May 18, 2008
…And if he’s not asking, you don’t want him writing for you.
It’s pretty much a given…when you hire a copywriter for your newly designed web site, your getting someone with above average writing skills. But the best copywriters are more than merely good writers. They are expert interviewers, researchers and marketers. Before sitting down to compose those lead generating or sales gems, they must completely understand all the benefits of your product or service, your goals for the project, what makes your customers tick and what distinguishes you from the competition.
If your copywriter is not covering these topics and asking these questions before he begins writing your copy, you will not get the biggest bang for your buck.
Website copywriting components:
Project Objective
Is the purpose to make a sale, educate your customers, raise market awareness of your product or service, enhance your company image…or perhaps , internally, excite your sales force, improve company esprit de corps, build company loyalty?
Target audience:
Who is the customer to whom we are writing? What are their sex and ages? What jobs they hold? What about their social status and economic circumstances? Where are your customers geographically concentration? What motivates them? What if anything do they already know about your product/service?
Product description:
What are all the product’s features; its specifications, components, its manufacturing and delivery process? What efforts have een made to market it to date?
Customer benefit:
Why should the customer buy your product or service? Can you quantify savings in time, money and/or effort? What is the relative importance of this product/service to the customer?
Support for benefits claims:
What proof is available to support your product/service claims; in the form of test data, focus group reports, testimonials? We are looking for specific, quantifiable facts here, not subjective generalities.
Competition:
Who are your competitors in the marketplace? How can I get an objective assessment of their features and a comparison to your product or service?
Creative consideration:
What are the limitations and constraints for the promotion; such as budget, schedule, and overall requirements?
Distribution:
How do you intend to market this promotion? What is the planned marketing campaign…ad runs when and where, brochure distribution and mailing plans?
Unique Selling Proposition:
What specifically makes your product/service unique in the marketplace? What separates you from the competition?
Copyright Alan Richardson
Alan Richardson is a well-known internet consultant and publisher with www.optimalwebservices.com - a Web resource firm in North Easton, Massachusetts, offering free advice and information for web-based small business entrepreneurs.
To read other articles by Alan, click www.optimalwebservices.com/articles
To signup for the free ‘Optimal Web Services for Small Business’ ezine, click www.optimalwebservices.com/subscribe
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Many civilizations believe in angels, and many names have been given to the various angels. In the Judeo-Christian tradition, the Bible names only three angels that have a definite individual personality. They are Michael - Prince of Angels; Gabriel - Archangel of Annunciation, Resurrection, Mercy, Revelation, and Death; and Satan - The Fallen Angel. (Gabriel is considered by many theologians to have been female.) There are many other angel names mentioned in other texts, such as Uriel, Raphael, and Metatron, the origins of which can be extremely complicated to uncover.
In the world of collectible figurines, seraphim angels’ names consist of female first names, such as Rosalyn, Francesca, or Ariel, and a designation such as Rarest of Heaven, Loving Guardian, or Heaven’s Shining Star. These names and designations are sometimes derived from religious texts or etymological roots, but often they originate in the hearts and minds of artists who give them form as figurines and sculptures. Sometimes the artist can “receive” their names as symbols from actual angels.
Any seraphim angels enthusiast can tell you the name of his or her favorite figurines. Some famous seraphim angels’ names are Seraphina - Heaven’s Helper, Helena - Heaven’s Herald, Flora - Flower of Heaven, Emily - Heaven’s Treasure, Harmony - Love’s Guardian, and Vanessa - Heavenly Maiden. The figurines to which these names belong were sculpted by Gaylord Ho and distributed exclusively as limited editions of the Seraphim Classics Collection by Roman. They have all won awards and unending prestige for their outstanding craftsmanship.
In the world of porcelain figurines, the most famous of seraphim angels’ names is Alyssa - Nature’s Angel. Alyssa was a 12″ figurine distributed by Roman in 1995 and named Figurine of the Year by the National Association of Limited Edition Dealers for 1996. Known for ushering in the unparalleled success of the Seraphim Classics Collection, she was reproduced as a 27″ replica in 2000.
