Other website work

Site Build It! (Small-business development product and customer websites)

I've been a Certified Webmaster for a product of SiteSell Inc. called Site Build It! (now called Solo Build-It!). The product guides users in building online niche businesses through keyword market research, rich Web content, and the full array of online marketing techniques. Learn more about some of the SBI! sites I worked with, and about my work directly for SiteSell Inc.

Long-copy sales pages and ebook content.

I've written many kinds of long copy that ran online or sold downloadable content. This includes how-to manuals, white papers, e-book promotion and sales letters for various products and services. One of those clients was Sitesell Inc. Before its founder, Ken Evoy developed Site Build-It!, he sold self-help ebooks to online marketers. I helped write the sales letters (microsites) to promote those products. For another long-time client, EdgeStudio.com, I've written various e-booklets on topics of interest to voice actors. (For example, a Slating Manual, what to take to a studio, and other titles. I also edited and contributed to Edge Studio's Performance Guidebook.)

BizBookBreakthrough (Long-copy online sales letter: writers retreat)

This was a online sales-letter page (also known as a "microsite"), promoting a limited-attendance retreat for writers. If you'd like to know more, please give me a call.

Snyder Center (pharmaceuticals)

This website, for a compounding pharmacy specializing in the treatment of pain, was part of a comprehensive and expanded positioning program. I participated in strategic development, positioning, naming, and writing various marketing materials (including direct-to-practioner, to patient and the website). This site is in an entirely different league than their old site and identity. Unfortunately, for reasons unrelated to the pending campaign, the pharmacy decided to pull back on the program and focus on their original core business.

GenWebCo (IT consulting)

The copy for this IT consulting firm's site followed the style of the capabilities brochure I wrote for them, reorganized and with additional content for the Web. I edited the online copy, lightened the tone a bit, and made a few other suggestions.

FEA Waterjet (industrial machining)

Having reached this page, you probably agree that quality is in the details. But that should never rule out a distinctive, accurate "big picture" message. As in this site for a industrial fabricator specialized in waterjet machining for the military and private sectors.

RockSteady Trays (new consumer product, household accessory)

It introduced an interesting new product – a tray suspended from a handle, for no-spill use by people with only one free hand, walking on stairs, on boats, etc. Unfortunately, the marketer decided to pursue other opportunities, and the site is no longer online. I wrote some of the site's copy, and advised on the rest.

Wrenchhead (Online store: automotives)

When Wrenchead was launched as a retail auto parts site, I wrote the preview pages and much of the live sales site. Architecture was already set, although I was able to input a few tweaks. Wrenchead.com then changed completely, becoming a B2B site for distributors.
For budget reasons, I wrote only two key pages of this wine bar/restaurant's site, advising on architecture and principles to follow for other pages. These PDF files will open in a new tab or window. 

Swiss Ski Club of NY

The club is very contemporary, but it's a social club and doesn't want to look like a commercial trip organizer or resort. (And, no, you don't have to be Swiss; in fact it's more "international" than "Swiss" these days.) I edited, wrote and helped organize the copy, at the same time optimizing it for search engines. Writing text for humans and robots simultaenously is one of the most important – and most difficult – parts of the search engine optimization process. In addition, while I was webmaster I cobbled up interfaces to make the club's home-grown back-end systems more usable. For the club's sake, I'm pleased to say that I've passed the reins to others. In a volunteer organization, it's good to spread the capabilities and responsibilities among people. Much of my copy remains, but the site itself has changed a lot.

Leg Resource (Branded legwear, B2B)

The site concept and layout were pre-existing. I wrote the product description copy and edited the introduction. I suggested ways to touch up the page code, improve speed, allow for expansion, and market the site. The key part of the site is its catalog section (currently offline during redevelopment).

Rensch.com

My own site has been online since 1996. This is it's 4th generation (in progresss). Although this version incorporates several adaptive templates, most of it is hand-coded, and if the graphics and ad layout thumbnails look like they were done by a copywriter, that's because most of them were. Is it a freelance copywriter's website, or a copywriter's blog? I confess: Having grown without much paring, by now it's both.

Merrill Lynch (for Channell Communications)

It was the early days of web development. I wrote top level copy for the pre-beta version of the intranet, and edited the site's on-line style guide for new pages.
    There's nothing from that project to show here, but I have many print-media samples of work for clients in Financial and related areas.

BeyondROI.com

In this SEM specialist's major overhaul of its own site, I wrote home page copy, consulted on positioning theme, and wrote a number of pages. Also edited some of their newsletters. (Copywriting has since been brought in-house and evolved a lot.)

Axiom Audio (Audio speaker manufacturer)

For this speaker designer & manufacturer, I wrote the top of the home page (since changed), revised the company profile and wrote the Store section's product-details pop-ups (oops, pop-ups are gone, too), with various additional copy comments and suggestions here and there throughout. Wrote a slew of banner ads, too. Nope, no produced samples of those, either.

An international trade site (for Icon-Nicholson Interactive)

We were just getting up to speed on this project — I had managed a copy approach and position statement that made better sense of the existing domain name — when the client decided to move on to a totally unrelated new business idea. Ah, entrepreneurs! Since the project never made it to daylight, that's about all I should tell you.

NetValue, Inc.

The company was introducing technology that allowed users to print coupons in a controlled process, for redemption at brick-and-mortar locations.
    I did the initial information architecture (before most people called it that), outlining several approaches. It was an innovative concept, and the product itself seemed to have evolved even faster than the website.