You probably poured lots of time and effort into making your website look great. Maybe you paid a lot of cash to get it just right. But there's a problem. Nobody is taking the bait. There was no magical spike in profits the day you launched it. You think, "What's the point of this website if it doesn't get me more customers?"

That's understandable. But the truth is the website is doing its job, you're not doing yours. Your website is just an advert for your business. It's a blank canvas that you can use to send any message you want. If nobody is listening, it's because the message is wrong. But your website can be rescued if you avoid some fatal errors.

Send a clear message

There's an old copywriting adage: "say one thing and one thing only". That's good to keep in mind when writing for the web. People hardly read online, they scan. So you have to get your message across clearly.

Make sure your customers know what you're asking them to do. It doesn't matter if you're asking them to subscribe to your newsletter or buy a product, make sure the request is loud and clear.

Don't try to sell to everyone

Most people create a sales message that they think everyone will like, one that gives them the best chance of making a profit. But you can't please everybody, it's impossible.

Not even the biggest brands in the world are liked by everyone. You should be trying to please your own niche audience.

How much do you know about them? How do they find your website? How can you make it better for them? What content do they like? What did they have for breakfast?

Learn as much as you can about your audience so you can meet (and exceed) their expectations.

Keep it fresh

Add new content. Keep updating your website and adding new stuff. It could be news, stories, blog posts, competitions and special offers - anything that's going to be interesting.

It will help for two reasons. First, it keeps customers coming back to your site. If they think they might miss out on a special offer or useful expert advice, they'll be back. New content also boosts your SEO. The more fresh links you add, the more Google likes you.

Don't boast too much

You want to tell everybody how great your business is, how you believe in quality service and ethical operating. Unfortunately, customers don't really care; they want to know what you can do for them.

So switch the focus of your web copy to the customer. Make it clear the ways your business will benefit them. How are you going to make their life easier or save them money?

Every business should care about customer service and ethical operating, and in the long term it will help you build customer loyalty. But if you never make that initial sale it's irrelevant.

Eoin Alexander, Oink Copy. http://www.oinkcopy.com