Ten Top Reasons Authors Need a Web Site Written by Judy Cullins
You may think, "Why not let other Web sites sell my book?" That's a good plan to get started, but one of dangers is that Online publishers or book-selling sites may not pay you on time, pay you enough, or just go by wayside because of low profits. They pay around 30% royalties for print books and 50-70% royalty for eBooks, and send you checks periodically through mail. If you have your own Web site for your informational products, you will get to keep all of money after expenses--always a great advantage, and you will be seen as a market leader in your field. 1. Enhance your Online and brand presence with your particular "branding"--why your product or service is right choice--why you are preferred expert over your competition. For instance, one who says I can help you make your book dream a reality, faster, cheaper, and easier. How? Through designing every part of your book to sell copies--before you write a single chapter applying essential "hot selling points," and how to write each chapter much faster with less editing using "fast-forward" technique. 2. Enhance product awareness. When your targeted visitors come to you site to see your free articles and tips, will become aware of products you offer. They may not buy first time, second or even third time, but if you keep your site updated with new information every week and mark your site that you have done so, your visitors will keep coming, and up to fifty percent will buy. 3. Boost your leads fast. When you entice your reader with a testimonial or a free bonus report to leave their email address, you will be able to continue to stay in touch with them. Allow them to download a free chapter or excerpt of your eBook. Illustrate with benefits and a testimonial why they should sign up for your free ezine. 4.Reach new customers worldwide. Once you get up on Web, many people will come to your site from all over world. Your ezine or teleclass can connect with people outside your area because your subscribers or participants think so much of you that they forward good news to their friends and associates. Only targeted buyers come bringing a much higher rate of sales. 5.Add a new sales channel. Maybe people know you or your products offline through networking groups or other business ventures. A Web site makes you even more respected, and Online people expect you to have a Web site because they love convenience and speed of Online ordering.
| | Writing for the Web Written by Elena Fawkner
“Today's readers and Web browsers demand frankness and verisimilitude, so your written communications require exacting professional integrity with accurate and adequate research. "For concrete, colorful and dynamic written material that willfully attracts customers, Bob Tony* will work with you to develop unrivaled written communications for your marketing materials, grants, newsletters, Web site, or other publications and articles. To ensure your writing tasks with pacesetting presentation and unparalleled, consistent editorial power, give your deadlines to Bob Tony*.” ----- * Name changed to protect ostentatious and largiloquent. Good grief. “Verisimilitude”? I had to look it up. I’m sure you all know what it means but in case there’s another ignoramus out there besides me, it means “the quality of appearing to be true or real”. How ironic. “Willfully” attracting customers? And does that last sentence even make sense? Consider that a shining example of how it’s NOT done (writing for web, that is). Before we get to *how* to write well for web, a brief pause to consider *why* it’s important to do so at all. The reason is that Internet is an information medium. As a general rule, people are looking for information about something when they come online. You have to supply some of information sought by part of that market (i.e., your target market) if you want your share of traffic to your website. You do that by creating quality content. In order to create quality content, you need to be able to write for web. Is writing for web really all that different from writing generally? Yes. And here’s why. WHY WRITING FOR THE WEB IS DIFFERENT The first thing you need to understand is how users read on web. Unlike reading a book, online readers scan, or skim, page, looking for particular keywords relevant to subject about which they are interested. They don’t start at top of page and work their way down, reading every sentence. Some other things you need to know about your typical site visitor (let’s just call him Sam to make it easier): Sam detests hyperbole. Nothing turns him off faster. So keep marketing hype to a minimum and instead make your content objective and somewhat restrained. Sam is also an impatient sod. He’s going to quickly scan page (as we've seen) and he’s going to rely on your headings and subheadings to orient himself. And he doesn’t want to have to hunt for your point. Give it to him upfront. Also, because Sam really hates this, avoid lengthy webpages that make him have to scroll to keep reading. And keep whole thing short and to point besides. If you don’t, he’s out of there in five seconds flat. So, now that we understand a little bit about Sam, what can we do to capture his attention and keep it long enough to give him what he wants? SCANNABLE TEXT To help Sam scan your text and find what he’s looking for quickly, highlight keywords and phrases (either by bolding, using color, a different font effect, whatever will catch his attention). Make sure you use meaningful subheadings, i.e. ensure your subheading makes sense without having to read text below to put it into context.
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