Our copywriters were tasked with creating online descriptions for 30 transport hubs (cruise terminals, airports and airstrips) across Western Australia that make its hidden treasures easier to reach. A few of the newest additions to Perth’s ‘hipster haven’ (as described by the New York Times) urgently needed some online presence too.

PetRescue needed to raise funds at tax time to support all 15 of their free pet search and adoption services, including the website which connects thousands of homeless pets with thousands of pet seekers every day. They’d been successful in securing a gift matching pledge from one of their major corporate partners, so they needed a fundraising campaign strategy to fully leverage this opportunity.

Waaaaay back in 2013, one of my charity client relationships developed into a permanent position as the Fundraising and Brand Development Lead for PetRescue - Australia’s most visited charity website.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times clients have helpfully corrected my copy because I’ve started a sentence with ‘And’. But the ‘rule’ they’re referring to isn’t a rule at all. And William Shakespeare agrees with me.

Do you need a vision or mission statement? No, you don't NEED one. But you’re asking the wrong question. Here’s what you should be asking instead.

Advertising and psychology go hand in hand, but how can you use some simple psychology to improve your website's user experience and, ultimately, your site's performance?

The exclamation mark - A.K.A. the screamer - is over-used and abused in marketing. Enough! It's time to stop shouting at your customers. They don't like it.

Fancy shmancy website? Check. Pay-per-click ads and remarketing? Check. Steady stream of online traffic? Check.  Not generating enough enquiries or sales? Maybe you’re screwing up your calls to action.

People buy into a brand emotionally, then seek out information (a tendency known as confirmation bias) such as case studies, testimonials and reviews (social proof) to support their decision. But why stop at closing a sale when you can open the doors to a community of advocates?

So many Google algorithm updates, so many SEO (search engine optimisation) considerations and permutations. There’s just too much SEO stuff to think about. Or is there?

Ask yourself this: of all the companies that are genuinely innovative or disruptive, how many use 'innovative' and 'disruptive' to describe themselves? There's a good reason why they don't.

Does your copy have the feel-good factor? Have you established a genuine and distinctive brand voice that resonates with your audience? It's hard to put a dollar value on, but it's key to the success of your brand, as this little email case study for HIF proves.