Good Content is King - Write Like You Talk

by Bill
(Lakeside, Montana)

If there's one thing that is key to a successful web site it is credibility. When you are first starting out credibility can be difficult to establish. No one know you. Why should they trust what you have to say?

I believe that an excellent way to build credibility is to talk to your customers on the web page the way you would talk to them face to face. Put another way, write the way you talk. Of course this wouldn't apply if you use lots of profanity or like to say controversial things but that's really not what I'm talking about.

What I'm talking about is giving the reader the impression that they are reading something from a friend. Your words come across naturally and with conviction. Your don't SHOUT with lots of capital letters in bright red color. You don't make excessive use of exclamation points. Two exclamation points in a row is generally one too many!

Most of us don't like the hard sell yet writing in upper-case red letters with (!!!!) is the Internet equivalent of the hard sell.

If I'm trying to sell you a product or service I'd like to know what it is you want. That would make it easier for me to make the sale. This is a difficult thing to do on the Internet. So I'll write as if I am talking to a person, perhaps visualize the type of person most likely to be interested in my offering and then explain, in plain English, what the product or service is about and why they should take a second look. I don't expect them to hit the "Buy" button after the first paragraph. I want to get their interest and get them to keep reading. Not forever, but hopefully to the bottom of the page.

Also, I want to convey a definite impression that I know what I'm talking about. That means doing some research if I'm not thoroughly familiar with the product or service I've read myself and feel comfortable in recommending. When I make suggestions on how to choose between several models of the same thing ( in my case saddles) I make sure that I've brushed up in areas in which my knowledge is a little weak and that I don't suggest something that I wouldn't try myself.

If you write naturally, like you talk, and you're not trying to fool someone chances are you'll come across as someone who your visitor would like to do business with.

It takes time, but with good honest content people who visit your site will recommend it to others, particularly if they get a kick out of what you have to say. A little humor here and there isn't going to hurt one bit.

It is said the "Content is King." I believe that, and I believe it even more when the content is not only informative but pleasant reading as well.

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