What's happening as your site visitors read? They see phrases like, "With free download, you'll discover…" OK, where's download button? Then they read, "The free trial version is fully functional…" Wonderful! I want it! How do I download free trial?

They begin looking for ways to take action you want them to take. So tell them how!

Ready? And… Action!

Your job is just like a movie director's job. The director has to motivate and encourage his actors. He tells them why their characters are so important to film. The director helps actors understand emotions involved with parts they are playing. Then, once he has them all primed, he calls for action.

That's what you should do in your copy. Guide your visitors. Lead and nudge them in right direction. Show them signposts that point to action you want them to take. Then call for them to take that action.

Once you give your copy focus, once you define a goal for copy and an action for your visitors, you'll find it easier to write copy that converts.

Karon Thackston is a veteran copywriting pro who specializes in SEO copy. If your copy isn't getting results, let Karon teach you how to write SEO copy that impresses the engines and your visitors at http://www.copywritingcourse.com. Be sure to check out Karon’s latest ebook “How To Increase Keyword Saturation (Without Destroying the Flow of Your Copy)” at http://www.copywritingcourse.com/keyword.

6) Invest in an accounts package

Don’t be fooled into thinking you can handle your accounts manually (or with Microsoft Excel). Even if you only have a few clients, you NEED a proper accounts package like MYOB or Quicken (they both offer small business versions). You’ll understand why first time you do your GST reports or annual taxes. In fact, you’ll understand why whenever you need to chase down outstanding invoices

7) Give great service

This may seem like an obvious one, but it’s important to remember that “great service” means different things to different clients. Most of time you’ll be working with direct clients (quite often startup businesses) and agencies. Both appreciate great service, but define it entirely differently. Agencies rely on their freelance copywriters to meet strict requirements (get work done well, get it done on time, don’t exceed budget). They have end-clients breathing down their necks, so reliability is as important as writing quality. End-clients, on other hand, need an advertising copywriter or website copywriter who sees their business way they do, and can convey that vision. They’ll probably need a lot of guidance as well, particularly if they’re just starting out themselves. If you can, help them understand that copywriting isn’t just about telling people what products and services business offers; it’s about conveying benefits of those products and services. A good advertising copywriter or website copywriter will be able to help their client think in terms of benefits instead of products and services.

8) Expect hard times

The first year or two as a freelance advertising copywriter or website copywriter will be difficult. It takes a while to generate momentum and during that time, you’ll probably find yourself wondering if you’ve made right career choice. While it’s possible to earn six-figures each year, you have to be patient (so it’s not ideal for new or intending parents or anyone with huge mortgage commitments).

9) Don’t spend too much on training

In my humble opinion, no money spent learning is wasted. However, you have to weigh up return on investment. I don’t know much about what copywriting courses are available, but if they’re expensive, I’d think twice. In my experience, most clients (be they agencies or end-clients) value copywriting ability over training.

10) Know you can do it

Confidence in your copywriting abilities is a must. If you’re not adamant you can produce results client is after, you’ll never be able to convince client. Remember that everyone feels daunted at start of a new copywriting job. There’s always a steep learning curve in copywriting, and generally quite a bit of time-consuming labour. Don’t fall into trap of focussing on what you don’t know and what you haven’t done.

Good luck, and happy writing!

* Glenn Murray is an advertising copywriter and heads copywriting studio Divine Write. He can be contacted on Sydney +612 4334 6222 or at glenn@divinewrite.com. Visit http://www.divinewrite.com for further details or more FREE articles.