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![\"h\"](\"\/wpe-content\/uploads\/2014\/10\/beatles.jpg\")
<\/a><\/p>\nSuspend your disbelief for a moment: you’ve hired a crack squad of producers and promoters to put on a free Beatles show, spending most of your budget in the process. The venue gradually fills up with die-hard fans, each prepared to throw down hundreds of dollars on merchandise. But when the lights go down and the band starts up, it’s not The Beatles in all their psychedelic splendour \u2013 it’s Wings. Paul McCartney, wearing a kilt, goes straight into Mull of Kintyre. They don’t even play Band on the Run. Cue a shambling exodus of dissatisfied customers; customers you’d worked hard to attract.<\/p>\n
In other words, if search engine entries and paid ads<\/a> are the posters, the landing page<\/a> is the show \u2013 and the copy is the lead singer. It isn’t just there to relate factual information about a product or service (although that is its purpose at the most fundamental level); it has to provoke thought and action. You can understand the effectiveness of copy<\/a> by asking yourself how well it:<\/p>\n \u2022 Excites curiosity and encourages people to look into the subject in more detail<\/p>\n \u2022 Stimulates thought, discussion or debate<\/p>\n \u2022 Spurs readers to do something in response (in conjunction with a compelling call-to-action) Here are eight tips to make sure your copy is more John Legend than Milli Vanilli:<\/strong><\/p>\n Long sentences are sometimes difficult to decipher in printed documents; an effect exaggerated by the short attention span of web users. Too many clauses or sub-clauses can obscure the meaning of a sentence. If its structure is limited to two or occasionally three clauses, the reader will be able to move through the text more swiftly. They will also be more likely to retain more information.<\/p>\n Long paragraphs can similarly confuse the reader and obscure meaning. To communicate meaning clearly and simply, paragraphs should generally stay within four sentences.<\/p>\n On its own, the following sentence does not contain any meaningful information and, in fact, raises additional questions. If we make these claims then we must be able to support them.<\/p>\n This world-leading company offers unsurpassed expertise and extraordinary products in its beautiful stores.<\/em><\/p>\n Overuse of adjectives and superlatives reduces credibility. If adjectives are restricted to only one or two per sentence, the text becomes more informative and less sensational.<\/p>\n Readers need to grasp your message as quickly and effectively as possible. Consider omitting words that do not increase the reader understanding or add to the meaning of the text. For example, there is no significant difference in meaning between:<\/p>\n It is generally the case that DAC offices close during the Christmas period.<\/em><\/p>\n and:<\/p>\n DAC usually closes during the Christmas period.<\/em><\/p>\n Read and re-read text to ensure that every word and every sentence is needed.<\/p>\n Active sentences are more quickly understood than passive sentences. This is because the agent is also the subject, and comes before the verb. Use the active rather than the passive voice unless there is a good reason not to.<\/p>\n Frank is holding the pen, not The pen is being held by Frank.<\/p>\n Beware of word combinations that have become clich\u00e9s through overuse. “Swinging cuts,” “heated debate” and “unique opportunity” are all examples of this. Whenever you are tempted to use a stock phrase, question what it means. Consider reworking your text, either to explain the idea more clearly or simply to use more interesting language.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n1. Use short, simple sentences.<\/h2>\n
2. Avoid hyperbole<\/h2>\n
3. Remove unnecessary words<\/h2>\n
4. Be active<\/h2>\n
5. Avoid clich\u00e9s<\/h2>\n
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