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!
Blogging is crucial for brands and businesses. One simple reason: marketers that blog get 67% more leads than those who don’t.
If you haven’t launched your blog yet, or you have one but you’re not yet serious about it, it’s time you make that commitment. And I’m here to help you.
If you’re ready to write for and launch your blog, just how do you launch a successful blog?
Many people experience a fear of the blank page, or let’s say blank blog, and try to think up ways to conquer the world, or make a dent when they hurry up to meet a blogging schedule or launch their new blog. Then the worst of the worst happens, in the blogger world (or blogosphere). With no definite direction, newbies risk the all-too common problem of floating by: becoming the next sub-par blogger with no audience presence and no ranking potential on Google. Don’t be that blogger; read our guide to start off strong and maintain a blog that you’re proud to show off to your friends, family, and most importantly, potential customers.
Your Brief But Ultimate Guide On Creating & Maintaining a Solid Blog
After years of writing and publishing blogs, and with over 300 keywords in the top 10 pages of Google, I like to think that I know how to write blogs that rank; I’ve also been the most-read guest blogger at Search Engine Journal and Content Marketing Institute. So, here’s a few thoughts from my vault.
I. How to Start a Blog
Without further ado, here are thirteen ways to start and maintain a solid blog: and to make it easier, I’m going to break them up into I. How to Start a Blog & II. How to Maintain a Blog.
1. Find YOUR Niche
Not just a niche but your niche. The one that makes you thrilled to wake up, excited to voice your thoughts on. Yeah – if you know that feeling, and you can identify what makes you feel that, you’re golden.
And narrow down here. Do you like the business niche? Okay, what kind of business? Coaching entreprenuers? OK, what age group? You like young, inspired people? Okay, that’s your blogging niche. Could you be the world’s foremost peanut butter authority or an expert on locksmith tips for an average homeowner?
Hone down, my friend, hone down. Find your niche and your viewpoint on any and everything about your topic.
And here’s a tip for those who have a niche that’s somewhat broad and maybe a bit unoriginal. It’s okay: businesses and people may have been ruminating on the topic for years, but as long as you’re able to follow the next few steps, you’ll find yourself running with the big dogs.
2. Develop a Unique Idea and a Point
Developing a unique idea is difficult and somewhat daunting, but it’s doable. Maybe you want to explore how to write a unique post in an in depth way that few bloggers, if anyone, has explored before.
The post linked to in the last sentence isn’t necessarily a unique blog topic, as many people have explored how to write a unique post before, but it is very unique in its depth and how it gives the step-by-step process the author takes to come up with an idea, writing the blog, and posting it.
Although you can also develop a unique blog post by giving broad strokes, you want it to be at least somewhat focused. A successful blog post won’t be titled “5 tips on X” and ramble for 1,000 words; you’ll get very few hits. What you can do is expand your idea and tie together seemingly disparate concepts in an interesting way.
Unique spins show that you’re well versed in your topic as well as gives your blog some SEO weight.
3. Analyze the Competition and Keywords
Figure out what the crux of your blog is and whittle it down to a key word or phrase (one to two words in most cases). Use SEMrush (see my guide here) to take a look at how often your SEO keyword is searched. If it looks good, make sure to put it in your title, description, and metadata. Also, have some minor keywords sprinkled throughout your post. This will generate a few more hits you wouldn’t have otherwise had.
After you have your unique idea and keywords, analyze what you’re up against. Search common keywords related to your topic and check out what the competition on the first page looks like.
Domain authority is a big one. If you’re up against heavy hitters and massive corporations, you may want to rethink your keywords. Again, keep it natural enough that the average person will search for it, but try to avoid going up against H&R Block if you’re blogging about tax law.
You’ll also want to be mindful of backlinks. This will let you know if you’re going up against blogs or posts with 54 viewers or 54k viewers. Needless to say, one is easier to knock out than the other one.
Finally, take note of the age of the blog. Shoot for blogs that are older and not updated or newer. Those are the low hanging fruit you want to compete against. Older blogs that are updated frequently get an air of authority about them in the search engines.
4. Research and Find Links
There are two types of links that you’ll want to use to create a successful blog: internal and external links.
Internal links are links to your own site. This will generate more hits to your site and show the search engines that people are staying on your page for longer. This correlates directly to domain authority.
