Monthly Archives: June 2013

New Service from DP Web Development

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Let me write your website for you.

That’s right! I am introducing a copywriting service to DP Web Development.

I understand my style is not to everyone’s taste but it is to a lot and I’d like to thank all of those who have contacted me to congratulate me on my posts. Thanks all!  I‘d also like to apologise to those that didn’t like my style. Both of them. .. Actually I’m not that sorry. You can’t please everyone. It’s impossible. Trust me I have tried.

Having said that the art of copywriting is about adapting your style to accurately reflect the client you are working with. The copy has to reflect their expertise, their unique selling point, their goods and perhaps most importantly their personality. This can be done in a variety of ways. Blog creation, social media presence, videos, first class images. The list is, quite literally, endless. This also needs to be crated with search Engine Optimisation (SEO) in mind. Keywords, titles, tags plus another myriad of techniques all need to combine seamlessly.  

I can do this. : )

I have an MA in English Literature and Language and an MSc in Computing.  I have been writing for the web for over ten years for a variety of different companies and organisations.

Being a good copywriter is not just about being an excellent writer. In fact it is rare for a person to be excellent in both writing for print and online as they require different skills.

What key skills should a good copy writer have?

  • Search Engine Optimisation skills. SEO is now one of the most important aspects of copywriting. A good copywriter will know all about using keywords. Placing key words. Using the correct tags. Using the title wisely. The ability to work keywords naturally into useful and informative text is key to achieving a high listing in the search engines. A good copywriter will also know of the danger of using a keyword too many times which risks Search engines identifying “keyword” stuffing in your webpages and you run the risk of being blacklisted.
  • A good understanding of Web Design. Studies have shown that a website has about a second to engage a user’s attention or they will click away. A good copywriter will know that this decision is based on the design of the website (the look, the ease of understanding) once this is achieved a good copywriter can keep the users attention through the websites content.
  • A good understanding of Content management. It doesn’t matter how good the writing has been if the text can’t be added to the website! A good copywriter will be a whizz around Content Systems and HTML. Look for at least two years experience.  For example I have over ten years experience in this aspect. Just sayin’!
  •  Results Driven. The purpose of a website and every webpage on that site is to achieve results. This could be anything from generating leads, making sales, imparting information. Every webpage will play a part in this: every page of a website should serve a clear, defined purpose otherwise it is not worth having A good copywriter will have a clear understanding of what each webpage is trying to do and will write accordingly.
  •  Accurate copy. No spelling mistakes. Ever. If you have chosen a good copywriter you can sleep easy knowing you do not have to check for spelling errors. No, Spell check is not enough.

If you would like some help or simply don’t have the time to write copy for your website please contact me. I would be glad to help.

What have you learnt recently?

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You never stop learning. New skills, new “truths” about life, new experiences. The list is endless.  Working for myself at DP Web Development this learning thing has gone into overdrive. It’s great! Thought I would list a very small sample.

And at the end a new quote that I try to live by nowadays. Enjoy.

Things I have learnt in the last few months:

No real order.

  • Improved my skills in JavaScript and JQuery. This has been very useful, especially JQuery. It saves a lot of time and is amazingly powerful. If you know JQuery you’re in good company. Apart from me such Goliaths as WordPress and Twitter use JQuery. Anyone using Twitter? Follow me @dougpitchers.
  • SEO. (Search engine optimisation) If you type in web development Kent in Google you get around 24 million results. DP Web Development comes in at about number 5. Front page! The (only) place to be. I have not paid a penny to get there. If you type in bespoke websites kent I am on the front page. Three times!
  • People are inherently lazy. People complain they have to learn something. They have to do this. They have to go out of their way having, to suffer, they complain about having to work at it, and complain that it doesn’t just come easily. WTF? You think you’re unique? Look at Usain Bolt…you think he got up one day and ran 100 metres faster than any human in history? No. He got up every single day for ten years and trained and trained and trained. When was the last time you (or I) did something EVERY SINGLE DAY for ten years? Get unlazy and get ahead.
  • People don’t buy your product, they buy you. Being the best web developer in the world is not enough. The ability to know, very quickly, what people want and how I can deliver exactly that is equally, if not more, important. I can do this.  People can see I am genuine, hardworking and honest. I dedicate myself to giving the very best. That is what people want. Personal attention. Before everything else. They want to know that I “get them”. I understand them. Contact me to find out more.
  • Enjoy the here and now. I used to constantly plan for the future. I still do. But I have also learnt that it is important to enjoy the present as well. I go for a walk almost every day with my wife and son. We enjoy the lakes nearby and the huge park 5 minutes down the road (Knole park…call me, I’ll show you around). We love this. It gives us time to talk, laugh and enjoy the outdoors. It may only be 30-40 minutes but it is worth taking time out to do what you enjoy. Every day if possible.

Lastly a quote that you may like. I love it. It is from the wonderful Ash Ambridge. (Damn she’s good at sound bites) I think it sums up quite a cool attitude to have.

“Life shouldn’t be a journey to the grave with  the  intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body,  but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, champagne in the  other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming, ‘WOO HOO  what a ride!’”

Right  on!