The Top 10 Best Practices for Producing an Effective Blog in 2022 and Beyond

The art of blogging requires individuals to possess a solid writing skill set. Nevertheless, most folks believe blogging boils down to merely jotting down ideas and publishing them on a webpage. While one can certainly do that, effective blogging goes much deeper than cobbling words together.

This article will explore the top 10 blogging best practices for 2022 and beyond. These best practices will help seasoned bloggers and newcomers hone their skills. So, please read on because there is a treasure trove of information below.

What is a blog?

The Merriam-Webster dictionary offers two definitions for “blog:”

  1. A website that contains online personal reflections, comments, and often hyperlinks, videos, and photographs provided by the writer.
  2. A regular feature appearing as part of an online publication that typically relates to a particular topic and consists of articles and personal commentary by one or more authors.

There are various elements to unpack in these definitions.

First, a blog tends to be a personal publication, including insights, tidbits, and reflections that pertain to the author. In a broader sense, a blog can apply to a corporation or organization, referring to its usual business activities.

Second, a blog can be part of an online publication. For instance, a blog can be part of an author’s marketing efforts to promote a book. A blog can also be part of a company’s marketing strategy aimed at attracting new customers.

Third, a blog includes information, analysis, or commentary pertaining to a specific topic. For an individual author, a blog generally relates to their area of expertise. For organizations, a blog may include topics related to their business or relevant causes.

Based on the previous definition, authors and organizations produce blog posts in two ways: short-form and long-form.

Short-form blog posts usually range between 500 to 1,000 words. These blog posts home in on a specific topic and offer precise insights.

Long-form blog posts typically have more than 1,000 words but often stay under 2,500. Long-form blog posts are intended to delve into a topic to provide deeper insights and analysis. Some blog posts may take an educational approach, while others are informational only.

What is the purpose of a blog?

There are several reasons for writing a blog. Here is a look at the reasons that motivate individuals and organizations to produce a blog.

  1. Personal reasons. Blogs are often the result of an individual’s desire to communicate personal thoughts and opinions. The blogs are not necessarily professionally written and may lack the hallmarks of a high-quality blog. Personal blogs generally relate to personal causes, experiences, and feelings.
  2. Professional reasons. Professionals from all walks of life engage in blog writing. These blogs often contain useful and relevant information related to a specific field. Published authors also engage in blog writing as an extension of their published works.
  3. Marketing and advertising. Individuals and organizations use blogs to promote products and services. Blogs can also become a highly effective way to promote brand positioning. Good blogs create awareness in consumers without openly “selling” anything. Effective blogs contain product information, marketing materials, or helpful tips and strategies.
  4. Sales. Some blogs intend to sell products and services. These blogs typically contain catchy titles and headings aimed at capturing a reader’s attention. The blog then pitches a product or service that solves the pain points described in the blog post. Some blogs are part of affiliate marketing efforts. Affiliate marketers use blogs to generate awareness of a problem, then redirect readers to an e-commerce site to complete a purchase. The blogger receives a commission for their referrals.
  5. Maintain an online presence. There are occasions when there is no business or personal reason for writing a blog. Instead, bloggers seek to maintain an online presence. For instance, celebrities and influencers may use blogs to keep a steady stream of content flowing, especially between major projects. Some celebrities may engage in highly specific content. In contrast, others might keep content light and mostly related to their personal lives.

Most folks believe that writing a blog requires no formal training. All one needs is to sit at the computer and fire away. While initiative is helpful, a lack of writing skills may cause a blog strategy to backfire. Producing a blog without any sort of writing skills may lead to ineffective content that does more harm than good.

The next section will explore the 10 best blog practices writers of any skill level can employ to ensure high-quality content. Let’s get down to business!

The 10 Best Practices for Producing an Effective Blog

Producing a well-crafted blog requires careful attention to detail. The following best practices will help all writers produce high-quality blog posts regardless of skill level.

1. All blogs must have a purpose.

The golden rule focuses on producing a blog with a purpose. Blogs with a purpose allow content producers to create meaningful posts filled with relevant information. In contrast, a purposeless blog may quickly descend into a random collection of rants and disjointed thoughts. While this does not mean the content is low-quality, it may become hard for readers to find a logic to the overarching structure of the blog.

For instance, an insurance company starts a blog to help educate its customers. The main topic pertains to insurance, while individual blog posts focus on how the company’s insurance products can help alleviate specific pain points.

2. Blogs must have a target audience.

Some well-intended writing coaches say that one should “write for yourself.” However, this advice is hardly conducive to an effective blog. An effective blog aims to communicate content to a specific audience. As a result, the blog’s content must reflect both the writer’s voice and the target audience. This reason underscores why randomly mashing words together is senseless.

For example, a self-help author’s main audience is older individuals. Thus, the author stays true to their voice while using a more formal tone to consider the older target demographic.

3. Great blog posts reflect the author’s true voice.

Some writers mistakenly attempt to sound “smart.” Others try to be “cool” or “hip.” Such approaches are fine when they reflect the writer’s true personality. However, going out of one’s way to write in a different tone is a recipe for disaster.

It is imperative to maintain one’s voice. This approach helps reflect authenticity. Authenticity is a crucial factor in effective blogging. Audiences can see right through false tones.

For instance, using overly formal language in an attempt to sound sophisticated may alienate general audiences.

Instead, it is best to focus on sounding as natural as possible while observing strict grammatical conventions and spelling rules.

4. Strive to be authentic in blog posts.

Authenticity is a hot commodity in the blogosphere. After all, anyone can pretend to be an expert in any given field. Also, anyone can seemingly get away with making up stories about their life and experiences. However, audiences pay a premium for authenticity. Readers want authors they can connect with. Readers crave content that truly resonates with them.

For example, blogs focusing on personal experiences should strive to “keep it real.” It is always best to allow one’s true personality to shine through. Readers will always appreciate authenticity over manufactured personas.

5. Keep blogs short and sweet.

An unfortunate mistake is attempting to embellish texts. In particular, novice writers may attempt to sound clever or insightful by producing complex, wordy sentences. However, a good rule of thumb is to keep things simple. Above all, please remember to keep sentences short and simple. Long and complex sentences are a surefire way to confuse your audience. For instance, paragraphs of about three to four sentences are a great way to help you keep things short and simple.

6. Use clear and specific blog post titles.

Great titles are clear and specific. They tell the reader exactly what the blog post is about and what they can expect to get from it. Vague titles will most assuredly turn readers away.

Consider this example:

10 Things You’ve Always Wanted to Know

This title seems eye-catching at first glance. However, it is too vague. It does not communicate to the reader any sort of expectation.

Now, consider this title:

10 Fascinating Facts About Sharks

In this title, the author has clearly communicated what the post is about (sharks) and what the reader can expect to take away from it (10 fascinating facts).

There is one caveat: Please avoid outlandish or grandiose titles. Titles such as “Five Reasons Why the End of the World Is Near” may seem more like clickbait. Readers may come away disappointed or be turned off by such titles. So, it is best to be honest and clear with your posts’ titles.

7. Define your blog type.

A crucial decision is determining your blog type. In particular, deciding if you plan on a short-form or long-from blog type is key. Long-form blog posts are suitable for in-depth analyses and discussions. In contrast, short-form blogs are more common for highly specific topics.

It is also a common practice to mix both types. For example, short-form blogs are posted on weekdays, while long-form blog posts go up on weekends. Some blog strategies prefer frequent short-form blogs in order to boost publishing frequency. Other bloggers prefer less frequent long-form posts, given the time needed to produce the content.

8. Professional blogs use an editorial calendar.

One of the key best practices is following a regular publishing schedule. It does not matter the precise frequency in which content is published. What matters is that content gets published regularly.

