focus on providing high-quality content.

      Visitors judge the value of your business by the content presented. People go to the web looking for information. You can meet this need by providing high-quality information that's topical and readable and engages the customer and gives them a reason to come back again. Keep your content up to date and build content resources at your web site around specific themes that visitors may find interesting. Choose your words and statements carefully, and most of all, proofread your site! Spelling and grammar errors on a web page are e-commerce suicide!

Keep it simple.

      Your website's job is to convince people to buy something based solely on its visual appearance and content. When people are surfing the web, they generally don't want to spend more than a few seconds on any page until they've found exactly what they're looking for. Too much text on your home page will cause visitors to move on. Provide introductions using short sentences and display clear and enticing links to more detailed information. If your site looks complex and confusing, it will be a turn-off to customers. Creativity is great for any webpage, but don't load your site with outrageous headlines, too much animation, and gaudy, mis-matched color schemes. Look for ways to sooth and inspire your potential customers. If they feel comfortable and you have something worthwhile to offer, they'll likely come back again.

Identify yourself and provide customer service.

      With all the hype and scams these days, visitors need signs of credibility, especially if you are hoping to engage them in e-commerce.
Easily accessible contact details, including telephone, fax numbers, postal address, and automate email links build trust.  It's amazing how many companies do not include this basic information. And don't forget about servicing the customer. I've seen plenty of incredible sites only to be dismayed at their complete lack of customer service. If you receive an e-mail, respond promptly. If you get an order, fill it accurately and quickly! Be sure the customer knows of your product guarantees and return policies up front. Don't surprise them down the road. Show the customer that your company does things right. You may be on the Internet, but you still have to apply the same principles of good business that have always been important for long-term survival. It will keep your customers coming back and ensure steady traffic to your website. Then you can relax a bit and wait for the orders to roll in!

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What is the greatest principle of human persuasion?

      What is this pre-existing ability which you possess, that can improve your network marketing outcome? Which single principle of human persuasion would I share with you if I could reveal but one?

      It is this..."People are persuaded more by the depth of
your conviction than by the height of your logic, more by
your own enthusiasm than any proof you can offer." Put
another way, "people are converted not to your way of
thinking, they are persuaded more by your way of feeling,
your way of believing."

      Your conviction, your enthusiasm, your belief in what you
are doing is what sells. Your feelings, your emotions, your
honest interest in your product and your prospect is what
persuades. Your optimism, your assurances, your hope, when
combined with knowledge of what you are doing, enjoyment of
what you are doing, and faith that you and yours are the
very best, creates an unseen force which can not be
resisted.

      People are turned on by your feelings, not by what you say.
The belief is in you, not in what you are selling. They
buy because you ask them to, not because they need your
product or service.

Do you understand what is being said here? Do you get it?

      Your vigorous enthusiasm, your concentrated knowledge, and
your stimulating belief in yourself, in your products, in
your service and in what you do, makes you practically
hypnotic in persuasive powers. The most persuasive person
in the world is that individual who has a fanatical belief
in their idea, in their product and in their service.

      Study the top money earners and leaders in MLM/NWM and you
will find this common denominator, "they all have a burning
desire to be the very best at what they are do." Their
belief is sincere enough and deep enough that they walk in
a climate of positive expectancy. They have an obsession
that cannot be denied. This is the ultimate in human
persuasion.

      So how do I create this persuasive power, you are probably
asking yourself? How do I infuse my personality so that I
become practically hypnotic? What do I do to develop into
the ultimate human persuader? It is very simple.

      I am going to quote Will Rogers, because he keeps it
simple; "You must know what you are doing." "You must love
what you are doing." and "You must believe in what you
are doing."

      These three directives are the answer. They are all that
you need to achieve the success that you want. Study them.
Internalize them. Have faith in them. Make them a part of
your daily practices.

They can lead you to success.

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Killer Copy: Words That Are Like Magnets to Money
by David Garfinkel

      I'll never forget what my accountant said five years ago when he
saw the ad I wrote for my services: "How many scotches did you
drink before you wrote this?"

      He was kidding about the scotch. But he just couldn't believe
anyone in their right mind would write such a bold and
outrageous ad for their own writing, consulting and speaking
services, as I had.

      Well, I spent $300 on that ad -- $200 to run it in a local trade
association directory, and $100 to have it reprinted as a flyer.

      The following year, that $300 ad turned into $12,341 in new
business for me. And $12,341 was just a tiny fraction of my
total business that year.

      Why did I make so much money myself while there were so many
thousands of "starving writers" in the world? The answer may
surprise you. You see, it's not because I'm a better writer.
It's not my schooling. Not my resume. Not any talent I was
born with.

