don'ts of writing Archives

25 Errors in Your Online Writing that Could Be Costing You Money

by Adam Oakley | Apr 28, 2016 | Copywriting

When it comes to your online writing, there are a few mistakes you just don’t want to make. From disorganized structure to spelling and grammar mistakes, some things will sink your copy faster than the Titanic.

Online copywriting is a learned skill; that’s why you should know what not to avoid just as much as what you should do. And some critical errors WILL cost you money—whether that’s conversion, visitor amounts, or higher bounce rates.

Here’s our key list.

25 Horrible, No-Good Errors to Avoid Making in Online Writing That Will Cost You Money

Avoid these 25 major content errors in order to create online copy you’ll be proud of.

1. An unclear objective

Imagine trying to drive to Florida if you didn’t even know which side of the country it was on. You’d likely wander around aimlessly until you (or your fellow passengers) got frustrated and gave up. In life as in writing, it’s impossible to wind up where you want to be if you don’t know where you’re going. With this in mind, it’s imperative to define an objective for your writing and ensure that each word of each sentence of each post is working to achieve it. This provides a quality experience for your readers and helps you create a valuable piece of content for your brand.

2. No defined target audiences

Just like it’s impossible to figure out where you’re going without a clear end address, it’s impossible to write valuable, productive content to a particular group if you don’t know who you’re speaking to. Defining a target audience is one of the most important aspects of online content creation. In addition to allowing you to hone your voice and come up with interesting and valuable topics, your target audience also helps inform your writing and allows you to gauge your success therein.

3. Online writing without a purpose

What do you want this piece of article/blog post/Facebook update to do? Is it mean to educate your audience? Drive them to purchase something? Drive them to click on something?

Remember WHERE (platform) it’s for, and WHO (audience type) it’s for. (For a guide on content lengths, check out our infographic.)

No matter what the purpose of your writing may be, it’s important to move toward it with a single-minded focus throughout your writing. In addition to helping you structure your content, ensuring that you’re writing with the goal you want your readers to take in mind can help you ensure you’re getting the conversions you deserve.

4. Unclear organization (burying the lead)

If your readers can’t determine what’s important and what’s not within your copy, you’re sunk. Because of this, it’s imperative to ensure that the biggest ideas, topics, or takeaways in your content get a front-and-center seat. Be sure to break these thoughts up and outline them further with headings, subheadings, lists, and bullet points.

5. Lengthy, unbroken body content

While long-form content is all well and good, one continuous stream of content (Jack Kerouac’s On the Road style) isn’t. While stream-of-consciousness writing may have worked for some literary gurus, it doesn’t work for web copy. When you overwhelm people with too much information and not enough punctuation, paragraph breaks, or subheaders, they’re likely to stop reading immediately. Avoid this by breaking your body content into small chunks. This makes it easier to read, which has the potential to increase your conversions and traffic hugely.

6. Jargon

Nobody likes jargon. Unless you’re speaking to a very high-level audience (writing a medical paper, for example) stick to using language that everyone can understand. Jargon is alienating, and not a great way to get people engaged with your content. Avoid it for higher conversions and more interest in your online copywriting.

7. Lack of credibility

If you’re going to make a significant claim in your online writing, back it up. Readers are smart, and there are more than enough ways that they can out your phony claims or ill-researched topics. Avoid destroying your credibility and your reputation in one fell swoop by taking the time to research everything and fact check it before you publish your content. Doing this can help you avoid credibility missteps and ensure that you’re always providing quality, valuable content to your readers.

8. Distracting links

While link building is an important trick of the trade, there are ways to use links incorrectly that often detract from your online writing. One of the most common mistakes people make with links is to use too many of them in content, creating a distracting environment that doesn’t allow readers to focus on your writing or ideas. Avoid this by using links sparingly and embedding links to sources and relevant ideas in anchor text. This provides value for the reader without becoming overwhelming.

