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It is always important to remember that search engine optimisation is but one tool in the arsenal available to you. Nothing attracts business like a positive referral from an existing customer, and many of these are sent by email or general conversation. They never usually come through a search result.

Social media is also changing the direction and source of website referrals, with millions of links being shared everyday through Facebook and Twitter. The rise of the Google+ social network and its new ‘Authorship’ ranking tags is also set to skew search results forever; in future Google plans to generate search results using the author’s online reputation as a significant factor in its algorithm – the higher the reputation, the higher the search engine result placement for their content.

Ultimately the correct answer to the conundrum is to try and compromise between SEO and readability, using keywords throughout your text to ‘pique’ search engine interest, whilst maintaining a well written article or blog post for the reader. If push comes to shove however, we always suggest producing quality content over anything else – your reader is your customer after all, not Google or Bing.

If you would like assistance with producing quality content for your website or blog, please get in touch with Tech Write today.

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The theory behind content marketing is that by providing consumers with
high-quality content, your business will benefit from improved brand image which in turn influences purchasing decisions and increases customer loyalty. However, although this concept may sound optional, increased demand for fresh content by search engines and social media users means that content marketing is now essential for any business hoping to stay active and competitive on the internet.

Still not convinced? Consider these figures:

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• 97% of customers make purchases based on their online relationship with the brand.
• By the end of 2012, businesses as expected to spend 51% of their entire marketing budget on content marketing efforts.
• 92% of web users rely on search engines to find information, whilst 71% use search engines to find products to purchase.
• Blogs and articles dominate content marketing strategies, but the information is then disseminated to customers via social media channels.

Content marketing provides a decent return on investment when creating online relationships between customers and your brand. However, factor in the added benefit of increased search engine visibility and it is obvious that content marketing is essential. If the above figures don’t convince, check out this report from the Content Marketing Institute for more.

To find out more about content marketing, or to see how Tech Write can get your own content marketing campaign underway, drop us a line today!

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The iPad is now critical to mobile commerce

The latest figures from RichRelevance’s 2012 Q1 Shopping Insights Mobile Study suggest that not only is the UK at the forefront of mobile web shopping, but that by March of this year, mobile devices accounted for 9.1% of all e-commerce transactions. Even more importantly, the average transaction from mobile devices was £109.68; desktop computers averaged just £100.05.

The figures go on and on, all proving that iPads, iPhones and other mobile devices are of increasing value to online businesses, particularly as the iPad accounts for 82% of the total mobile web spend. As such it is now impossible to ignore the importance of providing a mobile-optimised version of your website.

Fortunately many tools exist to convert existing sites to mobile-friendly versions, but careful consideration should also be given to the content for mobile presentation. The new iPad may have a massive screen resolution allowing for the display of plenty of text, but as we discussed previously (Does the New iPad change mobile content?), the majority of mobile devices do not. It is therefore imperative that mobile copy be concise to grab the reader’s attention increase the chances of converting their clicks into sales.

Just like last time we covered the mobile web (Writing Mobile Web Content), the copywriting rules are simple - keep it short, keep it snappy. Mobile web uptake is accelerating at a phenomenal rate and businesses who fail to get on board now will not only struggle to develop brand loyalty with early adopters – they may miss out entirely.

To get more advice about setting up a mobile website, or for assistance with mobile web copywriting, why not get in contact with Tech Write today?

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Whitlock is of course correct – savvy web users expect quality content, and frequently there is an expectation that it should be free. This then presents the for-profit business with a dilemma; (a) How much time should be allocated to creating ‘free’ content? and (b) Will there ever be a return-on-investment? How can it be measured?

Just like any form of marketing, web content and article marketing requires some form of investment which eventually translates into money. And just like its print equivalents, online content needs to generate some form form of ROI. Whether this takes the form of increased website traffic or actual sales depends on your business’ priorities and long term strategies. Cash is nice, but reputation for expertise cannot be bought and arguably generates a greater return in the longer term.

If good quality copywriting increases reputation, it therefore follows that poor quality content damages it. Fortunately in terms of writing it comes in two flavours, good or poor, there are no real degrees of quality for the reader. Content should therefore be at least as good as any other literature prepared by your business to avoid being classified as bad.

