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...

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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.

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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.
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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.