The hyperlinks of any website can be roughly divided in four categories with no real distinctions but which you need to employ using a rule of thumb: a) Clix generating click throughs (brand awareness)* b) Clix generating repeat visits by internal referral (e.g. bookmarks, newsletter signups, brochures); c) Clix generating traffic (agreements for inbound links, online marketing for third parties); d) Clix generating sales

*Do not confuse our use of term “click throughs” with click throughs as in pay per click concept. Pay per click is all about inbound traffic into a site. Here, I am discussing internal navigational path.

Once I have idea of a website’s structure along these lines, I start floating into writing stage and as I go along, I tend to keep a continuous check that profile of content and links actually match up with vital points.

Each website is unique of course and to categorise links into four categories very rigidly does not make sense. For instance, a link to an article that has also been published elsewhere on web creates both inbound traffic and repeat visit value and possibly also a click through.

It makes sense to assess each link and construct content around it on using common sense. In this process, I tend to take into account a number of factors, including navigational path, design possibilities and optimal content size.

Although most sites differ, links making up navigational path are generally quite similar in their relation to vital points; click throughs are generally way less closely related to a site’s vital points than for instance sales clicks. Or at least when you build up your sales idea right, ultimate click will be entirely logically connected with your business concept. As for middle two categories, they generally are somewhere in middle in relation to vital points too.

There is not a lot else to writing good website content, apart from gloating over results with your clients a few months later!

Or better yet, just ask them!

Set up a survey page on your website or else survey them through your newsletter or blog. Or use a Web tool like AskDatabase.

Once you know what your prospects are thinking about most of time your copywriting job becomes a heckuva lot easier. You'll be on a more intimate basis with your market. Which is never a bad thing...

Good copywriting is wooing your customers in print, after all. Just like you would woo a prospective mate. And more you know about them more you'll be able to say right things!

So now that you know what bothers your prospects you'll need to...

3) Make a compelling offer

This is an area where most website copy really falls short.

Ask yourself this question:

What exactly is it that I want my prospects to do?

You want them to buy! Right? Or at least opt-in to your newsletter... or get your free report... or sign up for your autoresponder series...

In other words, you want them to take an action! You don't want them to browse around, look at your pretty graphics and then click out. The Web is just too too big. And your site is just one tiny place in that giant Web ocean. Once they leave, their chances of coming back are one in a billion. Or worse...

So you need to use your copywriting skills to build an offer that forces them to make a clear decision.

Make it irresistible. "Make them an offer they can't refuse," said old godfather.

He would've made a good marketer.

By making your offer as seductive as possible, you force action. You force that clear decision. With pure lead generation sites this means they give you their contact info. With direct sales sites it means a sale. Or if it's a combination of two they buy and/or give you their contact info so you can follow up.

If your offer is good enough, then a good percentage of your prospects will be energized.

Your copy will be like a jolt of electricity...Zap!

That blob on couch might actually get up and do something...

So make your offer hot. Load it up with perceived value. Tell 'em how your product is going to make their life better. And give 'em a good deal!

To summarize...

Wake 'em up by entering conversation already in their minds, and then make 'em an offer they can't refuse. If you do this, you'll instantly increase power of your online copywriting. I guarantee it!