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August 2003 Advertisement: Find
direct, measurable answers to some of the most vexing questions faced
by writers and marketers online: In this issue: >> Intro: Mixed
Views on Ethics
Check out my new
site for consumer electronics retailers ====================================================== Greetings, In the last issue I asked whether you outsourced writing to other writers and, if so, whether you told your client you had done so. We seem equally divided on this one. Some people stated strongly that to outsource writing while the client remains blissfully unaware is just downright dishonest. Others took the view that the client is paying for the quality of the final product itself, and needn't be made aware of who actually did the writing. Very few people took the middle ground of 'it depends'. I was surprised by how strongly people felt, with opposing views. I wonder why...and I wonder how it is we arrive at our individual opinions on this issue. What drives those opinions? What were the influences? On a separate note, I have just launched a new site - quite a rarity for me. The focus is on consumer electronics content. I have just three articles up there right now, with more to follow soon. If you're interested in taking a peek, the new site is here... http://www.osiriscontent.com Osiris Content is a side business for me. I'll see how it goes. It was born of my work for companies in that field. It just occurred to me that I could do more in that area, building on the experience I had been building. Have you done anything similar? Has your writing work spun out any separate businesses? It would be great to get your feedback on this through this issue's survey. Until the next issue. Nick >> Feedback: mailto:nick@nickusborne.com ====================================================== ARTICLE: HELPING YOUR READERS MAKE CHOICES Even before the Web, helping people make choices has always been at the heart of a copywriter’s job. True, our priority was not always to persuade people to make a choice that was right for them...we were and are often bound by leading people towards making choices that are best for our clients. And the same is true online. We still earn our keep by driving choices. But on the Web, we have a whole new level of choices to help with. We have to help people find what they want. We have to write links that take people to the right place. We have to write short text that gives people just enough information to help them decide on which page to visit next. In other words, our skill at driving choices has become integral to the issues of site architecture, design and usability. If people can’t find the right information on the right page fast enough, we lose them. The interesting thing about this new level of driving choices is that it should always be user-centric. That is to say we should serve the needs of the visitor alone. All too often, organizations impose their own, organization-centric desires on the structure, layout and messages on their sites. And all too often, this imposition gets in the way of the user finding what she or he wants. We need to concede to the client’s wishes when it comes to persuading someone to buy one of their products or service. Yes, it’s part of our job to encourage a prospect to choose Brand X. But when it comes to the text on sites that helps people find what they want, we should fight for the customer. Text that helps people find the best page to suit their needs should be written from an entirely customer-centric perspective. Our clients may be our masters while we are selling, but our customers are our masters when it comes to helping them find that sales page. So fight. Really. Because all too often the text on sites that should be focused on helping new visitors is hijacked by organizations that want every line on a site to serve their own needs first. And that leads to poor usability and reduced conversion rates.
====================================================== READERS WRITE BACK: OUTSOURCING - TO DECLARE IT OR NOT? "As someone who hires writers, I would be upset if I found out they outsourced the writing job. I go to specific writers because I know their strengths, style and expertise. I want them. If I wanted that writer only for an edit job, then I would hire a different writer and then ask for an edit. To outsource without disclosing UPFRONT, is stealing." -- "In my case,
a client is contracting with my company, not me, and no -- "I am a great believer in disclosing anything up front that I fear a prospect/client might get upset about if they learned after the fact. It allows me to sleep at night and to live a life that's free of needless worry and stress. That, in turn, enhances the quality of work I deliver. That, too, is part of my brand and some of my repeat clients come to rely on my consistently handling things this way, in an effort to protect both of us from surprises or tension that could taint our relationship."
====================================================== SURVEY: DO YOU HAVE A 'SIDE BUSINESS' ONLINE? [ ] Yes, my writing
has led to my creating a new business online ====================================================== Don't miss out on future issues of Excess Voice. Sign up now: (Your email address will be used only for the purpose of sending you this newsletter, and you'll be free to unsubscribe at any time.) |
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