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Table of Contents

1. Editor's Musings
2. 10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter By Glenn Murray
3. Recommended
4. Internet Sites Reviewed
5. Freebies and Other Good Deals
6. Joke of the Week

1. Editor's Musings

Happy Memorial Day weekend to our neighbors to the south. Canada celebrated its May long weekend yesterday. It was a welcome relief. I had major assignments and major deadlines to meet. When Friday rolled around, I was on Day 18 without a day off.

One of my competitors wrote the feature article this week. My writing services are similar to Glenn's. I know there are people who would say I'm crazy for publishing his article and therefore promoting his service. However, the way I look at it, Glenn's article contains good, useful content and there's no shortage of work out there for us all.

2.Article: 10 Things You Should Expect From Your Website Copywriter By Glenn Murray*

As websites and electronic commerce are becoming more and more common, business owners and marketing managers are realising that quality web copy is every bit as important as impressive design. And with the ever increasing importance of search engine presence, the role of web copy has never been more critical.

But in such a relatively new field, customers are still coming to grips with what they can expect of their website copywriter. The question a lot of people are asking is, "How do I know I'll get what I pay for? "

Before engaging a website copywriter for your next project, ask them whether they're able to provide you with the following ten essentials…

A lot of website copywriters will tell you they only work on an hourly rate. They'll cite varying requirements, rapidly changing technologies, greater incentive, the risk of customer indecision, and a host of other reasons why they can't provide a fixed quote. But don't be fooled. You have a right to know what the job is going to cost you. If a website copywriter won't give you a fixed quote, think twice…

Just as important as a fixed quote is a signed contract. It may not be drawn up by a lawyer, but a written and signed document outlining the works to be carried out, and the cost of those works is essential. If a website copywriter is reluctant to provide a written, itemised quote including estimated number of words, you have to ask yourself why.

Always ask how long your job is going to take. If you've already had a go at writing your own web copy, you'll know how time consuming it is. Never make the mistake of thinking the job will be done in a day. Granted, a professional website copywriter will be very efficient in crafting your copy, but no matter who the writer, a quality product requires time. And on top of writing time, remember that you'll have to review and provide feedback on everything they write. In a lot of cases, it's the review phase that takes the most time, so make sure you try to set some time aside, otherwise you'll find yourself the bottleneck!

Try to get some idea from your website copywriter about how they plan to approach your project. Don't be fooled into believing you have to hand over the dollars before they'll reveal their plan of attack. You have a right to be comfortable with their approach before you engage their services. Will you receive individual drafts of every page, or a single draft of the entire site? What format will you receive the finished product in? How many review iterations do they anticipate?

A lot of ambitious web service providers of all types are calling themselves writers these days. They offer copywriting as a specialist service, but don't engage a specialist to complete the work. Always ask to see samples of their previous copy. Read it thoroughly and ask yourself, "Does this copy convey benefits? ". Pretend you're the intended audience and ask "Does this copy answer the questions I need answered before I'll buy? "

Most copywriters' websites will give you a very high-level overview of their business and the services they offer. Some even offer samples. But very few offer a professional biography of their writers. If you're not happy relying on their website as your sole source of information, ask for a copy of their CV. The things you're looking for are a professional history in writing, and preferably some tertiary education in the same.

Perhaps the best indication of a website copywriter's ability is customer satisfaction. Don't be afraid of asking for customer testimonials. A good website copywriter will be proud of their testimonials - so proud, in fact, that they'll be offering them without you even asking. Look for testimonials from companies you recognise and/or can verify. Anyone can get their great-aunt write them a testimonial. Some will even write their own. If you really want to be sure, ask for contact details so you can give the customer a call and hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

Approximately 80% of all web traffic comes through search engines, so it's essential that your website copywriter has proven experience in SEO copy. Ask them their general approach to SEO copy. Do they normally perform the keyword analysis themselves? How do they know when they've used enough keywords in enough of the right places? Can they show you a high ranking site they've written the copy for? What steps do they take to avoid diluting the effectiveness of your primary keyword phrases? Will their SEO copy change the text links on your pages? (It should!)

