Blog Entries tagged 'marketing'

Make life easy for your web visitors

Munaiba — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0100

This last week I've been doing quite a bit of research online trying to buy a number of products and services and I realised once again how difficult some people make it for customers to buy from them.

Don't make your clients jump hurdles

One of the main things I'm looking for when I want to buy a product is the delivery cost and I guess many of you are the same. Is it going to be cheaper for me to trek round the city looking for it or will it be cheaper if I buy online? This [...]

Don't be "dagvertiser"

Munaiba — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:00:00 +0100

I was flipping through the colour magazine of a weekend newspaper and I was amazed at the number of ads using tortured words and misspellings. Here are three reason why I think advertisers just shouldn't do it.

I really think it's counterproductive. They're all so lame and amateurish. I mean Salebration! PLEASE! If there's one thing worse than a bad spoken pun it's a tortured written one. If you have to stoop to such depths what you're saying is there isn't muc [...]

Why do you need a website?

Munaiba — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 11:00:00 +0100

Many small to medium businesses don't have websites. They figure that they don't do business on the web i.e. sell online, and therefore they don't need one. I think they're wrong and I'll tell you why...

Why your business needs its own website

These days people like to do a little research before they contact a business to ask for a quote. A brochure is one way but people still want to look online and if you don't have a website you risk looking amateurish. It [...]

OK! You're the best at what you do. Why isn't your website?

Munaiba — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0100

People tend to assume that because they are acknowledged as the best in their field it doesn't matter if their website isn't the best it could be. Nothing could be further from the truth.

We're a community of consumers that has come to rely on the web for information

I'll give you an example without mentioning any names. I had heard about a world class hairdresser and wanted to know a bit more about him before I parted with my cash. So the first port of call was his salo [...]

New services for cash-strapped, time-poor small businesses

Munaiba — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:00:00 +0100

Small businesses always do it tough compared to their larger relatives. Rising costs hit the bottom line hard and so they are always looking for ways to become leaner.

How to cut costs without impacting new business opportunities

At The Copywriter Online we're always looking for ways to help businesses gain new business and maintain current business relationships in an efficient and cost-effective way. That's why we're introducing our new editing service.

Save money witho [...]

Everyone wants a "killer headline" but what is it?

Munaiba — Sat, 24 May 2008 11:00:00 +0100

There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of copywriting websites offering "killer headlines". But what makes a "killer headline" and will it work for your business?

"Killer Headlines"! The what and the why...

"Killer headlines" are headlines that are supposed to grab the attention of your customers in such a way that they give them a virtual lobotomy, stifling all rational thought and objections and making them reach for their credit cards a [...]

Web 2.0 � what is it? And what does it mean for you and your business?

Munaiba — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:00:00 +0100

Web 2.0 and Social Networking are the current web buzzwords. Do you know what they mean? And do you know what they mean for your business?

Interactive web technologies

Web 2.0 technologies provide a more interactive web experience than was possible in static websites. Web 2.0 technologies allow visitors to your site to interact in a number of different ways. They can comment on your products and services; give testimonials; ask questions and spread the word to other possible customers b [...]

Idioms and the importance of using native speakers

Munaiba — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:00:00 +0100

I was reminded again of the importance of using native speakers to communicate a message when I came upon a recent spam message. At first I was a bit puzzled and then the light dawned. The spammer had used an idiom which he had expressed strangely.

Hello the man not familiar to me!

Recognise it? A somewhat mangled version I suspect of "Hello stranger!". It doesn't have the same impact somehow, does it? And while this is all a bit of joke, it's not a joke if y [...]

The interrupting cow...

Munaiba — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:00:00 +0100

Those of you who watch any commercial TV in Australia will have seen what I refer to as the "interrupting cow ad". In it a little girl tells a knock knock joke. It's very cute. It makes you laugh. But can you remember who it's for? Or what it was actually selling? I can't. I know it's either Target or K-Mart - at least I think it is but what products were being promoted I can't remember. And that's the problem.

Too funny for its own good

[...]

Give as good as you get...

Munaiba — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0100

...or to put it another way, you'll get as good as you give. When it comes to hiring a copywriter - or any other professional for that matter - a good brief is vital. Here are some things you should take into account when building a brief for a copywriter.

Building a better copywriting brief

Copywriters aren't clairvoyants. They may get a sense of what you want when they speak to you but their interpretation of your needs may not be accurate. That's why you need a good brief [...]

So now you've got a Flash website...

Munaiba — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0100

When Flash isn't so flash

Flash is a great tool. It allows you to do so much with your site. It provides interactive content and keeps users interested but it's not all upside. I guess it's like everything else in life - great in moderation.

Flash intros - skip or enter?

There are heaps of websites out there that have Flash intros. Their owners obviously spend a lot of money and their designers are obviously really talented. The problem is that not everyone has a super fast i [...]

Is a picture really worth a thousand words? (Part I)

Whizzly — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0100

We've all heard this saying and it's certainly true that a picture has an immediacy that words struggle to match. So much information is instantly available in a picture.

What does this mean for websites?

Does this mean you should tell your story with lots of images, slick graphics and few words? Not necessarily. Certainly an attractive site encourages people to stick around and there's no doubt that high quality images and cool graphics can enhance a user's [...]

Welcome to Copy this! - the blog of The Copywriter Online

Whizzly — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 11:00:00 +0100

My aim in writing this blog is to start a conversation about copywriting, web marketing, seo copywriting, web culture as it affects business and to help people who, for whatever reason, are doing their own copywriting.

So stick around. Let me know what you think or what topics you'd like covered. (Politely please!)