Gain trust with your website copy and establish yourself as the expert in your area of business.

Whether you sell candles or mining equipment, your online customers want to know that you are a reputable business person and that you know your "stuff".

You need to speak directly to your target audience and give them the information they are looking for.

Writing for the Web Requires a Different Approach

Offline copy and online copy are two different beasts. A hard-hitting sales pitch in your offline promotions doesn't always cut it when brought online.

Internet surfers are continuously looking for information and a solution to their problems. If they're going to buy anything from you, you need to establish yourself as a credible and informative resource, who also happens to have a terrific product. Speak directly to the needs and desires of your visitor and you will have a captivated audience.

A Few Tips:

1. Talk to your customer - Avoid focusing on yourself. You are irrelevant. Tell your customer how she will benefit from using your product. Use the word "you" and you can be certain you are speaking directly to your customer.

2. UNDERSTAND your target customer - Understand what motivates your customer and write from their perspective. Don't try to appeal to everyone.

3. Get attention - You can do this with a good headline and sub-headlines. That way, people will know instantly if you have what they are looking for. Forget cute and clever headlines...give your visitors the straight goods.

4. Keep it simple - Use short sentences and simple words. Your visitors eyes tire easily. Be kind to them! Break up your paragraphs and create plenty of white space.

5. Be casual - This web not the place for a formal essay. Write as you speak and be friendly with your visitor. Do double-check your spelling and follow most grammar rules. But it sure doesn't hurt to start a sentence or two with AND or BUT. Sure, you're high school grammar teacher will have a fit, but that's a-okay on the net.

6. Set yourself apart from the competition - What makes your product unique?

7. Prove it! - Add testimonials, sales statistics and anything else that proves your claims.

8. Create a sense of urgency - If people don't sense urgency, they aren't likely to click on your link. Limited time offers are perfect. Ads focusing on holidays work well. Make sure your potential customers feel the need to click on your link now.