Professional content creators use editorial calendars to keep track of publishing frequency and plan blog post topics.

For example, a corporation publishes a short-form blog daily. These blog posts contain roughly 500 words. On weekends, the corporation posts a long-form blog on Saturdays. Each long-form blog is roughly 2,500 words.

The corporation uses this approach since readers have less time on weekdays than on weekends. The corporation uses an editorial calendar to plan at least three weeks’ content in advance. This practice enables them to avoid repeating or missing topics.

9. Data and illustrations enhance the reading experience.

Using data to back up claims is pivotal. Moreover, citing information sources is a crucial element in ensuring a blog’s credibility. The last thing professional authors want is to be discredited by making baseless claims. Providing reliable information sources can greatly enhance readers’ experiences by providing them with useful data.

Similarly, using illustrations can improve the reading experience by providing helpful visuals. Citing the sources for any illustrations, as well as other information used, is important. Bear in mind that producing visuals may become a time-consuming endeavor, so using free stock photos can add a nice touch to a blog post.

10. Edit, review, edit, review, and edit.

Perhaps the biggest mistake that novice authors make is failing to edit and review. Grammatical and spelling mistakes can easily derail a great blog post. Automated tools such as Grammarly can greatly help review spelling and grammatical errors. Also, a content check is key. Double-checking sources and copyrights for images are pivotal in professional blogging.

Please remember that it pays to be thorough. Blogs are a great way to build a reputation. As a result, thorough editing can go a long way toward ensuring that individuals and organizations build a solid reputation through a well-crafted blog.

How can a writing agency help produce a professional quality blog?

Not all professionals or organizations have the skills, experience, and know-how to produce a professional-quality blog. That is where a writing agency can step in.

Professional writing agencies have the expertise needed to produce top-notch blogs. Writing agencies have the writers and researchers needed to produce great content regularly.

For example, clients can work with a writing agency to craft their editorial calendar. The client can determine what topics they are interested in covering. Then, the writing agency gets to work building the best possible content for the chosen topics. Last, the content gets published.

If that sounds easy, it is because a writing agency can tackle the heavy lifting. A trusted writing agency can help create a blog from scratch or turn around an existing blog. A writing agency can make anyone’s blog strategy come to fruition.

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A Final Thought about Blogs

For those folks who like to take matters into their own hands, a writing agency can become a trusted writing partner. The professionals in a writing agency can work in tandem with aspiring writers to provide the support they need. This support may come in the way of editing, coaching, or assisting with research. Ultimately, it does not truly matter what support someone needs. An experienced writing agency can play any role in producing a top-quality blog.

Case Study: How Can A Writing Agency Help Improve Your Website?

Your website can make or break your appeal to customers and clients. Modern tools can help you make beautiful and elegant web pages, but your site’s functionality and visuals are only half the battle. Your web copy is the other half. Compelling copywriting can be an intricate and challenging task, even for those specializing in it.

However, with the help of a writing agency, drafting high-quality copy for your website becomes far less daunting.

This case study will explore the stories of two past clients of The Writers For Hire who learned precisely the above. Names have been withheld to respect contractual obligations.

Case A

Case A concerns a Texas-based university and first-time client for The Writers For Hire (TWFH). Hereafter, we will refer to them simply as “the university.”

The Problem

The university felt that the site’s state painfully reflected its age and needed to be overhauled. Major concerns included the lack of standardization between individual pages and the difficulty this created for prospective students seeking course and degree information. Upgrading to a modern aesthetic was also imperative.

The Solution

The university enlisted the aid of marketing firm Richards/Carlsberg to handle the site redesign. It was through Richards/Carlsberg that the university came into contact with TWFH as subcontractors.

While Richards/Carlsberg would handle the general points of the site’s modernization, redrafting the hundreds of pages of copy required was the task of the TWFH.

TWFH worked with the university and Richards/Carlsberg to break the project down into three phases to be completed over the next three years.

In phase one, the university prioritized which departments would have their new sections launched alongside the new site.

All other departments would be covered across the two following phases.

Phase one’s scope ultimately consisted of 300 pages of copy produced over three months.

From there, TWFH took the reins, working with Richards/Carlsberg to develop a standard page template for each department in the university. This measure alleviated the incongruency in the old site and established the foundation for the system TWFH built next.

TWFH assembled a team of 10 writers headed by one project manager. This team was then subdivided into teams of one to two writers, each assigned to cover individual departments. Each sub-team and the project manager met with the head of their assigned department to determine the driving message of that department’s section.

TWFH then created an assignment for each page in their project management system, Wrike, where they would track it over time. Within each assignment was also an accompanying form where the university linked any relevant legacy content from the old site.

TWFH began its copy drafting process by pulling from this legacy content and building off of it, minimizing the amount of input required from the university. TWFH also performed the roles of editors for the provided legacy content, allowing the university to identify and fill gaps in information that had been long present on the old site.

TWFH’s aid did not stop at merely editing and building on legacy content. Throughout phase one, the writing agency assisted the university in revising and improving its style guide, expanding it to 25 pages in length.

Finally, the university and Richards/Carlsberg reviewed each page upon completion, requested any necessary edits, and then gave final approval.

This basic process was then repeated through each phase of the project.

The Results

The university’s new site consisted of nearly 1,000 pages of fresh copy by the end of the three-year project. The first phase proved the most time intensive, as the writing agency familiarized itself with the needs of its new client. TWFH’s streamlined process enabled the following phases to be completed in a fraction of the time, down from three months to one.

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Case B

Case B concerns a major Texas-based pipeline company and long-time client for TWFH. We will refer to them hereafter as “the PSP.”

The Problem

Much like the university client of Case A, the PSP felt that their original site was inadequate for their needs. As industry leaders in pipeline services and engineering with an extensive company history, they desired a website that would adequately reflect this pedigree. Of primary concern was improving the site’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO) performance and making the company’s online presence more competitive.

The Solution

As an existing client for TWFH, regularly commissioning work such as internal industry magazines, it was only natural that the PSP reached out to the writing agency directly for this project. TWFH’s task was to produce 700 pages of new copy for the site in six months.

Given the PSP’s relationship with TWFH, there was already a team of writers dedicated to them. Likewise, many of the tailor-made solutions for the PSP’s copy needs were already in place.

TWFH used these existing resources to quickly assemble a team of five writers, a senior editor, and a project manager for the job.

Where Case A required a top-down, more hierarchical solution for their needs, a more granular approach was appropriate for the PSP.

Working with TWFH, they organized the project on a departmental level, giving each section relative freedom in how they wanted to present their work.

Again, like Case A, the team was divided into sub teams assigned to each department. They then met with their respective department head to determine the driving message of the copy, as well as what pre-existing copy to reincorporate. They wrote the pages, edited them, and sent them back to the client for approval.

TWFH also assisted the PSP in identifying and filling all gaps in information found throughout the process. At the end of the project, TWFH performed a complete QA (Quality Assurance) according to the existing style guide, which needed no revision.

The Results

TWFH delivered all 700 pages of copy for the PSP’s new site promptly and efficiently. The project’s timetable was reduced drastically because TWFH was already familiar with the client, and had an existing team and system to handle their needs; it could be completed in a single phase, unlike in Case A.

Conclusion

Whether old or new, clients can rely on The Writers For Hire to go above and beyond to meet their clients’ needs for website copywriting. Each solution produced is tailor-made for the client, working closely with them to incorporate requests and feedback every step of the way.

All About Content Creation: How Content Creation Helps Businesses Grow

In today’s uber-competitive business environment, content is king.

