It would be surprising if you can find a kid who at an early age would admit to a desire to become a web copywriter. Kids generally want glamorous or inspiring jobs such as teachers, actors, doctors, astronauts, firemen, and beauty queens, but you will never hear them speak of being a web copywriter.



Nevertheless, if that's what you are right now, either by choice or by destiny, you should do everything you can to obtain as much profit from your present job. The rules of web copywriting jungle are harsh, and if you don't know when and when not to play by the rules, it's only a short amount of time before you get preyed upon by the larger copywriting predators in the field.

When that happens, you might already be too hurt and weak to get back to your feet once more. If you don't want that to happen to you, it's time to start acting and moving!

Survival Tips in the Web Copywriting Industry

MODESTY WILL GET YOU SOMEWHERE?but unfortunately, it won't get your name splattered at all the important websites in the Internet. A healthy amount of modesty is always good in order for you to work well with your clients and colleagues, but too much of this will not make you profit as much as you should from your job.

There are certain instances when you need to talk about your KSAs ? knowledge, skills, and abilities ? as well as the vast amount of experience you have in the field of copywriting. If you're not going to talk about yourself, nobody will!

QUANTITY AND QUALITY OF EXPERIENCE ? If you've been around long enough to be considered the Methusalah of the web copywriting industry, then simply stating how many years you've been working as a web copywriter is usually enough for all clients. People believe greatly in the power of experience. That's why the maxim ?experience is the best teacher? is a clich? today.

If you don't have enough experience ? say, you've only been working as a web copywriter for less than a year ? there's no reason for you to lie. If you can't emphasize the quantity of experience you have then switch to talking about the quality of experience you come with. Instead of talking of how many years you've been around in the business, talk about the DIFFERENT jobs you had accomplished, and the many DIFFERENT things you've learned from each experience. In most clients? eyes, difference is equivalent to years.

HAVING A WEBSITE OF YOUR OWN ? This is an absolute must. A personal website is the Internet's version of a calling card. Nobody will believe that you mean, have, and do business if you don't have a personal website.

Of course, you can't make use of just any website to promote your web copywriting services. You need to use careful planning when building your website. Firstly, there's the content. Since writing is your bread and butter, you should have no problems in this score. If, however, it takes you five hours to create an article, you need to spend double that time when it comes to making the articles in your website. This is very important!

Secondly, there's the design. Naturally, something attractive to the eye is de rigeur. But more than that, your website's layout must also be easy to navigate. Links must be clearly identifiable. If you are using Flash animation in some parts of your website, make sure that you offer an alternative to those who may not have the time or desire to spend too long a time viewing your painstakingly prepared graphics.

Thirdly, never forget about search engine optimization. What good would a great website do if no one's ever heard of it? If you're not proficient with search engine optimization techniques, don't hesitate to hire one. Don't hesitate as well in investing in advertising. It will pay off, just as long as you choose the right advertising method.

GRAMMAR AND ORIGINAL CONTENT ? Lastly, never forget the two golden rules in web copywriting: excellent grammar and original content. Unless your client specifies you to make certain grammatical errors to adhere to keyword density, always proofread your work. One mistake can be enough to lose you the job. Secondly, never plagiarize. If you resort to plagiarizing, then you should just look for another job!