External links should be chosen carefully and should be to high-ranking sites. These links, again, add up to domain authority, a higher ranking in the search engines, and more page views. Keep in mind that this should come naturally. Ideally, backlinks in today’s SEO era come through shares: you reach out to someone who has a great site, ask them to share your content, and if they really like it, link to it; or someone likes your content so much they’ll link to it. (That usually comes in time after you’re more of a known blogger.)
A simple way to do this is to leave a thoughtful blog comment on someone’s high-quality blog that’s relevant to your topic, and leave a link to your blog. Something like: Hey, Joe! Thanks so much for this helpful piece on content marketing. I’m going to try to work on scoring my headlines according to your tips in #8 now. Would you like to read the blog I wrote as well on a similar topic, How to Create Headlines for Your Email Campaigns? {link}
5. Outline a Structure
This post would be an unreadable mess if it were a simple stream of consciousness. Rather than write how a person would say all this in a casual conversation, there was a deliberate outline and structure that went into it.
The structure of this blog post is as follows: introduction, a step-by-step process for your first blog post that can be used for subsequent blog posts, and a guide for maintaining a successful blog.
Make sure that your reader can digest each point in its entirety before you go on to the next one. Just because a strangely laid out narrative structure worked for the movies Memento and Pulp Fiction doesn’t mean that it will work for your blog.
6. Write
By this simple “write” I mean that you should put your outlined ideas down how they come out naturally. Just let them flow and don’t worry about the details.
When you’re writing, be mindful of the word count. Short form blogs are all well and good if you can pump them out by the bushel full but longer posts can gain hits too. For instance, this post is roughly 2,000 words long. That was decided before pen hit the page (or fingers hit the keyboard in this case).
7. Get Visual
Once you have your basic structure pinned down, get some images. They break up your blog into easily digestible pieces, illustrate the point further, and look fantastic.
Think of a longer Wikipedia post like “Philosophy.” It doesn’t necessarily need pictures; it’s an abstract concept. That being said, it has pictures of famous philosophers because it breaks up the post and looks nice to the reader. A successful blog post will have a smattering of images throughout.
8. Proofread
After you write and find images, take a day away from the post. Come back to it with fresh eyes and really get into the nitty gritty of your post. Reword awkward sentences. Check for flow. Deliberate every comma. Ensure the post reads well and is flawless in spelling and grammar.
As you become a bit more successful with your blog, you’ll find that it’s nice to have a new set of eyes take a look at what you’re writing. This is beneficial in a few ways.
The benefits of someone not being emotionally invested in the content can’t be understated. They’ll take an objective eye to the project and won’t hesitate to cut out the fat and correct your mistakes.
Another massively important benefit to an outsourced writer is that you, as a writer, will learn things about writing that you never thought about before. This will make you a better writer and your blog more successful.
II. How to Maintain Your Blog
Maybe you wrote your first post and it was a runaway hit. Or maybe you wrote your first post and it got a few hits, but you want to keep writing either for the love of the game or to create a successful, unique blog.
It takes work on your part. Blog posts don’t grow on trees.
9. Pay Attention to & Answer Comments
If your post gained enough traction to have a significant amount of comments, take a look at them. Find out what is being discussed or what common threads go through each user’s input.
They’re telling you what they want to hear. Take those ideas and run with them for subsequent posts, even if they’re not your next ones.
Then, answer those people to encourage them to keep reading and commenting.
10. Write Down Ideas
Keep a notebook of your ideas, whether it’s virtual or physical. Note the word “a” in the preceding sentence. You won’t want your blog ideas written down on a dozen restaurant napkins, in three notebooks you used for college, and inside of a book you were reading last year. You want them accessible at any time and easy to find. I use a Google Doc.
Ideas don’t need to be limited to blog titles or subjects. Anything that catches your fancy might be used in a future blog. As they say, it’s the little things that matter.
Every week or two you should take an inventory of the ideas. Pick out the good ones and ignore the bad ones. Keep the “bad” ones around; they may be helpful in the future.
11. Motivate Yourself
Motivation is a tricky one. Everyone has different motivations in life and different motivation techniques work for different people.
