I once read an article By Jilly Cooper about friendship…The newspaper published the article with a photograph of many of her friends.  I don’t remember much about the article except one thing stuck in my mind.  She was horrified that all her friends were together in the same place.

In her mind she had different categories of friends for different occasions and she worried about how they might discuss her foibles and weaknesses during the get-together.

For some reason that popped into my head as I started to write this piece. Maybe it’s because we all have different favourites among websites don’t we?

There are some we visit on a regular basis or allow them to send information via RSS.  And there are some we might only visit occasionally.  Different reasons for using them.

So what’s the combining factor?

If I think about the sites I use on a regular basis it’s because:

1. I know the website owner personally and I like to keep up with what they’re doing.
2. It’s an industry expert and I know if I follow their lead I’m working ethically but using the right methods to create effective results.
3. It makes me smile and lifts me for the day.

Whichever category they come into, each of my regulars has one thing going for them.  They’ve won my trust.

That’s what I try to do with my email newsletter.  You may never buy my services.  That’s okay as long as you receive something of value from it.  I try to keep my finger on the pulse of my sector of marketing which is writing and pass on information I think will help you.

That’s what I get from a lot of the sites I visit and I’m more that happy to provide a similar opportunity for you.

What I’m learning about the move from Web 2.0 to 3.0 is that building that relationship is vital.

Especially for getting your newsletters opened!

Like any writer it would be great to think that people reading the words I write, especially for websites would read every word. Would linger over every phrase that I’ve spent crafting and deciding if that word is better than this one.

Do I really think they do? Nah. Absolutely not! So how can I make sure that they’ll at least read some of it. Well I start off by….

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How to optimise a website for the changing world of internet marketing had delegates on the edges of their seats at the Business Link conference held at the Belfry Hotel Nottingham 14th December.

In particular Susan Hallam excited delegates by outlining how many ways companies can use to…

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Writing web copy that converts is the only way to have a successful website.

To write web copy that converts means you have to target your prospects using their search keywords.

Words For You can help you increase your response by writing targeted words to optimise your site.

Every time I think I know everything about something a warning voice goes off in my head…

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I have just completed a project to write the copy the website of Vision Consult Training.

Have a look at the copy on their homepage – it’s particularly effective.

www.visionconsulttraining.co.uk

I’m working on a website for a client at the moment. Friday I had a discussion with the designer about subheads in the text. Like me he thinks they’re important.

Why? Well your reader might be busy, might have the attention span of a gnat or be just one of those people who scans rather than reads the whole text.

Subheads as my copywriting mentors taught me can do the job for you. Starting with your all important header text, they can develop your theme then round it off with the end of the story.

They’re also a great way of making sure that you don’t lose track while you’re writing. Keeping to the important things you want to get across.

And if you have left over copy from the headers you’ve tried out, you can use them for the subheads. No waste!

Happy subbing!

Eileen Parr