Never be fooled into paying more for SEO copy. If you've already performed your keyword analysis, and you know where you want your keyword phrases used, writing of the copy should take no longer than usual. I'll say it again… SEO copy is not an extra - it's how web copy should be written! Do not pay extra for it! The only things you should expect to pay extra for are keyword analyses, adding the HTML code for unmarked text links, providing guidance on site structure, sourcing of inbound links to your site, etc. SEO copy by itself should cost no extra.

Writing for an online medium is entirely different to writing for print. Readers have different requirements and objectives, and reading conditions are very different. Make sure your website copywriter knows how to cater to these differences. Ask them to recommend a maximum page length or word count per page. The correct answer should include some comment on the trade-off between the problems of scrolling and the need for a high keyword count for SEO. Ask them whether they prefer long sentences or short (and hope to hear "short"). Ask them whether they will include lots of text links within the main body of the copy, and if so, will they appear as regular links (colored and underlined) or will they be unmarked.

Professionally written copy can mean the difference between a great looking site and a great looking site that earns you money.

Choose your website copywriter carefully.

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* Glenn Murray heads copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit www.divinewrite.com for further details.
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3. Product Recommendation: *** ZZZ ***

Regrettably, I didn't have time to look for a good new product this week, so I'm leaving this area blank.

4. Internet Sites -- reviewed by June Campbell

*** Ebook on Cyber Threats
The US Department of National Security is providing tips, booklets and newsletters on cyber threats.

*** Owl Kids
For the youngsters in your life. Three sites in one.

*** Face Detection System
Want to waste a bit of time? Submit a picture of your face and watch the algorithems detect the face in the image. From the computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University.

*** Geektels
Look for a hotel with broadband Internet access. Covers many countries of the world.

5. Freebies and Good Deals

a. FREE BOOK - E-MONEY: The Complete Guide To Using the Internet to Profit At Home NOW. To get your copy, go to www.makemoremoneynow.com/ebook

b. Ezine Publishers Wanted: Earn Up To 70% Commission. We offer YOU More benefits. More options. More professionalism. We may not be the biggest YET.... But we ARE the BEST. http://tinyurl.com/22c98

c.Did you know that subscribers to Bob Osgoodby's Free Ezine "Tip of the Day" get a Free Ad for their Business on his Web Page? Subscribe at: http://adv-marketing.com/business/subscribe2.htm
Great Business and Computer Tips Monday thru Friday Instructions to place your ad are in the Newsletter.

d. Make your presence felt on the Net-Establish your Epresence today. Visit http://epresence.biz/ to learn how. Our free newsletter offers advice, tutorials, and resource Reviews. Our site offers many resources for Ezine, Ebook, &web site creation. Visit http://Epresence.biz and get started today

6. A Business Arrangement

A farmer wanted to breed his five female pigs. He met a farmer who owned five male pigs. The two agreed to mate their animals and share the piglets.

They agreed that each morning at five o'clock, they would each drive their pigs to a location half way between their two farms and let nature take its course.

The first morning, the farmer loaded his female pigs in the SUV and drove them to the rendezvous spot.

After the pigs were finished mating, the other farmer said, "If the pigs are pregnant, they will be in the grass grazing tomorrow morning. If they are not pregnant, they will be in the mud."

Next morning, the pigs were rolling in the mud, so the farmer cleaned them up, loaded them in the SUV and drove again to the designated spot.

This continued every morning for a week. The next morning, the exhausted farmer was almost too tired to get out of bed. He said to his wife, "Go look out the window and tell me where the pigs are. Are they in the grass or in the mud?"

"Neither," yelled his wife, "They're in the SUV and one of them is honking the horn."

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