9.Too many bells and whistles

Just like too many links can distract your readers, so can too many images, ads, popups, or social sharing buttons. Avoid frustrating your readers and killing your page’s load time by paring your site and content down to only what is actually needed. This ensures a good user experience and keeps your site streamlined and functional, which allows the attention to funnel naturally to your content.

10.Relying too much on short and sweet

While short content has its place in the world of online writing, multiple sources have found that long-form content converts better. This is particularly the case in cases of involved topics or in-depth discussions about niche news or developments. While long-form content (often defined as content longer than 1,000 words) typically takes more time and thought to create, it can help you build your presence online and establish yourself as a leader in your industry.

11. Being too casual

While you want to incorporate a certain level of approachability into your writing, getting too relaxed can quickly turn readers off. There’s a fine line between friendly and approachable and downright unprofessional and crossing the latter will land you in hot water with your readers. To avoid this, be conversational where it’s appropriate but be sure that you’re not ever sacrificing professionalism for fun. That’s no way to help your online copywriting succeed.

12. Failing to give a “why”

If you’re asking readers to do something – sign up or make a purchase, for example – it’s important to give them a reason. In one study conducted in the 1970s, a team of psychologists sought out to learn more about how people interact with language. They decided to use cutting in line as a test. What they discovered was that, when they asked to cut in line without a reason for doing so, 60% of people said yes. When the psychologists gave a reason for their need to cut in line, however, 90% of people said yes. This just goes to show why letting people in on your thought process and value proposition is so important.

13. Being too negative

Did you know that it’s possible to write from a positive point of view, even if your topic is negative? While negative issues are unavoidable, focusing too much on what people shouldn’t do or how X, Y, or Z will bring harm can bum a reader out. Instead of adopting a negative tone of voice in your writing, consider flipping your perspective to focus, instead, on how a reader can avoid an adverse outcome and why they should do to make their business, website, life, or skills better. This positive outlook can make all the difference with readers.

14. Writing for yourself only

Don’t get me wrong here: you should love what you write. But if you’re writing for yourself and only yourself, you’re missing out on the opportunity to be helpful and valuable for your readers. As you polish your online copywriting, you’ll need to learn to strike a balance between writing for your purposes and writing to your target audience. While your writing should solve the problems you have struggled with, it should also speak to your audience in a voice they can relate to.

15. Being overly sales-y

The era of excessively sales-y content died with Don Draper and, today, consumers want intelligent, valuable, exciting online writing that helps them gather information and make decisions. If you abandon that goal for being too pushy or trying to jam your sales message down your customers’ throats, you’ll quickly find yourself without any readers and with a conversion rate you don’t like to look at.

16. Letting your meta material crash and burn

If you’re plugging away in the world of online copy without any concern for meta content or tags, you’re missing out. Meta tags and meta descriptions are an important part of great online copy and mastering them is one of the best ways to give yourself an SEO boost and help your content feature prominently. As a general rule, meta titles should be 65 characters or fewer and meta descriptions should be less than 155 characters.

17. Being too long-winded

Again, while long-form content is your friend, it’s still important to be succinct and to the point. If you ramble, you’re going to lose attention. If you take four paragraphs to explain a concept that could be done in a sentence, you’re going to lose attention. Avoid this by being brief and to the point. Don’t ever give in to the temptation of filler writing just because. If what you’re writing doesn’t have value or a purpose, it doesn’t belong. Be militant about this and readers will appreciate your writing that much more.

18. Not asking for anything from your readers

While you don’t want to be overly sales-y, you do need to ask for something in return from the people who are reading your content. Chances are, people who come across your material are connecting with it. They want more, they want to interact with your brand, and they want to take their relationship with you to the next level. Because of this, it’s important to use powerful, well written CTAs to ask your readers to do something. It doesn’t matter if that something is to click, subscribe, purchase, or download – when you craft a quality CTA that asks for something in return, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised by the results.

19. Not paying enough attention to headlines

While 80% of people read headlines, only 20% read body copy. In light of that, it’s clear that if you’re not spending the time needed on your headlines, you’re missing out on large levels of traffic that could be clicking through your content. Learning to write great headlines is a craft, but when you master it, you allow yourself to provide more value to your readers and earn more traffic for your site.