Brands that produce fresh, engaging, and relevant content stand out among their competitors.

According to data by HubSpot, 90% of brands plan to continue focusing on content creation in 2022 and beyond. This figure underscores the importance of relevant content in the current and future business landscape.

So, how important is effective content creation?

Content creation has proven to be an incredibly successful option for marketers. Given the significance relevant content has for consumers, brands must use content creation to reach their target audience.

This article will discuss content creation and its role in business growth. Moreover, this article will explore how content creation has gained a foothold in today’s business landscape.

What is content creation?

Content marketing has increasingly become to go-to format brands use to communicate with their target audience. In particular, content creation effectively delivers consistent value to consumers without “selling.”

Best-selling author and entrepreneur Jay Baer offers this thought: “Content is the emotional and informational bridge between commerce and consumer.”

This quote illustrates the significant relationship brands create with their consumers. Building this relationship is possible when brands successfully bridge the gap between themselves and consumers.

Please bear in mind that content creation is not about “selling” anything.

Effective content is not about getting consumers to buy products. Effective content creation is about eliciting an emotional response in consumers.

Think about the ads that brands such as Coca-Cola or Pepsi produce.

These brands focus on the emotional response their products elicit from consumers.

For instance, people who drink Coca-Cola or Pepsi have fun, are happy, and find themselves surrounded by loved ones.


A brand evokes a personal connection when content strikes a chord with consumers. This connection fosters trust.

As brands consistently deliver value, they position themselves in their consumers’ minds. Ultimately, brands may create bonds with consumers that can last a lifetime.

Why is content creation important?

Undoubtedly, successful content can take a brand to the next level. Specifically, there are three key reasons why effective content creation is critical to successful business growth:

1. Promoting Brand Awareness

Brands seek to position themselves in consumers’ minds. However, using catchy slogans and jingles does not always translate into sales. As a result, promoting brand awareness becomes a top priority.

Please remember that brand awareness is not necessarily about placing billboards all over town or hoarding ad space on television. Brand awareness is about creating a positive association between brands and consumers.

Marketing guru Seth Godin offers this thought: “A brand is the set of expectations, memories, stories, and relationships that, taken together, account for a consumer’s decision to choose one product or service over another.”

Indeed, Godin’s contribution underscores the importance of brand awareness: compelling consumers to choose one brand over another.

Successful brands know how to compel consumers to choose them over another. This effect does not require mind control or deceit. It requires communicating the brand’s unique value proposition.

Effective content creation helps communicate value in a way that resonates with the target audience’s specific expectations.

2. Increasing Engagement

Traditional marketing (television, radio, and print) focuses on a one-sided conversation. Consequently, consumers have little to no say in anything the brand does to meet their expectations. This type of advertising leaves plenty of room for brands to get it wrong.

How so?

One-sided marketing does not allow consumers to voice their opinions about the product or the brand itself. As a result, the brand must directly approach consumers to find out their expectations, wants, and needs.

This situation changes dramatically with engaging content creation.

New channels such as social media enable brands to maintain two-way communication with their consumers.

Consequently, brands receive direct input from consumers.

Brands now have the opportunity to make quick adjustments to meet their target audience’s needs and expectations.

This ongoing dialog is possible thanks to engaging content.

3. Boosting Sales

Indeed, the ultimate goal is to boost sales. But please note this is not merely about making money. It is about delivering value while turning a profit.

Without profits, brands and their unique value propositions would cease to exist.

Engaging content creation facilitates consumers’ purchasing decisions. Amid the sea of alternatives, creative and effective content creation allows them to separate the wheat from the chaff.

In other words, sales climb as consumers’ brand perception reflects a specific set of values and a vision.

Brand expert Simon Mainwaring offers this highly interesting contribution: “Define what your brand stands for, its core values, and tone of voice, and then communicate consistently in those terms.”

Boosting sales hinges on consistently communicating a brand’s message throughout its interaction with consumers.

Consistency builds trust in consumers’ minds. And trust is the treasured commodity that ultimately sways consumers’ purchasing decisions in favor of one brand or another.

What kind of content do growing businesses need?

Businesses focused on growth need content. However, it must not be content for the sake of content.

Producing irrelevant content can do far more harm than good.

Content that fails to resonate with consumers can lead to a disconnect between brand and consumer. Moreover, consumers may be unclear about the brand’s values and vision.

Brands must, therefore, strive to produce content that is relevant, useful, and delivers value at all times.

Here are three key content types that brands must consider to foster engagement and drive revenue:

Blogs

On the surface, blogs may seem old-fashioned. This perception stems from social media’s predominance, particularly among younger demographics.

Nevertheless, blogging holds a significant foothold among relevant content across the board.

Consider the following figures:

  • 77% of online users read some type of blog.
  • 77.2% of long-form blogging produces more links than short-form ones.
  • 74% of companies report that content creation has increased the volume and quality of their sales leads.
  • 65% of business-to-business customers report that their vendors’ websites are the most influential source of information.
  • 73% of marketers indicate that effective content creation allows them to nurture their leads. In comparison, 64% indicate that content creation enables them to generate increased sales and revenue.

Based on these data, it is evident that blogs represent a powerful means for brands to maintain close communication with their consumers. An informative and relevant blog can increase traffic, drive sales, and boost overall revenue.

Videos

Videos are a particularly effective means of engaging younger audiences.

Attractive visuals are often a great way in which brands can interact with their consumers.

For instance, YouTube is a highly engaging video streaming platform that enables two-way communication.

Consumers can leave their comments, suggestions, and opinions about any number of issues.

Is video content truly that effective? Consider these figures:

These figures make video content hard to ignore.

Nevertheless, the biggest challenge facing brands is compelling content that engages and reaches audiences effectively. There is, consequently, growing demand for adept content creators that can tailor content to suit consumers’ needs.

Infographics

Infographics are predominantly visually based content creation strategies. They allow consumers to digest a large amount of information in a condensed format. As a result, consumers can easily get large data sets without having to go through extensive research and reading.

Here are some interesting points on infographics:

  • A study revealed that 82% of test participants’ attention spans increased due to the use of infographics.
  • In general, people are 39% likelier to remember information when using a colorful and visually attractive format.
  • Readers are 80% likelier to remember information in documents using color than black-and-white ones.

Indeed, colorful and visually appealing graphics are incredibly effective in engaging consumers.

Nevertheless, infographics are useless if the information they contain does not resonate with the target audience.

Consequently, brands must present compelling and useful information with attractive visuals. This combination makes infographics a highly successful communication device between brands and consumers.

How can a ghostwriting agency help brands boost their content creation strategies?

Producing high-quality content requires compelling prose, systematic research, and speaking the target audience’s language.

Without these elements, producing content that truly resonates with audiences can be difficult.

Brands face a considerable challenge as they may not always have a dedicated content creation team on staff.

Moreover, they may lack expert writers able to produce top-notch content within a short turnaround time.

So, what can brands do to ensure producing high-level content in a short timeframe?

Brands can employ a ghostwriting agency to tackle writing engaging content. Here is a list of what a ghostwriting agency can do for brands looking to produce top-quality content:

  • Short and long-form blog posts
  • Articles and whitepapers on various topics
  • How-to guides
  • E-books and handbooks
  • User manuals and technical documentation
  • Research and text for infographics
  • Video scripts
  • General marketing copy
  • Website materials
  • Product information
  • FAQ and data sheets

These materials are a sample of what a ghostwriting agency can do for any brand’s content creation strategies. As a result, a professional ghostwriting agency produces content that allows brands to provide worthwhile content, leading to a personal connection between brands and consumers.

What are the benefits of employing a ghostwriting agency?

