I know this will sound like heresy, coming from a longtime professional copywriter like me. In fact, it’ll probably get me drummed out of the swanky and ultra-exclusive Copywriter’s Club.

I humbly submit that you, the business owner, are far more qualified than I am to write the copy for your website. Why? Lots of reasons:

• You know far more about your business than I (or any other copywriter) ever will.
• You talk to your customers every day. You know why they buy, and why they don’t. You hear their objections, and know exactly how to respond.
• Because you own the business, your success is much more important to you than to any hired gun.
• You’re probably more focused on the goal, which is (or should be) attracting more customers. Some copywriters (too many) view your website as a chance to show how clever they are. Your site becomes just another little part of their portfolio.

There’s only one problem with you writing your own website copy, and it’s a biggie.

You’re probably not a very good writer.

That’s not a criticism, just a fact. After all, writing is probably not an important part of your everyday skill set. You’re an expert at doing what you do — not writing about what you do.

Oh, you might be able to write a good article or blog post. But writing a web page that instantly connects with a half-interested visitor? One that establishes trust? A Web site that actually sells? That is a very tough assignment — as you know if you’ve ever tried it yourself.

BTW, that’s why good copywriters are in high demand — and why they can charge an arm and a leg. Oh sure, there are typists writers who will crank out your entire website for a couple hundred dollars. They’re generally novices who hang out on places like elance or guru.com. Some even grew up speaking English! But don’t expect them to deliver the kind of results a top gun would.

So if you can’t afford to hire the best, why not try doing it yourself?

This is the first in a series of blog posts written specifically for small-business owners and service providers. (OK, marketing people with slashed budgets can join in, too.)

Based on my 25+ years of experience writing websites, sales letters, landing pages, and ads — not to mention writing for newspapers, magazines, and radio-TV — I’m going to show you, step-by-step, how to rewrite your website so that it accomplishes your #1 goal: bringing in leads.

If you do it right, leads turn into customers, and that means money in your pocket. If a website doesn’t generate leads, it’s little more than an expensive brochure.

BTW, this series of posts are excerpts of my first ebook, which will be available right after the holidays. If you’d like to receive advance notice (and a substantial discount), just sign up for my mailing list (at the top right).

You might also want to subscribe to my RSS feed (click the little orange thingie) so you don’t miss any goodies.

Sick of hype and hard sell? Good news. The Marketing Gurus seem to be catching on. Famed copywriter Clayton Makepeace just wrote an article that confirms what I (and others) have been saying for years: “Everything you think you know about attracting new customers and writing to existing customers is quickly becoming obsolete.” For example:

• “One-shot customer acquisition promotions are going the way of the dinosaurs.
• “Bombastic ‘big promise’ or USP headlines don’t work as well.
• “High-octane sales copy is losing its power.”

Does this mean the outrageous promises, hard sell and hype are finally ending? We can only hope.

It’s good to hear a giant in old-time, hard-sell copywriting finally say what consumers already know. Today’s shoppers — of any age — are more savvy and more cynical than ever. They don’t fall for that old BS anymore. The credibility of media, marketers, corporations and small biz stands near zero when a prospect first catches your scent. That is especially true in email marketing and your website.

Bottom line: They don’t believe what you say. That’s why a good copywriter is so important. It’s up to the copy, the content, your message, to lift your credibility above zero. It’s all about what you say, and how you say it. That’s why, online or off, a good copywriter is worth his weight in gold.

There’s a better way.

Instead of promising the moon, take it slow. Let prospects get to know you first. You don’t propose on the first date, right? So don’t try to close the deal immediately either. In fact, don’t “sell” at all. Not at first. Instead, offer them your help — no strings attached. Give before you ask for anything in return.

Swallow hard and start giving away your secrets. Your best stuff. (Not all of it, of course.) Free information is only appreciated if it’s new and valuable, not more of the same old stuff they’ve heard a hundred times before. Offer them free samples of your product. A free trial period of your service.

Build a new marketing strategy around this concept: stop selling, start giving. Call it “Golden Rule” Marketing. When it’s well executed, it overcomes cynicism, reduces skepticism and raises credibility.

People don’t like to buy from strangers. Unless it’s some kind of emergency, they prefer to get to know, like and trust you first. Guess what? That’s actually better for you, too. Why?

