If you write a web article or a blog first and then throw on a headline you could be making a huge mistake.

According to research on average 80% of people will read a headline, but only 20% will read the rest of the copy. Therefore, what you write in your headline has the power to attract or put off readers.

Listen to the facts

In some cases a good headline could be the difference between a few hits and hundreds of thousands.

An example of this was an article on Condomunity (www.condomunity.com) reporting statistics showing 19 countries and their respective prices for Durex condoms.

The headline on the site read: “Cheap Condoms, Expensive Condoms”.

But then another website, Environmental Graffiti picked up the story and changed the headline to “World’s Most Expensive Places to Have Sex”.

Now doesn’t the second headline seem so much more enthralling and interesting?

It certainly proved to be the case: While Condomunity received five to 10 visits a day for their headline, Environmental Graffiti had 100,000 visits and 3000 links in three weeks.

First impressions count

A headline is the first, and perhaps the only, impression you will make on a prospective reader and without a great headline or post title the rest of your article may as well not even exist.

So, it’s vital that you write your headline first, before you embark on the full article.

Your headline will also gain a wider audience if you make it strong and focused. Ideally the header should sum up the story in a concise and compelling way with minimum words but maximum impact.

It is not necessary to be clever or smart with a headline – and the puns that you’d most often see in tabloid newspapers do not usually work on the internet where you have only a few seconds to grad a reader’s attention.

And don’t lie. A headline that promises something but then fails to deliver in the copy will not have a reader coming back to your site.

How to write a headline

The best way to write a headline is to keep it simple. Tell the reader what it is you want to sell, write about, inform them about.

Seven of the best headline styles:

Direct headline: Get straight to the point.

Eg. Car for sale – £6,000

Indirect headline: It’s more subtle but very intriguing.

Eg. Tesco Butter Up Young Shoppers

News headline: This informs the reader about a current hot topic or must-read news item.

Eg. SNP leader Alex Salmond interview

What Google’s Matt Cutts see in 2009

Company sues Google over copyright infringement

“How to” headline: Everyone wants to know “how to” do something new.

Eg How to write a winning headline

Question headline: This asks a question but also prompts the reader to empathise with the topic.

Eg. Would you ask a stranger where he bought his cowboy boots?

Are you ready to become a singing superstar?

“Ways to” headline: These are intriguing to a reader because they offer a list and

added value.

Eg. 20 ways to stuff a turkey

Quote headline: These offer a testimonial, and therefore make readers feel there is more to a product or a topic.

Eg. “I wouldn’t eat any other kid of egg,” says Jamie Oliver

“I swear by xxxx tennis balls,” confesses Venus Williams

“WebCreationUK is top of my Santa list,” says Bill Gates

Get the headline right and 80% of people will read on. Get it wrong and you’ve lost 20% of web visitors. Try it and see.

Tags: Blogs, copy, impressions, marketing

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 26th, 2008 at 6:35 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Posted by Leon You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.