There are three key benefits brands can expect when employing a ghostwriting agency to produce their content:

1. Hiring a ghostwriting agency saves time.

Even when companies have a dedicated marketing staff, producing high-quality content can become a time-consuming proposition.

There are research, writing, editing, and publishing tasks that often intersect simultaneously. As such, marketing professionals often need a helping hand to produce high-quality content in a timely manner.

A ghostwriting agency can step in at any time to help take the burden off overworked marketing staff.

Some brands may look to avoid overwhelming their marketing staff with content creation tasks. As a result, these brands may look to a trusted ghostwriting agency to help them produce high-level content in a fraction of the time.

Please remember that professional ghostwriting agencies employ experienced and vetted writers. These writers have backgrounds and expertise that enable brands to meet their marketing objectives.

2. Hiring a ghostwriting agency saves money.

A common misconception is that hiring a ghostwriting agency is more expensive than employing full-time marketing staff. This idea could not be farther from the truth.

In the long run, employing a professional ghostwriting agency is much more cost-effective.

The savings in hiring full-time staff (salary, benefits, insurance, and taxes) outweighs the expense incurred in employing a ghostwriting agency.

Additionally, the cost-benefit relationship between a ghostwriting agency and the content it produces easily tilts the scales in favor of hiring a ghostwriting agency.

3. Hiring a ghostwriting agency provides maximum flexibility.

A ghostwriting agency is a team of writers. Therefore, a professional cadre of content creators offers maximum flexibility.

Brands can opt for an overarching content creation strategy encompassing several media such as books, ads, videos, blogs, podcasts, and so on when they employ a ghostwriting agency.

Employing a ghostwriting agency allows brands to shift strategies as needed.

When customer perceptions and priorities change, brands can easily request their chosen ghostwriting agency to produce the content consumers demand. With a full-time, in-house marketing staff, these shifts are quite complicated.

One Last Thought

Hiring a ghostwriting agency might not be the first thing that comes to marketing experts’ minds. In fact, some marketers may feel threatened by the idea of hiring a ghostwriting agency.

However, there is no need to feel apprehensive about it. A professional ghostwriting agency strives to become a trusted partner in a brand’s overall marketing strategy.

A trusted ghostwriting agency is like any other valued member and contributor. Ultimately, choosing to work with a trusted ghostwriting agency may become one of the savviest business decisions any brand can make.

Website 101: 5 Ways a Writing Agency Can Help Your Website Overhaul

“Your website is the window of your business. Keep it fresh, keep it exciting.”— Jay Conrad Levinson

In today’s business world, a company’s website is its calling card. A great website helps your business put its best foot forward. In contrast, a poor website creates a bad first impression.

There is no question that spending time and effort building a great website is worth it for your company’s reputation.

However, with time, websites can become outdated. Some websites may also need revamping to keep up with competitors. Keeping your website fresh is a fantastic way of giving customers a new perspective on your company’s classic value proposition.

Overhauling a website, however, is no easy task. In addition to the coding and web development involved, content is an important part of a website revamp.

In this article, we will discuss five ways a writing agency can help with a website overhaul and become a trusted partner for any company following a website revamp.

Why should a company overhaul its website?

Your company’s website is part of its overall brand image. As such, your website needs periodic updates and retooling.

Please note there is a difference between updating or retooling a website and a complete overhaul.

So, the question begs, why should your company overhaul its website?

There are three key reasons for a website overhaul:

  1. The company has undergone a rebranding. On average, most businesses rebrand once every 7-10 years. Rebranding generally entails changing color schemes, updating logos, revamping slogans and mottos, or entering new markets. As a result, the company’s website has become obsolete. This situation requires an entire website overhaul. Content must reflect company changes along with visuals (layout, fonts, color schemes, images). This content includes company information, about us, product information, or branding features.
  2. The company has undergone restructuring. Companies may undergo restructuring due to a merger, acquisition, or takeover. Their names, organizational structure, and overall image may change in such situations. Therefore, a website overhaul would be necessary to reflect these changes. In addition to image, content is a key element, especially if the company wants to turn over a new page with its customers.
  3. The company has added new product lines or has entered new markets. When companies add new brands and product lines or enter new markets, they may find their current website is no longer relevant. Thus, a website overhaul would be necessary to reflect changes in the company’s products or markets. Companies must ensure their websites reflect the information customers need to know in order to purchase the company’s products and services.

On the whole, a website overhaul is advisable to keep a company’s image fresh. Keeping things fresh is particularly crucial when trying to keep up with competitors’ marketing campaigns.

What does a website overhaul involve?

There are four main aspects you must consider for a website overhaul:

  1. Layout. Perhaps the most obvious sign of a website overhaul is its layout. The layout includes images, color schemes, and other visual aspects. A website must match a company’s branding. Therefore, everything needs to sync with the company’s changing image and philosophy.
  2. Product listings or information. An e-commerce site would need to ensure its product listings incorporate changes in the brand’s overall image. A corporate site must ensure it contains appropriate product information, including links to sites where customers can purchase them.
  3. Company information or history. A website overhaul is a great opportunity to update company information and history, including achievements, recognition, and awards. Therefore, the company must ensure to highlight this information without overly plugging it.
  4. Content and materials. Like company history, a website’s materials and content must get a fresh coat of paint during an overhaul. Overhauling materials and content may include updating or starting a company blog, and adding product information, product materials or guides, e-books, whitepapers, press releases, or general company news. Consequently, content may entail producing brand-new content or updating existing content. Either way, it is worth noting that a website overhaul does not stop with building a new visual image. A good website overhaul must also include updating materials to reflect the company’s new direction.

Please bear in mind that web developers are not the only ones who intervene in a website overhaul.

Content creators also play a pivotal role in ensuring a successful website overhaul. After all, a great-looking site will not meet your expectations if it has little content, or its content does not match your company’s spirit and vision.

Five Ways a Writing Agency Can Help with a Website Overhaul

We can safely assume that web developers and programmers are the backbones of any successful website overhaul.

But what about content creators?

During a website overhaul, your retooled site requires visual images such as photographs and video.

Additionally, a revamped website requires written material.

You can tap your incumbent staff to produce the written materials needed to update your website. However, this approach may prove quite burdensome for your staff.

Also, you might feel that your website does not need brand-new material. Nevertheless, you may believe that existing material requires a revision.

The question is, who will undertake the revision process? Will it be company staff? Will the company hire an external consultant? Will your company assemble an in-house writing team?

All of these alternatives may seem plausible on the surface, but they come with their share of drawbacks.

The simplest way your company can overhaul its website content is by hiring a writing agency. A writing agency is a trusted business partner that ensures your content is as perfect as it can be.

Here are five ways in which a writing agency can help with your website overhaul:

1. Brand-new Marketing Content

When your company’s website needs a facelift, it may need new content to match the changes you’ve implemented throughout the site. For instance, a website revamp may include adding new products and services to the company catalog.

As such, your website will require additional content such as product descriptions, marketing copy, product listings, features, specifications, product manuals, guides, handbooks, and ads.

All of these materials can become quite time-consuming to produce, particularly if you choose to tap your current staff for the task.

Hiring a writing agency can easily alleviate the pressure on incumbent staff to produce new content. Moreover, a professional writing agency can produce high-quality content within a tight turnaround.

It ultimately makes sense to go with a professional writing agency that has a team of experienced writers. This team can turn out as much content as needed while respecting deadlines.

2. Workflow Management

A website overhaul generally entails a significant number of tasks. Therefore, workflow management is critical in ensuring that your website’s revamp does not encounter needless delays.

A common cause for delay stems from content production falling behind.