Once you let prospects get familiar with you and your offerings, it is much easier to gently move them along to the next step (touchpoint) in the sales cycle. The more you share, they more they’ll care. That strengthens your relationship, and over the long term it’s much more likely to lead to a long-term relationship, enthusiastic referrals and a booming business.

Need help planning and executing your “Golden Rule” marketing plan? Let’s talk. Want to get to know me better first? Smart move! Sign up for my free newsletter (see form above), follow me on Twitter and/or let’s connect on LinkedIn.

Certain words, even tiny ones, can make a big impact in the mind of customers. Use the wrong word, and you can easily scare off interested prospects.

For example, I rarely use the word “Buy” in sales letters or their online equivalent, landing pages.

As a longtime copywriter, I know the “B” word carries a lot of baggage. It can cause some eager shoppers to hesitate just long enough to ask themselves, “Uh-oh. They want me to BUY? What exactly am I getting myself into?”

The solution? Substitute a different word. One that’s not so… intimidating. For example, I usually use the phrase “Order now” instead of “Buy now.” Do you feel the subtle difference in seriousness (or as the politicians call it, gravitas)? To “order” seems pretty harmless. “Buying” feels more serious.

“Contract” is another intimidating word. Even scary. This came up yesterday during the copywriting class I’m teaching at USM. After all, a contract is serious. It’s something you need a lawyer to look over. That’s why savvy salespeople, especially for big-ticket items like cars and homes, will downplay its significance. Call it an “agreement” or just “the paperwork.”

Don’t ask them to “sign” it either. Just hand them a pen and casually say “I just need your OK.” Or “I need you to approve this” or “Just give me your OK and we can get started right away.” The pen says it all. The buyer knows what to do: sign on the dotted line.

Bottom line: Don’t risk scaring away potential customers by using loaded words like “buy,” “contract,” or “sign.” Look for kinder, gentler ways to say it.

Hate those awful online ads ? You know the ones I mean. The ones that blink and spin and move around and morph into different shapes? Brace yourself. They’re about to get even worse.

“The Online Publishers Association has created a series of new standards for really big, intrusive, bash-you-on-the-head sorts of advertisements, which you are going to start seeing on its member sites in coming months.” NY Times

When will these advertising “experts” learn? The key to success in online advertising is relevance, not becoming noisier and more distracting. Look, most adults go online for a reason, and it ain’t to see ads. They’re looking for information. If your ad is relevant to the information they’re online to find, they might just take a look. But obnoxious, in-your-face ads? No way. They just fuel the demand for ad-blocking software.

Besides, haven’t these people heard? A little company called Google is doing pretty well with relevant, low-key, text-only ads…

For me, it’s not really “writer’s block.” It’s more like a reluctance to apply the seat of my pants to the seat of my chair. Sound familiar? In his awesome book, The War of Art, Stephen Pressman nails it on (practically) the first page.

“There’s a secret that real writers know that wannabe writers don’t, and the secret is this: It’s not the writing part that’s hard. What’s hard is sitting down to write. What keeps us from sitting down is Resistance.”

Whether you’re a writer, painter, or spreadsheet jockey, if Resistance is getting the better of you, Pressman’s short book is a must-read.

Here’s one way to overcome resistance that usually works for me. I wish I could credit whoever I got this from, but that’s been lost in the mists of memory. (If you know, please tell in the comments.)

OK, ready? Here goes.

Make a deal with yourself. Promise yourself that you will seriously tackle it — whatever you’re resisting — for just ten minutes. How hard can that be? I mean, you can endure anything for ten lousy minutes, right? (Except waterboarding, perhaps).

OK, grab your digital kitchen timer — a must-have tool for the productivity-minded. Set it for ten minutes. Now get going. Dig in and really give it your best shot. It’s only ten minutes, right?

When the timer goes off, if you’re still not into it, OK. Give up. Move on to something else. You did your part. You fulfilled your end of the bargain. You “win” (or lose, depending on how you look at it). Of course, if you’re like me, after ten minutes you’re back into it and (finally!) rolling again. You just needed a way to “trick” yourself into getting started. Congrats!

Try it and let me know how it works for you. And if you have a better way to get yourself started, by all means share it n the comments.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I think I need a hit of Rolling Stones: “Start me up, start me up baby and I’ll never stop…”

Photo by rkreetch