Blog | Write Now Editing

Tips for Editing Web Content (via Custom Fit Online)

June 4, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Passing college writing classes does not mean you have the tools to write effective web content. Fear not! That doesn’t mean you can’t pick up those tools, you just need to know where to find them.

One such place is Custom Fit Online, where writer Erica Osburn shared a blog post about writing and editing website content. Not business content, website content. Why? Because people who read blogs are not necessarily the same people who read brochures, so you need to know how to reach those people.

As Osburn puts it, “Editing your content for the web requires acknowledging, first and foremost, that people use and read web content for different reasons than print. Once you understand that basic difference, you can edit your content (and, ideally, compose your content) with a focused approach.”

After she helps you identify your audience, her post includes some of the writing tips you (hopefully) learned in school (such as writing actively – don’t let the report be read by Jane), but it also includes online-specific writing tips, including:

Chunk It Up
Use the Inverted Pyramid
Be a Perfectionist … And Give it a Rest

I am, of course, more than happy to help organizations and businesses with their content if this is too overwhelming or you’re not sure if you have the time to learn how to use your new tools properly. Applying Osburn’s tips, however, should help you create quality content that works.

For more advice from Osburn, click here to read “Tips for Editing Web Content.” Or contact me directly to see how I can help you create website content that attracts and keeps your readers’ attention.

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Why Squarespace Is Great For Small Business Owners by Sierra Kellermeyer

May 21, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

As a business owner in 2018, you know you need a website for your business. But there are an overwhelming amount of options out there for someone wanting to build their own website. It can be hard to figure out how to pick a platform.

If you’re trying to figure out how to get your business online, let me suggest Squarespace.

Let me tell you why.

IT’S COST-EFFECTIVE

If you’re a small business owner, you have to make smart financial decisions to keep your business running. This means balancing cost with functionality. Squarespace may not seem like the cheapest option at first glance, but it will save you money in unexpected ways.

Domain Hosting & Design In One Spot

You can purchase your domain name (www.exampleofadomainname.com) from Squarespace as well as design your website from the same login portal, which means you only have one monthly (or yearly, depending on how you choose to pay) bill for your website. You can also purchase your own email address using Google’s G-Suite through Squarespace for just $5/mo. So a basic website, with a custom domain and custom email address could cost you as little as $21/mo.

Customizable Templates

Custom-designed websites cost an arm and a leg, but you don’t have to muddle your way through a boring template in order to have a budget-conscious website. Squarespace templates are beautiful, with many options for customization, so you don’t have to choose between paying thousands of dollars for custom code or have a generic-looking website.

Mobile-Responsive Templates

In 2016, mobile users surpassed desktop users in overall internet use. (Source.) To create a mobile-responsive website usually involves a lot of extra coding, which means spending a lot more money on a web developer. However, ALL of Squarespace’s templates are already mobile-responsive, which means no extra costs for you! (Bonus! Mobile-responsive sites also rank higher on Google.)

IT’S EASY TO LEARN

Clean and Simple Backend

What I’ve found with website hosts cheaper than Squarespace is that while you may pay less out of pocket, their backend is so confusing that you waste hours of your life just figuring out how to change or update one thing on your website. In contrast, Squarespace’s layout is a toolbar with simple categories on the left-hand side of your screen with your website on the right. On top of that, any change to make to your website you can see in real time.

Excellent Tutorials

If the rest of the benefits hadn’t sold me on Squarespace, their tutorials would have. Their instructions are clear, thorough, and incredibly easy to follow. They even has specific tutorials for each template, so if you’re running into trouble with your website, you don’t have to follow generic instructions – you can find some directly related to your template and problem.

IT HAS EXCELLENT SUPPORT

I could have added this as a point under #2, but this is such a big deal in the website industry I thought I’d call special attention to it.

Every time I’ve made contact with the Squarespace support team, they’ve been courteous and efficient, and my issue has been resolved within 48 hours of my email. I find this especially important as a business owner, because having my website go down at all can cost me significant time and money. I never worry about that happening with Squarespace support just an email away.

No other website hosting platform has impressed me nearly as much as SquareSpace has, and they continue to add new templates and features. If you’re looking for a website solution for your business that won’t waste your time or money, I cannot recommend SquareSpace more.