One piece of advice that will motivate you from the start is to pick a niche that interests you and you’re passionate about. If you’re not at all interested in Ancient Rome, don’t blog about it just because it’s a topic you can choose from. If you love what you’re writing about then it’s easier to motivate yourself to write.
One way you’ll find yourself lethargic, scared, and unmotivated is to set your bar too high. If you’re thinking that you’ll make a living off of three or four blog posts, you might set the bar low for yourself in terms of writing content. Make the expectations realistic so you aren’t quickly burnt out.
Another way to stay motivated is to get inspiration from others! I hold weekly Skype sessions where my team and I “brain-dump” on new topics. It’s fantastic for new ideas!
12. Find, and Maintain, a Schedule
The holy grail of writing a successful blog is figuring out how often to write your pieces. This was briefly touched on before but it bears going into more detail.
Your schedule should be directly affected by how much you plan to write per piece.
If you’re writing brief, pithy posts about current events, you may want to write a few pieces per day. This is dangerous territory, especially for those who have full time jobs. If you’re only putting out 300-500 word pieces once a week, you likely won’t have people sticking around on your blog for too long, hurting your domain authority. Read my post on why evergreen content (which is long-form, very thorough content) matters so much.
Newer blogs or blogs that have short, but original content can be updated about once every day. This is still somewhat trying, but it can be done if you’re taking a few hours to write every day and laying out blogs a week or two ahead of time.
Some people decide to post certain topics on regular days. For a fashion blog this might mean posting “Wardrobe Wednesdays” or “Monday’s Workday Apparel.” For these types of blogs, a few postings a week will suffice since they are frequent, but regular.
Finally, longer blogs can be written and posted around once a week. Don’t take the risk of posting bi-weekly or monthly since readership might decline and people might lose interest in that long amount of time.
In the end there is something to be said for experimentation in this area. Successful blogs tend to follow a set schedule and a few rules, but there is some flexibility in posting frequency.
I publish to our own blog three times weekly: the third post on Fridays however is created by Rachel, our Social Media Specialist, and is a recap of our Twitter chat #ContentWritingChat. On guest blogs, I publish an average of 10 blogs/weekly. I know – I write a lot!
13. Want to Stay Committed? Get Blogging Backup
I wouldn’t be here without my writing & design team. I seriously feel like I have the world at my fingertips with the resources I have here at the writing agency I’ve built.
And while I realize not everyone has the luxury of owning an Express Writers, I also know it’s easy to find some accountability partners, or simpler yet, a writing solution backup. Whether that’s just ordering a blog from time to time.
Remember, blog posting doesn’t just mean you need to be writing and posting 365 day a year. Quality over quantity. But, don’t disappoint your audience. Blogging does mean a serious commitment of both time, effort and actual published pieces; if you’re not blogging at least twice a week, I don’t think you have the opportunity to really build a sure audience, especially as you’re new. If you’re not blogging at least once a week – you, my friend, are not a serious blogger.
But as you get further into the world of blogging, get regular readership, and find a few blogging buddies, you’ll find it easy to ask for a guest blog or two. Guest blogs are great for a few reasons – just remember to get a high-quality guest on your blog, or it’s all worth crap (really). First, the owner of the blog gets some much-needed rest while still providing content. Second, the owner of the blog gets a bit more recognition since the guest will link to the post on your blog. Third, the guest gets some exposure to your readership and a few more hits because of it. Finally, the reader is exposed to a blogger they may not have heard of before and may come to love.
Conclusion
Reality: my thirteen steps listed above are not easy and blogging isn’t a quick way to drive business or earn a living. It takes tons of work, dedication, and creativity to gain traction. I have over 600 blogs on my site in the last 4 years to earn my 300+ keywords in the top 10 positions in Google. (Say whaaa?)
However, I can tell you right here, right now that blogging can be a massively rewarding undertaking in and of itself, for your brand, business, credibility boost, and lead generation.
Also, blogging gets creative juices flowing, allows you to integrate with social media, causes you to see the world in a new way, and provides an insight into what drives people. Not only are these things useful for businesses, they’re beneficial for the individual who wants to get out there and start a successful blog. Need a blog, several blogs, or a monthly package? Check out our services!
Download your Free copy of 25 Errors in Your Online Writing that Could Be Costing You Money