20. Sloppy writing

Sloppy writing may be the crème de la crème of online copywriting sins. In addition to making your readers feel like you don’t care about your content, sloppy writing also damages your reputation and makes it impossible to communicate your points efficiently. Use a service like Grammarly to check your online content for grammar and spelling errors before you click publish. This simple step can go a long way toward improving your writing as a whole.

21. Making simple ideas complex and vice versa

Many writers believe that the ability to write a simple idea in a complex way is a mark of achievement. Unfortunately, this just isn’t true. While it’s all well and good to be able to use high-level language, it’s important to remember that being overly complex isn’t an attractive trait in an online copywriter. Stick to simple concepts and communicate them in simple ways. It’s the best way to win readers.

22. Not using power words

If you want people to respond to and connect with your copy, you’ll need to start using power words within it. Power words like strong, “Right now” verbs drive people to action and can help increase the conversion rate of your web content dramatically.

23. Not using enough numbers

Numbers are convincing and important for online copy. This is why headlines that advertise lists (“10 Ways to Improve Your Online Copywriting”) stick better than headlines without lists or numbers. To help readers connect with your material and engage with your content, be sure to use numbers wherever and whenever you can.

24. Not using social media to distribute your content

Once you’ve slaved over that well-crafted blog post, it’s time to publicize it. If you’re not using social media to do this, you’re missing out. Be sure to advertise your new web content on sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ for maximum conversions.

25. Inconsistent writing schedule

Even if your online writing is top-notch perfect, people aren’t going to find you if you don’t post on a regular basis. Having a consistent content schedule is one of the best and most efficient ways to gain followers, establish yourself as an authority, and build a reputation online.

Conclusion

While online copywriting is a learned skill, these 25 mistakes can cost you big in the world of web content. By being careful to avoid them, it’s easy to ensure that your web copy performs well and engages your readers.

Do you know of any common online copy mistakes to be aware of? Let us know in the comments!

15 Ways to Commit Writing Suicide (The Don’ts of Online Writing)

by Adam Oakley | Mar 17, 2016 | Copywriting

In online writing, as in everything all other careers, there are several sure-fire ways to dig your own grave. From plagiarism to sloppy content, completely avoidable mistakes can spell death for the copywriter.

Even for the best Grammar Nazi-slash-word-nerd among us, without an extra eye and the time investment of careful proofreading, your best blog can go from wow to yuck just because of one or two glaring misspells. But it’s not just misspells. What’s more: being unaware of the right online writing practices, or how to talk to your audience, among many other key foundations, could spell death for your audience (or, if you’re new at this: future/potential audience).

15 Ways to Dig Yourself a Writing Grave: The Don’ts of Online Writing

Fortunately, you can route around these things by being aware of them and knowing how to avoid them. Here are the top fifteen mistakes web copywriters can make. Avoid digging yourself a grave: instead, be aware and practice the right online writing skills so you can start growing your presence, rankings and readership immediately.

1. Poor SEO

You can err on two sides here: not caring at all about SEO, and thus not working to bring in your audience with your online audience; or overstuffing your keywords in your content.

For all writers creating any form of online writing, SEO is the foundation from which everything else springs. In addition to providing the structure needed to rank in Google and other search engines, SEO also makes it easier for readers to find and navigate your content. When an online copywriter doesn’t fully understand SEO or know how to integrate it into their content, it’s almost guaranteed that the content won’t perform as well as it could. Because of this, it’s wise to get familiar with common SEO techniques like keyword optimization and link building as quickly as possible. This will prevent you from making easily avoidable mistakes and will help ensure that your content has the “bones” it needs to succeed.