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Clearly if your business is unable to spare the manpower, or lacks the relevant expertise, to create quality content regularly it makes sense to employ the services of someone who can. This could be in the form of a new member of staff for the marketing team, or outsourcing the entire process to a suitable freelance copywriter.

To find out more about Tech Write’s freelance copywriting services or for details of the quality content we have produced for other customer, please get in touch. And remember, when it comes to web content you need quantity and quality!

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How so? Chances are that in the past you have developed written information to describe your business, its products and services, for the explicit purpose of informing potential customers. This can take the form of:

• Existing sales brochures
• Print advertisements
• Quotes and tender documents
• Email responses to customer queries
• Written responses to customer queries
• Customer feedback including quote-worthy testimonials

By hunting through the information you have written once already, you will have not only the starting for many of the pages for your website, but also plenty of content with which to fill it.

Unfortunately recycling existing material will usually only be enough to get you started. The modern Internet demands new content on a regular basis to ensure your website (and therefore your business) remains relevant. You can draw inspiration from what has been written previously, but never duplicated; copied content will cost you valuable visitors through diminished search engine rankings.

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To find out more about Tech Write’s web content writing services, please drop us a line – we’d love to help with any project on or offline you may have coming up!

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It is easy to assume that your potential customer and you think alike; that they want to hear what it is you want to tell them. However this kind of thinking is not only backward, it could also mean that they end up giving their business to one of your competitors. The correct way to communicate with customers is to tell them what they want actually want to know. It sounds simple, but Tech Write have dealt with plenty of businesses more interested in broadcasting their company line completely ignoring their customer’s needs in the process.

So how do you know what your customer wants to know? As with all forms of communication, the best way is to ask them. Whether this takes the form of a written letter, an online survey or a follow-up phone call, it is essential that a business understands its customers before pitching at them. By the same token, before hiring a copywriter to produce written marketing materials, the overall message must be on target or the entire effort will be fruitless.

It is also imperative that any business maintains open channels of dialogue with customers, preferably meeting them where they are. Immediate access to your expertise will help prevent clients looking elsewhere and increase the likelihood of making first time sales. If your customers cluster at

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Facebook, maintain a presence there. If they are active on Twitter, get your own feed going. If they prefer telephones, keep a helpline running. Be available and be prepared – if one customer has a query, so too will others. This information should then be collated and published publicly to provide reference material for online shoppers or researchers.

By knowing what your customer wants to know, your business immediately becomes more relevant and therefore more qualified to assist with their needs. Customer queries are a fantastic source of useful information which can be used to inform others and populate your company blog. Don’t waste it! Remember customer feedback is a content goldmine.

If you would like to know more about accurately assessing customer needs, or turning that information into powerful sales copy, get in touch with Tech Write today.

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Previously we discussed the importance of brevity when creating mobile-friendly websites because screen sizes meant that visitors were unlikely to spend a great deal of time and effort scrolling through screens. With it’s greater capacity however, the New iPad negates this argument doesn’t it?

Despite selling over 3 million units in less than four days, the New iPad is still a comparative rarity when it comes to the mobile web. There are still plenty of first and second generation iPads in circulation in addition to the plethora of Android-powered alternatives. Factor in smartphones with their 4 inch-ish screens and the answer is obvious. Mobile web content must still be short and to the point if it is to succeed.

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Until Samsung and other tablet manufacturers start shipping high definition screens on their tablets (which they invariably will in the near future), web content writers must abide by the same rules before to ensure that their articles and copy grabs the reader’s attention and converts into sales. The mobile web is here to stay and increasing in value every year. It is imperative that sites be designed and populated with mobile users in mind if they are to be a success.

The New iPad has certainly changed the tablet market again, but the wider impact on m-commerce and mobile web content will take a little longer. For now, short and sweet is still the order of the day.

If you would like further advice from Tech Write about producing written content for mobile web sites or would like to investigate the possibility of altering your existing website for use by mobile device users, please get in contact today.

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The Testimonial

In an age where social interaction is becoming more important, customer recommendations are gold. Often customer feedback contains positive comments which can then be used on your website or other advertising media, raising the credibility of your business. Keep an eye out for snippets which reflect positively on your business and don’t be afraid to use them.

Many businesses dedicate a page on their website to collating customer testimonials, and these ‘soundbites’ are a perfect way to showcase your positive feedback and, reading between the lines, give an indication of the types of businesses or individuals you are helping. Often a list of high-profile customers can help bolster the confidence of new clients.

