Copywriting of software texts: five useful tips

The ability to write good marketing texts in English is absolutely necessary for the successful promotion of the program abroad. Attractive title, vivid descriptive description, transitions, competent organization of the text and the absence of errors - all this helps to attract the attention of a picky American audience and convince to click on the “Download” button. If the product page is not effective, then one of the following problems may have caused this.


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"Fingers like a fan"

Of course, the main task of the product page is to convince the customer that your program or service is the best in its category. But due to excessive exaggerations, no one will believe your message. The program, which is described as “extremely powerful and highest quality Photoshop plugin, which will definitively bust your product marketing to the next level” without well-founded confirmations, and even with errors (a literal translation - “it will ruin your marketing efforts at a new level”) will cause perplexity and suspicion of the site visitor - WTF !? A discriminating consumer, American or European, has already developed immunity to such cheap tricks - it does not catch! Most likely, you will cause the opposite effect - the visitor will begin to be critical of the product.

Not every product needs to be called the most advanced, newest, versatile, advanced, solution to all problems that a buyer may ever face. A more realistic description of the program with convincing arguments and figures will itself lead the reader to such conclusions.

Forget to sell

Quite often, the site owner misses the opportunity to induce the visitor to purchase or download the trial version of the program for review. This happens with a simple listing of “features”, which are also written in technical jargon. An uninformed user simply does not understand what benefits the program will bring if it downloads it. Here is a typical text from this category:

Key features:

* Easy to use, intuitive user interface;
* Supports MP3, WAV, WAV, WMA, ASF, RA, RM, VQF, CDA, OGG, MP3, AVI, WMV, MOV, 3GP, MP4, FLV, RM;
* Ability to create custom CD / DVD disks;
* Ability to upload MP3 to a mobile phone ... "

Have already met this, is not it? Of course, people can accept a certain amount of such “technopens”, but when there are only “features” on the product page and there is no explanation for the benefits, it does not cling.

It is better to write this:

Some of the many exciting features and benefits will find in PRODUCT_NAME:

* Study a foreign language on the go

Listening to the study of foreign speech. If you’re a little bit of a player, you’ll be able to make it.

* Personalize your cell phone with MP3 ring tones

How many times have you tried? You can distinguish your ringing phone from there. Use PRODUCT_NAME to personalize your MP3 ring tone. Click here to download your MP3 phone. Isn't it cool, or what?

Listen to audio from your favorite music videos

Have a concert of Madonna? It is a good idea to use the product to take your MP3 player to your MP3 player. a bus trip. Cool, isn't it?

Download Free Trial - Order Now!

We lose sight of the target audience

The words of the English language come from two linguistic streams: Germanic and Romance. For example, the British and Americans tend to use short Germanic verbs (for example, “get”, “go through”, “put in”, “tell”) instead of Latin equivalents (“obtain”, “examine”, “install”, “ inform ”). Verbs of Latin origin are too formal for the English ear.

The users of the language for which English is a foreign language are likely to have mastered the norms of its written / standardized variety. This means that they understand better the words that are of Latin origin, as a rule, to use words with Latin roots in speech. Many Germans, as well as the French, Spaniards, Italians prefer to use words of Latin origin. For example, they prefer to say “examine” instead of “go through” and “install” instead of “put in”. Moreover, it is desirable to avoid using idioms, such as “with a fine-tooth comb” and abbreviations “spec”. It is better to say “very carefully” and “specification”.

If you are preparing a product page for Americans or English, then, on the contrary, it is better to use words of Germanic origin, as well as phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions.

Water and exquisite words

Read this paragraph from the program description:

"It has been a lot of peace of mind." No matter how much accidents can happen. It’s a matter of course. If you are looking for a DBF repair PRODUCT_NAME has questions to your questions. ”

Such a text not only tests the reader’s patience, but also makes him disconnect. What is the problem here? Very simple. There are a lot of superfluous words that obscure the meaning of the simple things: DBF repair.

In addition, the text uses exquisite words: “plethora”, “resuscitation of your database”, etc. Of course, if your audience is educated and reads the Wall Street Journal, then you can use complex words. But if you write for a wide range of people, you know, many of them did not study in college, and about 27 million adult Americans barely know how to read. For them, you need to write easier to understand.

The same paragraph can be shortened:

“DBF is used in many applications. The accidents can happen. There is no need for more information. If you want to repair the DBF, look no further. PRODUCT_NAME brings any database back to life! ”

"Ochypyatki"

Errors in the description of the program cast doubt on the content of the text and the quality of the product itself.

For example:

“How often did you see the error message“ Cannot change this part of report ”? We are sure that often. And could not understand, thinking: “Why ?? Why can't I change this cell? It's so simply and so comfortably! As be good, if ... ". We thought also. And we DID IT FOR YOU! Now you can change your reports !!! ... "

One more example:

"It is extremely usely for anyone using your computer." It is also very usefully for maintaining backups of data folders. ”

And further:

“All bugs have been fixes and new added”

One can only guess what the readers of this proposal thought.

Foreign consumers are accustomed to the fact that websites, application descriptions, software interface and user manuals must be translated and written correctly. To impress a discriminating American or European audience, given that thousands of competitors' products are available to choose from, the quality of your information materials must be truly excellent. I hope that this post will help you in the preparation of their texts.

PS:

Examples of effective product pages:

http://www.drexplain.com is the site of the program Dr.Explain, which is intended for creating help-files and user manuals. Effective descriptions in the Russian and English versions of the site.

http://www.avangate.com is the site of Avangate, which provides tools for creating an online store and receiving payments. High-quality information presentation, imho.