Sierra Kellermeyer who helps business owners who are tired of their marketing efforts pulling “okay” results. She helps them stand out online by designing a noteworthy visual brand that attracts their ideal clients effortlessly. She says, “My favorite part of brand design is the marriage of creativity and strategy. I’m not simply creating something beautiful, I’m creating something beautiful that works and has a purpose.”

There’s a lot of misconception about visual branding, with people thinking it’s just about looking good, but it’s more than that. “Your visual brand is a communication tool, and if you’re only trying to make something that looks nice, rather than telling your audience about your business, you’re missing out.”

Sierra will be sharing her visual branding tips in February, May, August, and November. In the meantime, you can find her online at:

https://www.skellermeyerdesigns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/skellermeyerdesigns2014/

Writing Email Tips: Understand Two Types of Business Emails (via Word Wise Tips)

May 7, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

It’s never been easier to stay in touch with your customers and clients! Between websites, social media, and the good old-fashioned phone, there’s no reason not to communicate … except that many people don’t necessarily know how to communicate well!

When I asked other business owners what they needed help writing, it shocked me to have so many people say ‘emails’ – I just assumed everyone knew how to write one. Not only is that not true (you can find 5 Things Your Business Emails Need here), it means that many people still haven’t figured out the best way to write and automated emails.

What is an automated email?

Kathy Widenhouse at Word Wise Tips: Home of the Nonprofit Copywriter explains:

They are written, loaded, and scheduled ahead of time (versus in real time)
They are sent to an email list or a segment of a list
They are managed in email list software like Constant Contact or Mail Chimp

Why would you need to send these types of emails? Two reasons:

Marketing
Notifications

Learning when and how to write and send these emails can help you maintain better relationships with your current clients (and, hopefully, lay the groundwork for establishing new ones).

Click here to see what Widenhouse has to say about understanding these two types of business emails!

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What is Content Curation and When Should Your Business Use It? (via Envisager Studios)

April 30, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Are you struggling to find time to create new, original content for your website and social media accounts? Maybe it’s time to consider switching from content marketing to content curation.

Not sure what that means?

Hazel Burgess explains on Envisager.net that:

“Content marketing includes creating new content (by you) whereas content curation is a compilation of existing content from various sources and does not include creating new content.”

What does that mean for you?

Providing relevant, interesting information (without having to create it all)
Keeping your customers (current and future!) engaged with your business
Sharing high-quality content without having to hire another employee

“What is Content Curation and When Should Your Business Use It?” by Hazel Burgess – click here to see if it’s right for you!

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Discovering Your Benefits

April 16, 2018 by Karin Beery Leave a Comment

Thanks to the advent of the internet, it’s possible to find a blog post, video, or podcast that will tell you how to do pretty much anything, from making your own fireworks to cutting your own hair (I’m not endorsing either of these links, I’m just making a point).

With so much information available to anyone, it’s important now more than ever to know and advertise your benefits, not just your services. It’s not enough to tell your clients what you do – you need to tell them how you can make their lives easier and why hiring you will be better for their business. It’s not about your services, it’s about your benefits.

For example, I write and edit, but what benefits do I provide to my clients?

An outside perspective: Most business owners are so familiar with their industry that they use words and descriptions that make sense to them but might actually be confusing to others. I can help them avoid that confusion.
Targeting: Every industry has a different target audience – daycares will want to target parents while retirement communities will need to reach an older crowd – and there’s a different way to talk to each of those audiences. I can help tailor the language and the message for each unique audience.
Time savings: Business owners have better things to do with their time than write website pages, especially when it takes a week or two to find the time to write. Not only can I do the writing for them, but I can write it faster (because I do it every day!).

To figure out your benefits, ask yourself these questions:

How can I save my clients time?
How can I save them money?
How can I make their lives easier?
How can I help them meet deadlines?
How can I help them find clients?

Those are your benefits, and that’s what they want to know! Any electrician can rewire their houses – tell them why hiring you will make their lives better.

What benefits do you provide to your clients?

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Tips for Editing Web Content (via Custom Fit Online)

Why Squarespace Is Great For Small Business Owners by Sierra Kellermeyer