Seraphim Angels Info provides detailed information on seraphim angels collecting, history, names, value, Roman seraphim angels, retired models, and more. Seraphim Angels Info is affiliated with Business Plans by Growthink.
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Nowadays, we complain nearly all of the time about how few businesses remember how to provide quality service to their customers. But a recent trip to Italy not only reminded me that the art of service is not dead, but that providing outstanding service is the key to almost any successful business. Here are a few well-worn but important principles that I was reminded of during that trip:
The Customer Always Comes First: When you patronize a retail store or restaurant in Italy, it is almost always the owner of the business that takes care of you. It’s not that there aren’t other employees; other staff members are usually busy straightening inventory or dealing with deliveries. But dealing with customers is simply too important a task to be delegated.
Product Knowledge Is King: Remember your last retail shopping experience, where you had to ask three different sales people to get an answer to a simple question about a product? Not in Italy. Every salesperson we dealt with was a product expert, whether it was about the kind of material used in a garment, the amount of warmth that various types of glove leather would provide, or how a piece of gold jewelry was crafted.
Be Proud Of What You Offer: Retail specialty stores in Italy typically offer goods in a wide range of prices to suit every budget. But you’ll never catch a shop owner steering you toward their expensive wares by denigrating the quality of their less expensive merchandise. If it’s good enough for them to sell, it’s good enough for you to buy.
No Job Is Too Small Or Unimportant: Every morning, the streets of Florence were filled with shopkeepers sweeping their sidewalks, or polishing their doorways or cleaning their display windows. And, when there aren’t customers to serve, there are shelves to be organized, merchandise to be tidied and stock to be added. These are important tasks that, no matter how menial they appear, help to create a positive business image with the customer.
Competitors Are Not Your Enemies: More than once, we were referred to another shop when the one that we were visiting did not have what we were looking for. More interested in building a long-term relationship than in making a quick sale, shopkeepers in Italy readily refer customers to competitors who can better meet an immediate need, knowing that the best customers will remember who referred them.
Running A Business Should Be A Joy, Not A Job: Retailers in Italy work hours comparable to their U.S. counterparts. However, we never once met a tired or grumpy shopkeeper who didn’t have the time to give us as much attention as the first customer of the day, and who didn’t go out of their way to make us feel welcome in their shop and in their city.
William von Achen is president of Strategic Management Resources, an executive coaching and management consulting firm offering advice and counsel to business owners and senior executives. For more information visit our web site at http://www.smrweb.com
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If you are thinking about using a Payday Loan to provide for
those unexpected expenses there are several things you need to
consider.
The reasons to avoid a Payday Loan vary, but probably the most
obvious reason is the dangerous interest rates that this type of
borrowing charges.
The Payday Loan companies claim that the level of repayment is
more important to their clients than the actual interest rate,
and this is a fair point but these high interest rates could
mean that you could end up in worse financial shape than before.
It is very important to consider all your options and if this is
the only form of borrowing you can get do research several
companies to get the best interest rate or if at all possible to
look for another way to get the money that you need.
The next most important reason you need to avoid Payday Loans is
the high fees that are charged when you miss a payment! If a
payment is missed, you will then have to pay back even more
money to the cash advance company. By missing one payment you
can find that the amount you owe has increased by up to 50%, and
this will put you into an even worse financial fix, that you may
not be able to overcome.
The payment terms that you have to accept may also be hard to
live with. It will probably make more sense for you to consider
using your credit card if you get into a financial mess. You
will pay less in the long run if you borrow from your credit
card than you will if you get a Payday Loan. By making a wise
choice now you may be able to keep yourself out of a financial
hole that may be impossible to get out of once you fall in.
If you need a large amount of money, then you must try to get a
loan from a regular loan company first. The repayment terms will
be a lot more affordable and this will allow you to pay them off
much sooner. This means that you will be able to keep more of
your money in your own pocket, which is what everyone wants to
do.
If you can possibly avoid using a Payday Loan company then do
so, if you must use this source of credit proceed with caution
and try to borrow only the very minimum you can manage.
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