There seems to be a conspiracy that writing like a robot completely void of emotion is the way to go when it comes to e-commerce communications. It’s everywhere: bland monotonous copy that is easily forgotten. Here’s a wee guide on why writing like a real life human being is the way to go.

Due to the nature of e-commerce sites, the first impression viewers are presented with is that of a faceless company. Websites need to actively prove their authenticity because it’s in a viewer’s nature to be sceptical.

So, how do you prove your business isn’t run out of a garage in Uzbekistan?

Internet users are impatient. They want information fast. So on your homepage, you’ve got approximately thirty seconds to set the scene and establish what you’re about in the minds of potential customers.

Design is important but even the slickest of designs can be let down by poor content. First impressions are of the utmost importance so you need to be clear and concise, with content that has impact.

The term SEO is used pretty frequently these days, and yet, when I sit down with clients, many of them say, ‘So, Monica, what exactly does SEO mean?’ I think many people wrongly assume it’s going to be far too technical for them to get their head around, and while you don’t need to understand all the techy ins and outs, it is certainly a concept that you should be giving your attention. A better understanding will help you make better decisions – whether that is to tackle your SEO yourself or invest in SEO services.

Social media should no longer be thought of as just a place for serial procrastinators – Social media might just get you a job. It’s becoming more and more common for employers and recruiters to use a little online site called LinkedIn to source potential talent for their company or business.

Jobseekers will be well aware of the importance of a well-crafted CV and cover letter – writing a resume takes a lot of careful deliberation. That same care should be applied to your LinkedIn profile. At Mark My Words, we like to think of your LinkedIn profile as a powerful source of personal marketing and branding – just like any effective piece of copywriting – with the ultimate aim of getting you employed!

If you are thinking of joining LinkedIn, or you are thinking your current profile needs a spruce up, here are our tips to write a great LinkedIn profile that will get you noticed by the right people.

If you’re considering hiring a freelance copywriter, you’ll be wondering what these copywriters charge – and you’ll also be wondering how these crazy freelancers set their fees given that they are their own boss.

The truth is, the cost can vary widely and to make it even trickier, some copywriters won’t explicitly outline their fees. So it’s definitely going to require some research on your part to find the best copywriter for your business.

If you’re thinking about revamping the website for your business – or you’re taking the plunge and finally starting one up – you need to carefully consider what you want to put out there on the world wide web. Your website has the potential to be the most important piece of marketing for your business. The content you put on your website is literally out there for all the world to see and can play a pivotal role in gaining customers and strengthening your brand.

However, a website also has the potential to break, rather than make, your brand. It’s more than just aesthetics. Poorly written content and jumbled ideas will quickly result in a closed browser. To help you solve this problem, we have narrowed down the top three reasons you should consider hiring a web copywriter. A web copywriter can help you get readers to your website and stay there, while ensuring that your content expresses your brand as best as it can.

So, you’ve just spent a whole lot of time writing a top-notch customer newsletter or marketing email full of great info, tips and giveaways to send out to a supposedly interested audience – they’ve signed up, so they should want to read your words of wisdom, right? But how come your open rate stats are looking so glum?

Quick pause here – take a sec to think about your own inbox behaviours; do you delete the excess junk while you’re on your commute to work? Do you leave subscription emails unopened and categorised under ‘read later’. What exactly is it that separates the ‘eh’ emails from the ‘oooh?’ emails in your inbox?

I know exactly what it’s like when you’re starting up your new business; changing from your ‘sales person hat’ to your ‘bookkeeping hat’ to your ‘marketing hat’ and many more throughout the day is exhausting, overwhelming and often daunting. While I’m (obviously) a cheerleader for outsourcing to specialists, I also know what it’s like to be on that new-business budget, and I myself had to quickly upskill on previously uncharted aspects of business until my admin time decreased and my cashflow increased and I could hand it off to an expert.

It’s likely that if you’re a new business, you’ll be setting up a new website. And also likely that you’ve been sitting staring at a blank screen for some time now, wondering just what the heck you are supposed to write… where is that ‘copywriter hat’ when you need it?

Here are my top tips for start-up DIY website copywriting

Keywords are the words or search terms that people use when they are searching for specific online content.

So, how can you figure out what people are searching for, and therefore what are the words that you need to be concentrating on when it comes to creating your web copy? Here are some handy Keyword Research Tools that can help you uncover what search terms people are currently using to search in relation to your service or product.

Guest blogging is the practice of blogger’s writing blogs to be posted on other bloggers’ blogs. Say that fast five times! Businesses who invested in blogging are 13 times more likely to enjoy positive ROI – what’s more, guest posts are integral to this ROI improvement.

The features vs benefits question is one I ask all my clients when creating content for their website: what is it that makes you different? What are clients going to gain from using your service or product? Why should they part with their money – what is in it for them? It’s important to remember that consumers make purchasing decisions based on benefits rather than features, so consider these questions from their perspective.

These days, your website may be the first point of contact for many customers with your business. It’s not news that the way people search for and select products or services has shifted with so many consumers researching and buying online.

So is your website accurately reflecting your brand, your products or services, your people and your company values in a way that you are proud of? Are you conveying the same message as you would if you were face-to-face with your customer?