Staring at a blinking cursor and trying to come up with the perfect online description for your attraction or event can be difficult. Rest assured, writing for the Web is a challenge faced by the best of writers. This new medium requires a whole new skill.
Hundreds of studies all share some common results that can help you in writing any copy intended for use online, including your DiscoverOhio.com description. We’ll share some of those with you here.
Identify your audience. Most importantly, know who is reading your information online – in your case, travelers. Make certain your topic is relevant. While you have a product to sell, is this the right market?
Clearly identify your topic. Your attraction/event name should state exactly what your listing is so prospective visitors can decide whether to continue reading. There are dozens of 4th of July and Christmas celebrations throughout Ohio. Just naming your event “Christmas Parade” or “Fireworks Display” doesn’t work. Be specific.
Keep it brief. One thing every study agrees on – Web users are looking for information, and they want it fast. While 100 words may not sound like a lot, when a Web user encounters a large block of text it signals, “This requires effort.” More times than not, the users skip the text and move on, looking for something more manageable.
If you find yourself pushing that 100-word limit, break your description up into manageable bits of information. Never have a paragraph more than 5 lines long. Use the “Listing Preview” function in your “Manage Listings” to see how much space your description takes up.
Always check spelling and grammar. It’s important to present yourself as a professional. You’re asking prospective visitors to spend their hard-earned money at your place of business. If your description includes misspelled words, no spaces between words, all capital letters, etc., they most likely are going to close your listing and keep looking for something better.
Be straight-forward. Don’t try to dazzle readers with flowery words and phrases or information they don’t need. While you do want to “sell” readers on visiting your attraction or attending your event, don’t waste their time with information they don’t need.
Don’t repeat yourself; Don’t repeat yourself. Remember, information such as hours and contact information are already provided elsewhere on your submission form, so don’t beat the reader over the head by repeating it in your description.
Link for more information. You can include links to your Web site from your listing, however, it’s extremely important that the link be relevant to what the user is reading. If visitors are reading a description of a fall festival, don’t label a link “Additional Information” and send them to your local CVB home page. You may end up with an unhappy prospective customer who doesn’t trust you.
For more information how to best manage your DiscoverOhio.com/BUCKEYE Database listing, contact Roger Barker (Roger.Barker@development.ohio.gov or (614) 466-5158) or Eric Herzog (Eric.Herzog@develoopment.ohio.gov or (614) 466-0338). For more information, check out http://www.macloo.com/webwriting/index.htm.
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