The
WWWWW & H of your Web site.
Every first-year
journalists student knows the 5W's & H of copy writing and
you probably learned it in English class in high school as well,
but may have forgotten. Every news article needs to answer these
six items: Who, What, When, Where, Why and How.
Your Web
site also needs to address these issues. It needs to say...
- Who
you are
- What
you do or what you're selling
- Why
I should buy from you
- When
you're available to take orders or when a customer can expect
to receive his items
- Where
you're located and
- How
to place an order with your company and/or how your product
or service differs from others.
Ideally,
your home page should answer all of these six questions. Most
sites do not need a page dedicated to their location unless
they have multiple locations - a simple footer with the address
and contact information will usually suffice.
My recommendation
would be to insert the WHY on your home page right after the
WHAT you do, as listed above. Sometimes the why can be a small
difference like buying "Factory Direct" or getting
"free shipping." Other times the difference in your
product or service is the quality or the uniqueness of it. In
any case, you need to make your case as to why your company
should be considered right on the home page, before the visitor
clicks that mouse and moves to another site.
Sell
Features - Talk Benefits
Another old adage from Sales 101 that still holds true today.
Most sites will list the features of their products but many
fail to detail how this feature is a benefit to the buyer. Don't
assume that the potential buyer is aware of all the pitfalls
of using a product similar to yours that may not have the same
features. Those features were created for a reason — usually
to solve problems and make the item more useful. Be sure to
detail those benefits when describing your features.
Don't
know what to say? Cat got your tongue? Don't think you can
write? Well, let me be the first to tell you that you CAN write
- just keep it simple. Don't try to be too clever or use large
words that no one understands. Here are a just a few short examples
of how you might write your opening paragraph...
- - -
- - - - - - - - - -- - -
Example One (a service industry)
Since 19xx, [My Company] has been providing professional [accounting]
services to the [Southern New Hampshire] business owner. Conveniently
located in [Manchester, NH] our accountants are ready to assist
you with your financials. Unlike other [accounting firms], our
able-bodied staff is available to visit your company and review
your books with you or your bookkeeper at a convenient time
specified by you. We guarantee our accuracy. Call us at [xxx-xxx-xxxx]
anytime Monday through Friday between 9 am and 5 pm to schedule
an appointment.
- - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Example Two (a product offer)
Servicing all of the continental United States, [My Company]
offers one of the finest [widgets] available in today's marketplace.
Our [ABC Widget] is not only the most reliable on the market,
it offers features unsurpassed by other[ widgets], such as...
- Flexible
hand grip for comfort. Designed for use hour-after-hour without
muscle tension caused by long-term use.
- Durable
blade can cut through the toughest material without nicking
and always stays sharp.
- Built-to-last,
this may be the last [widget] you'll ever need to buy. Our
Lifetime Warranty guarantees that this [widget] will never
fall apart.
Order your
widget today online or call 800-xxx-xxxx for next-day delivery.
Sales people are available 24/7 to take your call.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
See, it's
really not that hard. The simpler you keep your writing the
more you can speak to the common man. No one comes to a Web
site expecting to read a novel - they just want to know if you
have what they're looking for.
