Four Things Every Web Site Headline Must Do

As you know, I'm constantly making the point that the text on web sites is not given enough attention. Which is unfortunate, because the headlines on site pages make huge demands on the skills of any writer.

If you're writing a headline or heading for a site page, here are four things you need to keep in mind, four elements that demand your attention, four separate 'audiences' you need to satisfy.

1. Make the reader feel he or she is in the right place

Every time someone clicks on a link and a new page begins to open, the reader is thinking, in one way or another, "Is this page going to give me what I'm looking for?" This is particularly true of first-time visitors. It is also true of any visitor on any page in your site, even a repeat visitor who is accessing a page for the first.

Matching the headline to the reader's expectations is central to holding their attention and giving them a high level of confidence.

If the heading doesn't match the reader's hopes and expectations, their confidence in finding what they want will fall and your conversion rates will decline.

2. Make the reader feel good and want to continue

This is where a page heading takes on the characteristics of a print advertisement headline. The heading not only has to satisfy point number one, but also has to make a 'sale'. That is to say, it has to sell the reader on the benefits of reading the page. Just as an ad headline sells the reader on the benefits of reading the body text.

By way of illustration, if I were selling my search engine copywriting skills, I might write a heading that says:

"Yes, I write copy for search engines."

That might satisfy my point number one, but it doesn't cut the mustard with point number two.

I'd be better off saying something like:
"Ask me to make your Web copy irresistible to search engines."

Doubtless I could improve on that headline with a few rewrites, but as it is, it contains a benefit and a promise. It still covers point number one, but also goes further ? it gives the reader more of an incentive to actually read the page.

3. Appeal to the search engines

To ignore the needs of the search engines on any page is foolishness. You need to work with your page title, meta tags and headline to ensure that you are covering the most relevant and profitable key words and phrases. If you don't, you are losing traffic and losing potential readers and customers.

While some writers find it frustrating to have to accommodate the needs of SEO, doing so will actually help you with point number one. The better you know and understand what people are entering into the search box, the easier it will be for you to write text that is relevant to their expectations and needs.

4. Satisfy the needs of the company or organization

This is the tough one. This is where your not-very-net-savvy manager or client pressures you to make the heading more company centric, about the company or organization, and not about the needs of the reader.

At this point you have to fight the best fight you can. Gather together the best evidence you can find and persuade the manager of the errors of his or her ways. If all else fails, you can always suggest a test...testing your heading against theirs...and then measure the search engine traffic, and the conversion rate of the page.

Nick Usborne is a copywriter, author, speaker and advocat of good writing. You can access all his archived newsletter articles on copywriting and writing for the web at his Excess Voice site. You'll find more articles and resources on how to make money as a freelance writer at his Freelance Writing Success site.

---

3 Keys to Better Online Copywriting

Doing the copywriting for your own website without the proper... Read More

How To Take Your Freelance Writing Chances

Your initial freelance writing assignments are the best way to... Read More

How To Find Freelance Jobs - Writing About Food

Did you know that jobs writing about food are available?... Read More

Can Honest Copywriting Succeed?

I confess--I'm a marketing heretic! I've built my career on... Read More

Who is Your Customer?

When you want to sell something?anything? you need to first... Read More

How to Write Adverts that Forces People to Respond

Think for a moment some day and consider the kind... Read More

10 Tips for Aspiring Freelance Copywriters

Every week I receive a couple of emails from people... Read More

Three Steps To Pump Up The Drama In Your Copy

All the world's a story. Video games have storylines; newspapers... Read More

Is Your Web Copy Plain Talk?

It's true, we were all taught in school to express... Read More

Copywriting and Your Five Senses

In its most basic form, copywriting is, among other things,... Read More

Knowing Copywriting Basics - How To Get Ahead In Your Copy Writing Business

In order to get ahead in your copy writing business,... Read More

Freelance Technical Writers - How Much Are You Worth?

Where can you find out about freelance technical writing pay?... Read More

Copyright, Copyrighting, and Online Copyright Abuse - Save Yourself the Headache by Reading This!

Lets start with copyright infringement.It is easily explained as copying... Read More

Website Promotion: 10 Secret Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy

Unless you know the secret motivational secrets that make people... Read More

Working With a Freelance Editor

If you are interested in creating information products, you will... Read More

Keeping It Real: The Only Copywriting Trick That Works

Much of today's accepted copywriting wisdom comes from old books... Read More

19 Secrets to Making Your Ad Copy More Effective

The sales letter is the key; the sales letter is... Read More

So Youve Decided to Hire a Freelance Copywriter - A Guide to the Collaboration Process

Whether you're an executive or a small business owner, chances... Read More

10 Tips for Tech-Writers

Tech-writing is a tricky business. It's not a very high... Read More

How To Get Started With A Career In Copywriting

Careers in copywriting are booming. Could it be that the... Read More

Writing Great Website Sales Copy

Many small businesses fail because their owners don't pay enough... Read More

Be That Copywriter Everyone Wants to Work With

So many copywriters think that it's enough to be a... Read More

Four Simple Steps to Improve Your Sales Copy

You know what it's like, you're reading the sales material... Read More

Discover Your Creativity

You have a choice. Do you want to be constructive... Read More

Freelance Writers: Double Your Income

Freelance writers are a strange group of people when it... Read More

Top 3 Rules for Writing Effective Copy

One thing all successful Internet marketers have in common is... Read More

8 Tips for Writing Headlines that Grab Attention (and Keep Prospects Reading!)

Effective headlines make all the difference in whether your prospect... Read More

7 Steps You MUST Take Before Writing a Word of Copy!

Copywriting ChecklistOkay, you know you have your product (or service)... Read More

Traffics Nice... But Whos Driving?

In the competitive marketplace of the new millennium, the demand... Read More

Copywriting Goldmine: One of 20 Insider Secrets to Great Copywriting

Each weekday during my Red Hot Copywriting Bootcamp, attendees (or... Read More

Better Copy: The Interview is the Key

Most of us spend our days persuading others to buy... Read More

Sowing the Seeds of Opportunity: How to Multiply Your Freelance (Writing) Work

You can turn your $200 fee to write a press... Read More

Copywriting Secrets Of Indias Mystics

Hi everyone,Been ruminating on this one for a little while... Read More