Web developers can put together a great-looking site on schedule.

However, the overall project may fall behind schedule if your site’s content is not ready simultaneously.

Delays generally occur when the company asks current staff members to produce content.

Moreover, an in-house writing team may lack specific skills and knowledge in certain areas.

Please remember that research and writing are often time-consuming tasks. When you ask full-time staff members to do this, you may encounter further delays in content delivery.

Hiring a writing agency greatly eases this situation. A writing agency can help companies’ workflow management because it is a team of writers working to ensure the tasks get done effectively.

Also, a writing agency works with the company’s subject matter experts to produce content according to the company’s directions and specifications.

Ultimately, a writing agency must get the job done more easily than a team of in-house writers or external consultants.

3. Originality and Creativity

We can easily overlook the importance of originality and creativity. Originality is a crucial element in ensuring your brand puts its best foot forward. Fresh and innovative material is key for you to stand out amid the sea of competitors.

Creativity is a vital aspect of successful marketing materials. Customers want edgy materials that resonate with their core values and perceptions. Therefore, a website overhaul must ensure that new and updated materials reflect the needs and wants of the company’s target customers.

That task may be tough for an in-house writing team to approach effectively.

Consequently, a writing agency can enlist its multi-faceted team to produce whatever content type the brand needs to reach its target audience.

4. Accuracy

Accuracy is an essential element in creating and updating your website’s content. In particular, fact-checking and researching information are crucial tasks. After all, non-factual or inaccurate information may cause irreparable damage to your brand’s reputation.

In some instances, painstaking research may be necessary to ensure your website’s content is fully accurate.

A professional writing agency enlists the services of professional writers. Professional writers must have solid research skills to produce accurate content.

Also, professional writing agencies have expert editors that can follow up to ensure all content contains vetted information.

These tasks may be too much for an in-house writing team to handle. A trusted writing agency can, therefore, pitch in to ensure the entire content verification process goes smoothly.

5. Updating, Editing, and Revising Existing Content

When your company already has a catalog of content, this content may require a thorough review, edit, and update to reflect your company’s new website.

Tapping in-house staff for these tasks may burden their busy schedules unnecessarily. Also, in-house writing teams may lack the experience needed to edit and update your existing content adequately.

Enter a professional writing agency.

A writing agency can tackle revisions and edits, especially when in-house teams have trouble coping with workloads.

Furthermore, a writing agency can put their research and writing skills to improving existing content. The outcome is fresh content based on current materials.

What materials can a writing agency produce?

Perhaps the right question should be: What materials can’t a writing agency produce?

The truth is that a professional writing agency can be quite capable of producing any content type. Here is a look at the content types a trusted writing agency can produce:

  1. Marketing copy. Marketing copy is essential during a website to revamp. Moving forward, marketing copy is essential for regular ads, social media posts, and future website updates. Particularly, writing agencies specialized in marketing can vastly reduce the time needed to produce great marketing materials.
  2. Technical documentation. Technical documentation such as manuals, handbooks, product guides, and user information may all require a revamp along with the site. As a result, a writing agency can work with subject matter experts to ensure the materials contain accurate information. The biggest advantage of hiring a writing agency lies in translating technical information into terms a general audience can easily understand. This task may prove challenging for experts.
  3. Blogs. Most companies employ a company blog to share relevant information with their customers. However, a website overhaul may imply the need for a blog overhaul. A writing agency can easily tackle the tasks that come with starting a new blog, reviewing current materials, and adding new materials to an existing blog. A trusted writing agency can slash the time needed to produce and update content.
  4. Whitepapers. A website overhaul is a great opportunity to publish new whitepapers or review existing ones. Whitepapers are extensive research documents that require considerable time and attention. As a result, a writing agency is an ideal choice to tackle a complex project like a whitepaper.
  5. Video content. Video content is often the first to receive updates and revisions during a website overhaul. Also, companies may choose to produce brand-new video materials to reflect website and corporate changes. Nevertheless, someone has to produce scripts, dialogs, or information. Thus, a professional writing agency can work in tandem with video producers to get the materials out in time. By working as a team, the overall workflow management improves significantly.
  6. E-books. A common marketing strategy is producing e-books. E-books offer customers and followers practical information they can use regarding the company’s products and services. However, someone must write or update the material. A professional writing agency can tackle everything from start to finish. Hiring a writing agency can easily reduce the time and effort needed to produce high-quality e-books.
  7. FAQ. A FAQ page is one of the most effective marketing tools your website can possess. So, it must reflect your brand’s spirit while providing accurate information. A trusted writing agency can help organize information so that relevant and meaningful FAQ help your customers easily find the information they need about your products and services.

Overall, a writing agency can produce virtually anything your new website might need.

It pays to take the time to find the writing agency that best fits your needs and expectations. Please take the time to interview prospective agencies.

You will find that working with a professional writing agency is one of the best business decisions you will ever make.

GET YOUR CONTENT WRITTEN TODAY

A Final Reflection

Please bear in mind that some writing agencies specialize in specific topics. So, it pays to get in touch with such writing agencies, especially if your website requires highly detailed information.

Also, please ensure your prospective writing agency has writers with the background your company needs. Backgrounds may include employment experience, degrees, or research expertise.

Taking the time to vet your chosen writing agency thoroughly will help your content creation projects progress without a hitch!

Copywriter Q&A: Diving into Company Blog Campaigns with Melanie Green

The Writers For Hire (TWFH) team member Melanie Green has more than 15 years of writing experience and specializes in digital marketing content. With TWFH, Melanie is the go-to expert on blog campaigns for businesses.

For this installment of Copywriter Q&A, we asked Melanie for her insights on the best practices for launching an effective blog campaign.

TWFH: We hear a lot of hype about blogs being an important aspect of company websites. In what ways can having a blog help a business?

MG: Blogs can help businesses in a lot of ways. A blog creates more content that can be found and linked to. It gives businesses more opportunities to utilize SEO keywords in an organic way that can help search engine rankings. It can even be used to answer common customer questions.

A blog gives credibility to the company and positions it as a thought leader or expert. It can also ensure that a business’s website comes across as up-to-date and relevant. Who hasn’t gone to a website to see that its last blog post was two years ago and questioned whether the company was even still in business?

TWFH: Those are some really compelling arguments for starting a blog! So, if someone is considering launching a blog campaign for their business, how should they get started?

MG: First, they need to have a platform available on their site to upload blogs on. I’m preferential to WordPress because of the plug-ins that are available, including the editorial calendar and Yoast. The editorial calendar lets you plan posts with a month-long view, and Yoast is a free tool that helps with search engine optimization.

Next, they’ll need to make decisions about who will write the posts, how frequently they’ll post, and what the topics will be.

TWFH: What is the best way to come up with a theme or topic for the campaign?

MG: I’m not sure that there’s a single “best way,” but there is a process that I follow. To find blog post ideas, I would:

  1. Answer common questions my customers have
  2. Provide information that would overcome sales objections from customers in the sales process
  3. Find frequently asked questions online related to my topic
  4. Review recent news to see if there’s anything that’s relevant
  5. See what my competitors are writing about
  6. Use topic generator tools like Answer the Public and Buzz Sumo
  7. Use keyword tools like SEMRush and Google Keyword Planner, aiming for relevant keywords that have high search volume and low competition
  8. Create variations of my most successful posts

TWFH: How frequently should blogs be posted? Is there a rule or best practice?

MG: Consistency is the key. If you can only commit to one post a week, then it should be every week, posted on the same day. It’s worse to post two in one week and none for three weeks.