It's all because I learned how to write "killer copy."

How do you write killer copy?

      You start your killer copy with an emotion-packed opening
statement that will get the attention of your reader. This
opening statement may be:

* a headline
* an opening sentence
* a subject line on an email
* the header on a Web page

      ... or for that matter, the opening words in a telemarketing
script, radio commercial, or TV spot. What's important is that
you understand - your first words count for everything - because
you must captivate peoples' imagination with those words in
order to keep their attention.

Here are examples of opening statements from actual successful
marketing pieces:

a) "Take the luxury vacation of your dreams at a reduced cost
because of this special offer" (from a travel agency's letter to
business owners.)

b) "How to stop overwhelm before it stops you" (from a personal
coach's ad aimed at stressed-out overachievers)

c) "Why almost every financial statement in family court may not
disclose the full net worth of the opposing spouse" (from an
investigator's sales letter to divorce lawyers.)

Then, after your emotion-packed opening statement, you just
a) Make a promise
b) Back it up with convincing proof and
c) Ask for action

Let's look at how you do each of those three techniques.

1. Make a promise. The letter about luxury vacations starts
with these words:

      "Imagine taking your winter vacation knowing you aren't
spending a penny more than you have to - secure that you have
a team of travel experts making sure every little detail of
your vacation goes smoothly. "Here's how you can have that
vacation right now: Take advantage of an unusual promotion our
company is doing. Let me explain."

      Pretty exciting, right? Even if you don't think so, the people
who got the letter did - because the letter produced an amazing
$5 million in sales for the travel agency.

2. Back it up with convincing proof. The personal coach's ad
for stressed-out overachievers, the one that begins "How to stop
overwhelm before it stops you," contains this proof:

* 3 case studies,
* 3 testimonials,
* detailed credentials of the coach
* and a money-back guarantee.

      Despite its stunningly bold claims, the ad comes across as very
believable and has generated a record-breaking parade of new
clients.

3. Ask for action. The investigator's sales letter to divorce
lawyers, beginning "Why almost every financial statement in
family court may not disclose the full net worth of the opposing
spouse," ends this way:

      "I would like to meet with you at no charge to show you how I
can be of service to you and your clients in future family law
cases.

      "Please call me at your convenience so we can set up a meeting
to discuss further how I can assist your clients recover their
fair share of assets. Call me directly at xxx - xxx-xxxx."

      Killer copy always asks for action in the most powerful way
possible. Notice how the above words spell out exactly what to
do, and even make a big promise - that the lawyer reading the
letter will recover more money in court for their clients (and,
therefore, get more money themselves).

      As you can see, a few words of killer copy can lead to massive
amounts of money. In fact, many people say writing killer copy
is the single most valuable money-making skill in the world.

      And recently, writing copy was named as one of the top 10
emerging professions for the new century.

      It doesn't surprise me. In the age of the Internet, the old
style of advertising copy -- saying something clever, and hoping
people remember - just doesn't cut it anymore.

      Besides, these days, with business-to-business advertising
growing so fast, the traditional advertising industry is feeling
a lot of pressure for ads that really produce results. Why?
Because, old-style advertising that entertains, but does not
sell, is not cost-effective enough for many companies in today's
hyper-competitive market.

      Recently I heard from my former accountant. (A few years ago,
he left accounting to start a new business.)

      He asked me if I wouldn't mind sharing some ideas on how he
could write killer copy for his own business.

      I said sure. And now he's on his way to doing the same thing
that I do, for himself.

      Funny thing about the conversation we had the other day. Unlike
the conversation we had back in 1995, he didn't kid me about
drinking scotch, or anything else. Maybe he finally realized
that when it comes to increasing your income, killer copy is
serious business.

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Things you can do to gain internet exposure.

1. Make sure your website address, and e-mail address, are on anything and everything you do in print. Flyers, brochures, biz cards, newspaper ads, TV ads and so forth.

2. As you are surfing the net, look for relevant sites that will be willing
to exchange links or banners with you. This is the best exposure you can
get. I can design you a banner for $10.00. I do suggest the banner rather than just a link because it gives the viewer a visual that tends to attract more clicks than just a name would.

3. Run specials from time to time. And also be diligent in communicating
with clients. A newsletter is EXCELLENT in doing this. Keep every e-mail
address that you come in contact with and send something out on a scheduled basis. Also, have a place on the site where people can sign up for the newsletter. The newsletter can consist of something inspiring, quotes or stories, and also your services and specials and as always, your web address.