Today’s Web-savvy consumers don’t have the patience to read through mounds of copy. They want to know what you offer, what sets you apart, and what’s in it for them.

That’s why I advise my clients to Keep It Specific and Succinct (K.I.S.S.) when it comes to writing Web copy. Florid and bellicose prose (like this) makes beautiful poetry but lousy Web copy. Remember that your Web site is, first and foremost, a sales tool. Use it to highlight your strengths and specialties. Here's how...

Too many real estate professionals think that the more information they cram into their sites, the greater the connection they are making with potential clients, when just the opposite is true. Browsers may actually lose interest if you have too many words and not enough relevant content.

Here are the basic tenets of my K.I.S.S. and Tell plan. Feel free to use them when you start to outline your Web site (you ARE outlining, aren’t you?) Otherwise, you’ll end up with a collection of pages that may not form a coherent whole.

1. There’s no place like your home page - This is the introduction to your site and, consequently, your services. Your first statement should let browsers know what you sell and where. This may seem like a ridiculously simple statement, but I am astonished by the number of sites I’ve found which do not provide a geographic location on the home page. Instead, they are often filled with catchy slogans and boasts about outstanding service, but they don’t give the most basic information to potential clients. Are you selling condos in Cucamonga? Homes in Houston? Vacation properties in Vero Beach? Inquiring minds want to know.

2. Avoid the “I” word and use the “You” word - Your copy should speak directly to your readers. Be specific about the tangible benefits of working with you. Don’t rely on generalizations such as, “I provide exceptional service.” Give them the details about that service, the things that are unique about you.

3. A clean home page is an inviting home page - Don’t overload it with a mortgage calculator, school district information, restaurant guide, current weather map, tax information or other bonus pages. Place those links judiciously throughout your site.

4. Blaze your own trail - Just because you saw something great on another REALTOR'S® page doesn’t mean it will work on your site. Researching other sites is a great idea; blindly mimicking their content is not.

5. Stand out from the crowd - Let your copy and content reflect what’s unique about you. Clients relate to a little humor and anything that makes you seem like a real person as opposed to just a lot of words on a screen.

6. Be interactive - Offer reports and evaluations that require extra clicks through your site and allow you to collect contact data.

7. Proofread, proofread, proofread - I can’t emphasize this enough. Enlist your most literate friends or family members to review every word, not only for grammatical and spelling errors, but also to ensure that your copy makes sense. Do this twice—once before it goes online and again after it’s up and running. If your friends are not grammar mavens (like my mother, the English teacher), hire a professional.

Your Web site has the potential to become one of your most powerful marketing tools when it reflects both your personality and your business niche. With careful planning and target-specific copy, you’ll be in a position to tap into the lucrative market of clients searching for Web-savvy real estate agents to handle their home-buying and selling needs.

Lois H. Feinstein produces powerful and compelling Web copy, marketing materials, newsletters and brochures for Realtors® and other business professionals. She is Chair of the Real Estate Virtual Assistants (REVA) Copywriting Guild and a member of the International Virtual Assistants Association, and has written for a number of magazines including 5280 and Denver Woman. Her business, I Can Do That!, www.i-cando-that.com, is based in Denver, Colorado.