Technically speaking, websites benefit the most from two posts a week. More can be better, especially for more competitive search terms. However, I always recommend that clients start by posting two posts a month and work their way up toward twice a week. Since quality is just as important as consistency, you don’t want to sacrifice quality.

TWFH: Do all of the blogs have to be new content, or can old content be recycled (if it’s relevant, of course)?

MG: The same content can’t exist in two places at once. So, it’s okay to update old blog content, but you wouldn’t want to re-issue it as a new post, even if the content has many little changes to it. This could hurt a website’s search engine rankings. If it’s a part of a monetization program, such as Google AdSense, having duplicated content can end the monetization agreement.

In general, it’s a good idea to only post new content to a business’s blog, while updating past posts for accuracy and keyword usage. Keyword performance changes over time, so this should be reflected in past posts.

TWFH: Should blogs be written in-house? Or is it OK to contract them out?

MG: I’m not sure that it matters where the content is written as much as who is writing it. If a business wants to invest money into hiring a staff writer with experience writing blogs, then it’s perfectly OK to have blogs written in-house. Writing is one of the most interesting fields, in that most people are capable of writing words down on a page. However, it doesn’t make them a writer. It’s still important to hire someone with experience that understands online writing and keyword usage and has the ability to turn work around to meet an editorial calendar.

For many companies, getting this expertise in the most cost-effective way is by contracting blog writers. Not all blog writers are the same, though. You can find a very inexpensive blog writer and end up with low quality or plagiarized content that you have to spend a lot of time to edit and fix. Finding the right set of writers can take time and you’ll need the budget to do so.

What often happens is that companies try to get blog content out on their own first before hiring blog writers. They’ll get busy working on other tasks and blog writing for their own site takes a backseat to other work. That’s when we’ll often see companies looking to collaborate with contract blog writers.

TWFH: What other components should a successful blog campaign have?

MG: Successful blog campaigns have 100% original blog posts of at least 500 words, consideration to keyword targets and usage, relevant pictures with alt-tags, and meta descriptions. The most successful campaigns are also well-advertised. Simply writing a post isn’t enough to drive traffic to it. It’s important to also share it with the world.

TWFH: What is the best way to distribute blogs?

MG: The most obvious way is through social media. This is low hanging fruit and should always be a part of the process. It’s also helpful to embed links to posts on relevant Quora or forum questions and to ask other blog owners to include your post on link round-ups.

TWFH: How will you know if your campaign worked? What is the best way to measure success?

MG: The success of a campaign depends on your goals. Is it to gain new traffic? Measuring success could simply mean more page views with a lower bounce rate, which means that they’re more engaged and didn’t immediately hop off your page.

TWFH: This is all great advice! Is there anything else that you’d like to add about blog campaigns?

MG: If companies want to get started with more content marketing, blogs are a great way to go. There’s no limit on how many you have, and it adds to the value of the site itself.


WHAT IS A URL, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

Most people are familiar with the term “URL.” However, unless you are surveying a bunch of Google employees, few could probably tell you what each letter stands for, and what it actually means.

But if you use the internet with any regularity, it could be helpful to gain a better understanding of the term and its importance.

Start With a Definition

The term “URL” is an abbreviation for Uniform Resource Locator.

Which does nothing to help anyone understand what it actually means.

Basically, a URL is the address for a website (the “web address”), page, or file on the internet. Anything that can be stored digitally can be given a URL. For example, the URL for this website is https://www.thewritersforhire.com.

A URL is made up of three distinct parts:

  • The protocol
  • The domain name
  • The path

The following breaks down and explains these main components of a URL.

The Protocol

Also called the scheme, this is the very beginning of a URL. The most common protocols used are http:// or https://. The letters stand for hypertext transfer protocol; the “s” stands for “secure.”

The protocol is extremely important. It tells your browser how to communicate with a website’s server to send and retrieve information.

Unless you are interested in the minutiae of how data travels from one location to another, diving into the technical details about how the protocol works is really not necessary.

The Domain Name

The section immediately following the protocol is the domain name. It is usually the name of a website, such as “google.com” or “thewritersforhire.com.”

When someone decides to set up a website, it is up to them to choose the domain name. It is a good idea to choose a name that is easy to type, remember, and relates to the purpose of the website.

The last part of the domain name, such as “.com” is the domain suffix, or top level domain. While .com is the most commonly used, there are over 500 domain suffixes available. The most common ones are:

  • .com
  • .edu
  • .org
  • .biz
  • .gov
  • .net
  • .co

Many domain names used to begin with “www.” This was an abbreviation of the World Wide Web. It is usually not necessary to type in the www as you will be directed to the correct domain without it.

The Path

The file path (often shortened to “the path”) directs the browser to a specific page associated with the domain. If no path is specified, the browser will take you to a default page, such as a home page. For example, https://www.thewritersforhire.com/blog/ will take you to the main blog page of The Writers for Hire website.

The Parameter Stream and Anchor

Following the path, a URL can contain many more words, symbols, and numbers. These are often the parameter and anchor.

The parameter usually contains the “&” symbol and the anchor usually contains the “#” symbol. Both parts generally provide more specificity about where the browser should take a user.

One simple way to think of all these parts of a URL is to put it in terms of a mailing address.

  • The protocol is the delivery service
  • The domain name is the city
  • The path is the building
  • The parameters indicate the apartment
  • The anchor represents the person receiving delivery

How to Get a URL

If you are interested in creating a website, you will need to get a URL. The part that you need to focus on in this case is the domain name. You have control over what to name your website, and it will form the core of your URL.

In order to own a domain name, you will need to purchase it from a domain registrar (often referred to as “registering your domain”). There are many options available to do this. Prices may vary, and you should do your research to make sure you are buying from a reputable source before making a purchase.

You can check to see if the domain registrar is accredited by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN). Registrars must meet certain criteria to be accredited. However, it’s probably best to do further research to make sure the domain registrar you use also offers good technical support and has many satisfied customers.

Most web hosting services will also offer to sell you a domain name as part of your web hosting package. Some will even give you a domain name for free for the first year. Just be aware that you will likely be charged for your domain name when the promotion is up.

How Does a URL Work

Destinations on the internet are actually identified by a series of numbers. These are called IP Addresses (Internet Protocol Address). They consist of 12 numbers separated into groups of three by a period, like this: 123.123.123.123.

It is possible to arrive at an internet destination by typing in the IP address. But imagine trying to remember a series of 12 numbers every time you wanted to visit a website. You might memorize a handful that you visit frequently, but it’s a terribly impractical system.

Instead, domain names with words are used. When a URL is entered into a browser, it is then translated into an IP address by something called a Domain Name Server (DNS). So the browser is using the string of numbers to bring you to your desired destination. The DNS just makes the job a lot easier for us to do.

Secure URLs

It is important to understand the difference between http:// and https://. Previously, http:// was in widespread use. More recently, there has been a move toward using https:// because it is a much more secure option. The “s” indicates that any data sent back and forth is encrypted before being transmitted. Encrypted data is converted in such a way as to make it safe from interception by hackers. 

It is easy to tell if a website uses a secure protocol. In addition to the “s,” there will also be a padlock icon shown on the far left of the website address.

How to Design a Good URL

If you need to create a website, choosing the right URL is important. You should first just focus on the domain name and top-level domain, or suffix, when making your choice. 

Keep it Simple

Short, easy-to-remember domain names are best, but many of the best names have already been taken. Still, the closest you can get to meeting these two requirements, the better.

It is not necessary to keep your domain name to one word. Simple phrases, as long as they are easy to remember, work fine. Thewritersforhire.com consists of four words, but it is easy to type, and each word is fairly short.

