Website Owner’s Guide
Photography tips for your website – how to choose and get your website images ready
I’ve put together this guide on how to get the right photos for your website – as great photos can really make a website have the ‘wow factor’. Hope you find some of the tips helpful. If taking your own photos, use a camera rather than a cellphoneWhile smartphone cameras have come a long way,…
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SSL, Google’s ‘Not Secure’ warning and your website – what you need to know about adding SSL to your website and how to do it
SSL is suddenly a hot topic thanks to Google. So here’s some information to help you make an educated decision about your SSL requirements. Now, anything to do with website security can become quite a complex topic very quickly. So my goal here is to inform you about SSL (giving you some background information) while…
Read MoreThe ‘print friendly’ website, what is it, and why should you care?
Having a print-friendly website can be a huge competitive advantage. If your website information prints out nicely, people will be impressed and they will be able to understand your offer so much better than the competition’s offer. As an example, I’ve frequently turned up at meetings with prospective web design clients who have printed out pages from this website and have commented on how nice it was to have them print out perfectly. So much easier to read and understand.
Read MoreHow to add more interesting fonts to your website – introducing Google Web Fonts
One of the more frustrating aspects of web design has been the lack of support for anything other than ‘web safe’ fonts. Hence the reason why so many websites were initially designed using Times New Roman, Georgia, or Arial (just a few of the most popular web safe font options). These are tried and true…
Read MoreSEO Copywriting 101 – how to write for the search engines
You should always consider search engine optimisation (SEO) issues when drafting your website copy. My recommendation is that you write in a ‘natural style’ for your target audience, while keeping an eye on the keywords and phrases you use. It can be a delicate balance. Though the two goals are not mutually exclusive, if one…
Read MoreUsing the Active Voice in your Writing
Writing in the active voice as opposed to the passive voice makes your writing more concise and readable. Your message will be more to the point. Writing in the active voice also uses less words than writing in the passive voice. The active voice focuses on the subject or the ‘doer’ of an action. Whereas…
Read MoreHow to Include Calls to Action in your Website Copy
Imagine a shopping cart without an ‘add to cart’ option? It would be ridiculous wouldn’t it? Then why do so many websites not even ask for enquiries! A call to action is simply asking someone to do something, such as: fill in an enquiry form complete a questionnaire purchase a product take up a special…
Read MoreHow to use powerful and influential words in your web copy
It’s easy to get stuck in a ‘word rut’ where you keep using the same words over and over again. It helps your writing considerably if you vary your copy with an interesting mix of powerful phrases. Unless you are a natural word smith then you will need some help. I often turn to Microsoft…
Read MoreUsing Personalisation in Website Copy Writing
When writing for the web you can afford to be less formal with your language. After all, you are not drafting an annual report or asking for money from your bank manager. So avoid referring to your business in the ‘third person’. Third Person: “Since 1995 Acme Publishing have published some of the most widely…
Read MoreThe ‘what’s in it for me’ key to web copy writing
What’s in it for me, is the question that everyone is silently asking themselves as they go through the decision making process. You need to answer it. Will you help them save time? Or save money? Or both? Will this improve them as a person? Will it benefit their business? People are looking for benefits…
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