2. Poor content structure

Imagine this: you write a flawless 5,000-word article and post it on two sites. On one site, the article is posted as a continuous block of text. On the other, it is broken neatly into heading, subheadings, bullet points, and links. Which one is going to get more clicks and reads? If you guessed the second article, you’re right. Even though the text is exactly the same, the way it is structured makes a huge difference. All online copy should be easy to read and structured in a way that creates a flawless user experience. This means small blocks of text, subheaders, bulleted lists, and plenty of links throughout.

3. Ineffective tone and voice

Why am I here? This blogger doesn't know me at all.

Why am I here? This brand doesn’t know me at all.

Who are you writing to? If you can’t answer that question quickly and effortlessly, you’re in trouble. Conducting research on your target audience is one of the first steps you need to make as an online copywriter. This allows you to speak directly to the group that will purchase your products and to address their questions, concerns, and fears succinctly and efficiently. If you miss the mark on this, you’re going to wind up speaking to the web at large and failing to find your niche or develop a devoted group of followers.

4. Boring content

We’ve all been here, and you know what I’m talking about. It doesn’t matter if you’re writing about cleaning supplies or outer space – all content can and should be exciting. Boring content is often a symptom of a writer’s lack of knowledge or engagement and it’s not content that readers are going to want to interact with on any lasting level. To avoid this, ensure that you’re spending enough time with your content to understand what makes your topic special and how you can approach it in a way that will grab the attention of your target audience. Remember – there are no boring topics, only boring writers.

5. Spammy content

This should go without saying, but I still see it lurking around in the dark corners of the Internet. Spammy content is a deadly sin in today’s content marketing environment. In addition to getting you penalized by Google, content that is keyword-stuffed or riddled with intrusive or irrelevant ads will earn you plentiful and speedy back-clicks from your readers. To avoid this, be sure that you’re incorporating keywords naturally throughout your online writing and that any ads placed on your site abide by best practices. This means a limited number of ads “above the fold” and relevant, valuable ads that actually have something to do with your company or target market.

6. Irregular publishing schedule

Companies that publish more than 16 blogs each month earn 3.5x as much traffic as companies that publish only 0-4 monthly posts. Because of this, it’s clear that blogging often and on a regular basis is a pivotal part of becoming a successful online copywriter. Too many bloggers and copywriters don’t post content regularly, which leads to stagnant blogs, losing the audience they started to build, and lowering traffic on social media pages and websites. These things are alienating for readers and can cost you your traffic and your rankings. Avoid nose-diving rankings by creating a content schedule and sticking to it.

7. Plagiarized or duplicate content

I want to say this to everyone who plagiarizes.

This should go without saying, but it often doesn’t. In addition to earning you severe Google penalties, posting plagiarized or duplicated content is a great way to lose readers and bury your career faster than you can say “Bad online writing practices.” To preserve your credibility, keep your readership intact, and avoid Google’s evil eye, ensure that everything you post is high-quality and, most of all, original. If you’ve got any doubts about the authenticity of your content or simply want to ensure that you’re not flirting too closely with any of the sources you use in your material, run your copy through a plagiarism-checking service like Copyscape.

8. Being generally unhelpful

Writing web content that doesn’t offer actionable solutions to some type of problem is an impossible task that gets you nowhere at the end of the day. For real: long-form, useful content wins. Today’s readers want actionable content that provides them with real value and helps them solve everyday problems. That said, if your content isn’t improving your readers’ quality of life in some way, it’s likely that you’re not doing your job. Alternately, if you’re creating content that’s totally devoid of any real meaning or purpose besides link building, you’re failing your readers and Google in the same breath.

9. Good, bad and ugly headlines

Yes—all three of those things are no-no’s. And why is good a no-no? Because you have to be better than good. You have to be great.

Let me define the good, bad and the ugly side of headlining:

Good: “5 Ways to Create a Great Landing Page”. This is good, but will your reader click on it? Haven’t they seen a million of these lying around the Internet already?
Bad: “Chiropractic care in Georgetown, Texas”—bad: you’re just using your keywords—or “Click and Learn 5 Ways to Help Your Back”—that’s just spammy.
Ugly: “Why the mother killed her kid! You’ll be shocked…”—and the story is actually about a little goat that was ran over, not killed, by the nanny goat. Yeah, the publisher downright lied, that’s This is also the worst of the BuzzFeed-style headlines you’ll see. I hate those. Pet peeve.