Try to match your domain name to the subject of your website. Again, thewritersforhire.com serves as a good example. Anyone seeing this URL will have a pretty good idea of what to expect when they land on the website. Conversely, cryptic names or ones that provide no clues about the website are harder to remember and can cause visitors to become confused.

Try to avoid the use of symbols. If you must use a separator, a hyphen (-) is better than an underscore (_), largely because typing a hyphen doesn’t require using the shift key.

Using the .com Extension

Sometimes the domain name you wish to use is not available. In order to find out, you can simply type in the name you are hoping to purchase, such as domainname.com. The registrar will be able to immediately indicate if that name is available.

If it isn’t (and this happens fairly often), the registrar will usually offer some alternative suggestions. Often the suggestions will be the same core name with a different top-level domain, such as .net, .biz, or .co.

It is a good idea to think carefully about whether or not to use a different suffix other than .com. Obviously, .com is the most commonly used, unless it is for a specific type of organization, such as a government agency (.gov) or educational entity (.edu).

Most people will assume your domain name uses the .com extension. So, if you want to name your website mywebsite.com, but it is already taken, you could instead purchase mywebsite.biz. The risk is that when someone wants to go to your website, they may not remember yours uses the .biz extension, and instead end up at your competitor’s site with the .com extension.

You can try modifying your first choice by adding a descriptor and seeing if that is available. For example, if you are an author and want to use your name for your website, you might run into trouble if your name is somewhat common. For example, there is a pretty good chance that JaneSmith.com is already taken. In this case, you could try adding your middle name, such as JaneAnnSmith.com. Or you could add a descriptor, such as JaneSmithWriter.com.

Why It’s Important to Understand URLs

This post has kept the discussion of URLs to the basic concepts that would be most useful to anyone seeking a casual overview of the subject. Diving deeper into the topic would require a more sophisticated understanding of the inner workings of the internet, and is not really necessary for the average person.

But URLs are one of the most important foundational pieces of the internet. Taking the time to understand how URLs work, and how carefully designing one for your website is important, will allow you to make more informed decisions when it comes to your own website or business.

6 Free Templates to Get Your Blog Started

Blogging is hard. There! I’ve said it.

For some people, the idea of sitting down and writing a blog from scratch seems incredibly daunting.

For starters, how do you choose a topic to write about? And how do you format your blog so that it keeps your readers engaged throughout? These are things that even the most seasoned writers struggle with.

So, why bother with blogging? Is it really worth the time and effort?

According to the people at Lyfe Marketing, blogging is vital to the success of small businesses because it boosts online visibility and helps businesses build relationships with their target audience. And given the fact that the majority of internet users in the United States not only read blogs, but trust the information they get from blogs, it seems that blogging is really just a smart way to grow your business.

But, where do you start?

This fantastic article we found from HubSpot is a great resource to get you started. In the article, they provide templates for six essential types of blogs:

  • The “How To” blog
  • The “What is” blog
  • The “Newsjacking” blog
  • The “List Based” blog
  • The “Pillar Page” blog
  • The “Infographic” blog

All six of the templates are free to download, and can be used as a starting point for your blog. So, next time you find yourself staring at a blank screen, unsure of where to begin, you can rely on these great templates to break through your writer’s block and help get that blog written.

Five Common Web Writing Mistakes to Avoid

Web copy can be tricky to master: It has to sell, but it can’t feel too salesy. It has to be packed with useful, relevant information, but it needs to be succinct and easy to scan. It has to differentiate your company, product, or service — but at the same time, it can’t feel like it’s “all about you.”

We’ve found that there are a few common web writing mistakes that come up again and again with web copy. In this post, we’ll explore five of the most common ones — and share our strategies for avoiding them.  

  1. Mistake 1: Ignoring navigation

    It’s tempting to treat content and layout as two separate things, but we’ve found that the most effective websites begin with an integrated approach. When you have a solid grasp of your site’s navigation and layout, you’re better equipped to write content that fits into that navigation in an intuitive, seamless way.

    A few questions to consider:

    How will visitors navigate your site?
    What information will they be looking for on each page?
    How can you ensure that visitors can find what they need easily?
    Will your most important copy points appear “above the fold”?
    Can you use design elements like callout boxes and sidebars to highlight key points?
    Is your copy broken up in a logical way?
    Do you have too many pages? Too few pages?
    What action do you want people to take after scanning the page?

  2. Mistake 2: Super-long copy 

    Good web writing should tell your customers what they want to know in the first two sentences. Remember, website visitors come to a site to gather information. If they have to read paragraphs of unnecessary fluff to get to the “meat” of your product or service, they’ll probably move on.

    Here’s an example:

    “You need a car to get you to work. You need a car to take your kids to school, for trips to the grocery store, and for epic road trip adventures. You need a car to live your life – but you don’t need to pay top dollar for it. That’s why Two Brothers Used Cars specializes in certified pre-owned vehicles – guaranteed to save you money.”

    The above paragraph is long and meandering, and it wastes valuable real estate stating the obvious: Your readers already know why they need a used car. They want to know why they should buy a used car from Two Brothers Used Cars.

    Here’s a better option:

    “Two Brothers Used Auto has thousands of pre-owned vehicles at wholesale prices. Reliable. Affordable. And all used cars come with a year-long free maintenance package. Come take a test drive today.”

    Our advice: Resist the urge to “ease” in to your copy. Jump in, be bold, and get right to the point — your readers will appreciate it!

  3. Mistake 3: The “Wall of text”

    People read differently on a screen than they do on a printed page – their eyes flit around the page, scanning for information. Copy that appears too dense — also known as the dreaded “wall of text” can be a turnoff.

    In fact, if your web copy looks too dense, readers will likely give up and move on.

    Here are some ways to break down those “walls” and make your copy more scannable and web-friendly:

    Use bullets to highlight important points.
    Use bolded headers.
    Break up paragraphs (limit each paragraph to three to five sentences, max)
    Use visuals like infographics, tables, or photos
    Use callout boxes and sidebars to highlight information
    Use lots of white space
    Insert links to relevant pages

  4. Mistake 4: Wordiness and fluff

    One way to keep web copy succinct: Avoid filler fluff and unnecessary words. Some hard-nosed editing can help streamline your copy. Scan your draft with these questions in mind:

    Is there a single, better word that you can substitute for two words? For example, you could use “boring” instead of “not interesting.” You could use “to” instead of the wordier “in order to.”

    Can you eliminate any fluffy, meaningless phrases? Don’t tell readers that your sales team is “committed to excellence” or “dedicated to success.” It’s much better to say something meaningful, like the fact that your sales team has a combined three decades of experience or has completed hundreds of hours of advanced training.



  5. Mistake 5: Showcasing features, not benefits

    Emphasizing the benefits of your product or service is more important than emphasizing features – that’s because benefits persuade, features only inform. Benefits are relevant to customers, features aren’t.

    For example, let’s say your company sells high-end wristwatches: Details like “illuminated dial,” “digital alarm,” and “solar-powered battery” are features. But why should a potential customer care? This is where the benefits come in: The illuminated dial means you can tell the time in the dark. The solar power means that you never have to replace a battery. The digital alarm means that it can pull double duty as an alarm clock or a stopwatch.  

Top Six (Really) FREE Image Sites

With the Internet’s seemingly endless stream of images for any given subject, it’s hard to know which ones are free to use, and which ones are protected by strict copyrights.

Seeing a large watermark on an image is generally a good indication that the image you are looking at is copyrighted.

But what if there is no obvious copyright watermark? And what if you are able to click on the image and save it to your computer? Does that mean that you are legally permitted to use that image for your personal websites or blogs?

The answers to these questions are not always clear, and even when you think you are following the right steps to make sure you are using an image that is not copyrighted, images that seem to be copyright free are sometimes only copyright free in certain situations.