The Case Study

If you feel that a customer has been particularly glowing about you, feel free to get back in contact and ask for further details. If they are happy to oblige you can offer to profile their business as part of a case study designed to show how your own product or service has met a particular need of theirs. Case studies require further investment of time and effort, but also allow the opportunity to showcase more details of your product and just how effective it is.

Once complete, the case study can be made available freely on your website or offered as part of a wider marketing campaign. You could offer potential clients a free download of the case study in return for signing up to your email marketing database for instance. Alternatively the case study can be worked into a larger document, such as a white paper for distribution to qualified sales leads.

Reuse and Recycle

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Customer feedback can be reused time and again, either in its raw format for testimonials or used as a foundation for other marketing material. A good store of feedback will also help provide inspiration for future marketing efforts by providing evidence of what worked well in the past and helping to avoid mistakes of the past.

With the assistance of a willing customer, the feedback form can even provide the basis of a video testimonial for posting on a company YouTube channel or streamed from the corporate website. The possibilities provided through feedback are almost endless, further reinforcing the importance of gathering it in the first place.

If nothing else, a good archive of customer feedback can be used to celebrate business success!

If you would like advice on gathering or using customer feedback for the benefit of your business, please drop us a line using the contact form to see how Tech Write can help.

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Whilst still at school, undoubtedly many of us received report cards that stated ‘could do better’ for some of our subjects, but infuriatingly few teachers provided concrete actions which could be taken to make those improvements. This same situation can present itself when we ask our customers direct ‘how are we doing?’

Providing clients with the opportunity to give feedback is a no-brainer, but it is important to find out more than just ‘on a scale of 1-10, how did we do?’ every time you make a sale. The customer needs the space and encouragement to elaborate on their initial rating so you have some genuinely useful feedback with which to work.

By far the easiest way to garner feedback is to provide your clients with a short online survey which should give some indication of each of the key points of your service. If they loved your product or service, provide space for them to comment. If they hated the experience, don’t shy away from the criticism, but welcome it – if one customer hated your service, it is unlikely they are alone.

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Once you have some feedback from customers, take the time to analyse what they have said and look for common elements. If you are getting praise for something look at how you can apply that to other areas of your business. Likewise, if receiving negative comments, don’t ignore them but look at putting things right for future transactions. You would also be well advised to contact those customers and offer to rectify the situation for them to – try and turn a negative to a positive for them as it will enhance your brand reputation in doing so.

Next time we will talk about the secondary benefits of customer feedback

We can help design online questionnaires, email shots or mass mailers to elicit the information you need to improve the effectiveness of your business. If you would like advice on soliciting customer feedback or putting the findings or consumer research into effect, get in contact with Tech Write today.

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When trying to get a coachee to formulate their own plan of action, it is essential that their coach helps them remain realistic. The “Rule of the 5 Whys” can help focus a coachee by questioning their thought process and helping them crystallise what it is they hope to achieve simply by asking the question “Why?”. For example:

During a coaching session, Jim says that he wants to leave his job as an accounts clerk and retrain as a teacher. From what the coach knows of Jim, his attitude and temperament may not be best suited to the classroom. To get a better understanding of Jim’s decision, the coach naturally asks “Why?”

Jim goes on to explain that he believes the job prospects and benefits of being a teacher are better than his current position. “Why do you believe that?” asks the coach.
Jim elaborates, saying that he has been reading about a shortage of secondary schools and according to the publicity he has the skills required. He then goes on to admit that although he likes the idea of the job, he has never been terribly comfortable with children. “Why do you think teaching is the right career for you then?” counters the coach.

When put on the spot, Jim realises that this is not perhaps the best career move for himself. Careful questioning has helped Jim avoid a potentially disastrous decision and provides a platform for further discussion which can help Jim consider alternatives and make better plans accordingly.

The irony of the ‘Rule of 5 Whys’ is that the coach rarely has to ask all 5 questions. The coachee gains a solid understanding of their thoughts and decision making process which in turn better equips them to take action. Obviously anyone can apply the Rule of the 5 Whys themselves, but we can also fool ourselves with smart answers.

Next time you are facing an important decision, have a friend keep asking “why?” to check how sound your reasoning is.

If you would like to find out more about how life coaching can help you achieve more personally and professionally, please get in touch.

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