Here’s why headlines matter. While 80% of people read headlines, only 20% click through to read the body copy. What’s more, the 20% that are clicking through are likely reading exciting, unique, click-worthy headlines. In order to ensure that your content gets the attention it deserves, you need to be writing interesting and original headlines. This means ensuring your headlines aren’t too long or too short (5-10 words is a good guideline) and that they use action words, appeal to a reader’s interest, and promise a high ROI for the reader’s click. If that seems like a tall order, you’re not wrong. Writing quality headlines is a learned skill but if you practice it often enough, you’ll see your blog traffic begin to skyrocket.

Click here to get our PDF with over 120 actionable words to use in your headlines!

10. Clueless content

Last year, Google released the entirety of their Search Quality Evaluator Guidelines. While the 160-page document contained a wealth of useful information, one of the most enlightening aspects of it was the document’s focus on expert content. Nowadays, Google is looking for content with a high level of E-A-T: Expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. With that in mind, all content needs to be expert content – written by either an everyday expert or a certified and trained expert. Writing expert-level content from a novice standpoint is a great way to get yourself blacklisted by search engines and readers all at once.

11. Too many/poor quality links

Linking is an important part of writing quality, SEO-focused, reader-centric content and if you get it wrong you’re likely to suffer from decreased reader numbers and poor rankings, as a result. The cardinal sins of link building include links to spun content, links that are obviously paid, and low-quality directory links. Avoiding common practices of bad link building can help you ensure your content remains high-quality and that you maintain your reputation as an authoritative and trustworthy source.

12. Content without a CTA

CTAs – or calls to action – are a pivotal piece of effective web content. You risk losing a follow-through from a lead if you don’t place them in your content. In addition to giving your reader a direction, CTAs help your content achieve its desired effect, be that recruiting email subscribers or encouraging purchases. While writing quality CTAs is an art, it’s one that’s well-worth learning in the name of good online copywriting.

One rule of thumb here: don’t over-CTA your content, or you could drive people away from too much “spam.”

13. Content that hasn’t been adequately proof-read

Content that is riddled with grammar or spelling mistakes isn’t good for anyone – most of all you. To avoid this, ensure that you’re taking adequate time to proof-read your content before you publish it. In addition to helping you avoid embarrassing factual mistakes, proofreading your content adequately can also help you put out a quality product that reflects on your brand well.

For a complete checklist of what you should be proofreading for, check out this Hubspot resource.

14. Negative content

Content that sends out negative vibes is a downer for readers. It’s also not as helpful as it could be. To avoid losing ranking and readers as a result of an excessively negative viewpoint, focus on keeping your advice, discussions, and topics positive in your online writing. This reflects well on your company and keeps readers from abandoning you for something a little sunnier.

15. Rambling content, political rants, etc.

Let’s be frank here – nobody wants to read your personal diary on the web, unless you’re a celeb or simply not intending to use your blog for any kind of business or online reputation.

While there are dozens of successful lifestyle blogs and blogs that focus on personal topics, it’s important to remember that content that is truly in-demand is content that is reader-focused. While it’s fine to discuss a personal problem or experience, you want to ensure that you’re leaving the reader with something they can use. Rambling on a soapbox isn’t useful and it isn’t something that will help your brand grow, so you should be avoiding it at all costs.

Online Writing Success: Avoid These Dangerous Mistakes

While great online writing is a learned process, there are several things that will bury your career in the blink of an eye. Fortunately, it’s easy to ensure a long, healthy copywriting career by avoiding these 15 web writing mistakes. In addition to improving your reputation as a writer, steering clear of these online writing no-no’s helps you provide relevant content that your readers actually want to engage with.

Don’t struggle through online copywriting alone. Contact Express Writers today to learn more about our top-tier copywriting services.