The Sticky Details of Copyright Laws

Unfortunately, image copyright laws can be complicated to navigate. And violating those copyright laws can lead to penalties and expensive lawsuits.

Sure, there is a chance that the image you use will never be discovered. But the reality is that whoever took that picture or created that image deserves to be properly credited and compensated for their work.

That is where copyright licenses, and the laws that protect them, come into play.

There is a huge array of different copyright licenses that control how and when images can be used.

Some licenses are very restrictive, while others allow open and free use of the image.  The trick is figuring out which license your image is covered by, and what that license allows and prohibits.

For example, Flickr images are protected under eight different types of Creative Commons copyright licenses. The particular license used for each individual image is up to the discretion of whoever created or owns the image.

So, when using Flickr images, it is important that you find out which Creative Commons license is applicable to the particular image that you wish to use.

Types of Copyright Licenses

While there are a number of copyright licenses out there, some of the most commonly found licenses are:

  • All Rights Reserved: With this license, the copyright holder reserves all rights provided by copyright law. This includes the right to make copies, distribute the image, and license or otherwise exploit their work; no rights are waived under this license.
  • Royalty Free: A royalty free license allows you to use the image without having to pay any kind of royalty. Royalty free images are generally found on stock-photo sites, where the royalty has been paid already through your membership to the site.
  • Public Domain Work: Images classified under the Public Domain have been identified as being free of known restrictions under copyright law. This means that the image is free to be used for all purposes, without needing to seek permission or pay a fee.
  • Attribution: If an image is covered by the Attribution license, it may be used for personal or commercial purposes, as long as the user gives proper credit, provides a link to the license, and indicates whether any changes were made to the original image.
  • Attribution-ShareAlike: Like the Attribution license, this license allows free use of the image with proper attribution. It also requires that if you change or build upon the image in any way, you must distribute your contribution under the same license as the original.
  • Attribution-NoDerivs: Again, this license follows the same rules as the Attribution license; however, if you make any changes to the original, you may not distribute the modified image.
  • Attribution-NonCommercial: With the NonCommercial clause to the Attribution license, you may only use the image for personal use. The image may not be used for commercial purposes.

Educating yourself on exactly what these licenses cover, and making sure you know which license pertains to your image, is imperative if you wish to avoid any possible copyright infringements.

Penalties For Copyright Infringements

Making the mistake of using a copyrighted image without permission can hold some pretty hefty consequences.

First of all, it’s never fun to receive a scary looking “Cease and Desist” letter or an “Unauthorized Use Report” email.

Even worse, though, is when those notifices are accompanied by a demand that you pay a license fee or face further legal action.

And if you think you can get away with ignoring the notice and fee demand, think again! Failing to respond to the cease and desist can cost you a fine of anywhere from $200 to $150,000, plus attorney fees and damages.

To top it off, the image owner can take it as far as using the DCMA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) to get your entire site shut down.

So, How do you Know if Images are Truly Copyright Free?

The only way to know for sure is to check into the license for the particular image that you want to use.

When using sites such as Flickr or Shutterstock, each individual image should have a licensing agreement that explains whether or not the image can be used, for what purpose it may be used, and whether or not there is a fee associated with its use.

However, if you are simply doing a Google image search, the license information is not always easy to find.

Often, it is nearly impossible to find out who actually owns the license for many of the images.

And although it is possible to set Google parameters to show only copyright free images, there is no guarantee that the images that are shown are truly copyright free.

For this reason, we recommend that you always choose your images from a site where licensing information is clearly posted and easy to understand.

While there are many different image sites to choose from, these are our top six favorite sites for free images:

  1. https://www.pexels.com/
  2. https://burst.shopify.com
  3. https://www.reshot.com
  4. https://pixabay.com
  5. https://gratisography.com/
  6. https://pxhere.com/

Not only do these sites contain breathtakingly beautiful images, they all also clearly state that their images are available for both commercial and non-commercial use and that credit to the photographer is not required but is, as always, appreciated.

And the best part? Sticking to one of these sites for your image searches will ensure that you can have peace of mind in knowing that you will not be in jeopardy of unknowingly committing a copyright infringement.

 **Note: While the sites we recommend do have copyright free images, it is always important to read the fine print before using an image. Although the image itself may be free to use, some of the things depicted in the images (such as identifiable people, landmarks, or trademarked logos) may have other copyrights or trademarks that require consent from a third party.

Accommodating All Five Types of Web Visitors

There are five different types of online visitors, each with unique reading and learning styles. In order to write effective copy, your website needs to reach each of the different types of readers and give them the information they need in the way they want it. Let’s take a look at each of the types of online personalities, and some best practices to get them hooked, make a sale, and convert them through your online copy.

Group 1: Information Gatherers

These folks want to know as much as they can before they make a call or place an order. They want to know your pricing, they want to read about your guarantees and warranties, they want to know how your product works, and they want to know your credentials — they want all the information they can get their hands on, really.

These are the people that will be reading your copy attentively, so all of the standard copywriting rules apply: Be clear. Be concise. Be specific. Be benefit-oriented. Remember, the golden rule of attracting Information Gatherers is to never make them guess.  

Group 2: Visual Learners

Visual learners hate to read. When they come to your website, they’re looking for a few pictures or charts where they can quickly grab the info they need to make a decision. You can accommodate visual learners by adding graphics — like a flow chart about how your business or service works, or a table comparing your prices to your competitor’s prices. There are also lots of web tools out there that can also accommodate visual learners, including:

  • Test results
  • Process charts
  • Labeled diagrams
  • Infographics

Group 3: Doers

Doers don’t want to research your company or read your website. Period. They want to get it done and move on. They want to find your action statement — and they want to find it fast. Doers literally read your headline and then scroll to the bottom of the page to place an order or fill out your contact form.

If you want to keep their attention, you’ll need to give this group something to do: Every page of your website needs to have a call to action — whether it’s “Print this Coupon Now for a 15% discount” or “Sign Up For Our Newsletter.” And remember: This group doesn’t want to dig around for information. Make sure that your call to action is clear and easy to find. Don’t bury it in a bunch of copy — highlight it, make it bold, make sure it’s in a prominent position on your website.

A few other ways you can capture (and keep) doers’ attention:

  • Put contact information on every single page
  • Allow for multiple methods of contact:  phone, email, forms and even chat

Group 4: Speed Readers

This name is a little deceptive, because “Speed Readers” don’t actually read your website — they skim it. The opposite of Information Gatherers, Speed Readers figure they can get everything they need by reading the headlines and a few bolded points. To make this group happy, your web copy needs to be broken up and easy to scan.

A few other ways to keep skimmers happy? Use bullets, big headlines, and bolding to guide them to the main ideas.

Group 5: Listeners

These guys would rather see and hear it than read it. They love videos and voice-overs. This is the group that will want to check out your company’s YouTube channel right away; they’re huge fans of things like product demos, unboxing videos, and video testimonials.

Unlimited Combinations

Most people are some combination of these five basic types. For example, Speed Reader/Information Gatherers skim your content for the important stuff, but if they like what they see, they’ll come back later and scan each page in-depth. Some people are Doers when they’re in a hurry — but when they have enough time on their hands, they’ll go into Listener mode and scour your site for video testimonials and demos. 

This is why it’s important to accommodate all types of visitors.

By tailoring your content to each type of audience, you’re ensuring that people can interact with your website however they want. Tweet this

This is also why redundant content is acceptable — and even desirable — in web writing. People are going to skim, scan, and skip around. By including things like key points and contact info on each page, you’ll ensure that nobody misses the critical information.