It can be quite a challenge to sit down and write great web copy. There is a lot of pressure involved with getting the content right. Everyone goes on and on about how your website is the online representation of your business. So what you write on there has to be mind blowing right?
Mind blowing, no. But it does have to be pretty great. And hey, if you can achieve mind blowing, then even better! There are a few very important things to keep in mind when you are writing the content for your web pages. So, here are my top tips…
7 Top Tips To Write Great Web Copy
Write With Your Ideal Client In Mind
If you think about your ideal client as you write, then you will ensure that your content is going to be useful for them. Address them personally so that they are drawn in, use the word ‘you’ to engage them and make them feel like you are only speaking to them.
Don’t worry if your copy becomes quite targeted, you want it to appeal to your target audience, not to everyone. You actually want those clients who are not ideal to click away as you aren’t selling to them anyway!
Have a Purpose
Every piece of content you add to your website must have a purpose. Don’t fill up a page with fluff because you think you need to have it there, or because you want to hit the 300 word mark to index with Google.
If you are writing something in your website it needs to either…
- Provide valuable information
- Tell your story
- Get people to take action
Write For Scanners
People are busy, they want to land on your website and get the information that they need… fast. They will not generally read every word of your content, they are more likely to scan the page until what they are looking for jumps out at them. So write with that in mind when you are creating your web copy.
Don’t have a wall of text that your clients will have to wade through. Break it up with sub-headings and bullet points. Make sure the sub-headings include the main things you want your readers to know and give a good indication about the text that will follow.
Short Paragraphs and Short Sentences
Following on from sub-headings and bullet points for easier reading, remember to use short paragraphs and short sentences too.
A paragraph should really be no longer than 4 sentences long, otherwise it becomes too hard to read. People will give up, even if what you have to say is really interesting. Also, try and keep your sentences short. AIm for them to be around 12 words long. But vary the length too. Some short. Some that are slightly longer. And some that are even longer still, letting you get more of a point across.
Stop Trying To Sound Smart
There is absolutely no reason to use big words in your web copy. I have a truth bomb for you… when you use overly big words and complex phrases you don’t sound smart, you sound like an ass.
Using those big words and jargon will actually alienate your audience because they may feel intimidated, or won’t even understand what the heck you are talking about. If a simple word will do the job, then use it. No one wants to feel like they need to pull up dictionary.com to understand what you are trying to say.
Your expertise and intelligence will come across in the value that you provide your clients, not because you can work indubitably into a sentence.
Write With Personality
For goodness sake, don’t be boring! And don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through when you write. Yes, you should be informative, but you can also be entertaining at the same time. Tell a good story, inject some humour and just go for gold!
Edit, Condense and One More Important Thing
Great so you have written it all, time to publish right? Wrong.
You have the raw data on the page, but now you need to edit out the unnecessary words and sentences. There will be some lurking in there. Condense down your final version so that it is concise and compelling.
This one I am going to yell at you because it is so important – PROOFREAD! Oh my gosh, I cannot emphasise this one enough. Do not let your website go live with spelling mistakes and words that don’t make sense. If you struggle in this area then get a friend or family member to read through it for you. Or give me a buzz. But please, please, please proofread.
Writing great web copy doesn’t have to be a scary task, but it is one that you should take seriously. When I sit down to write web copy for a client, I really take the time to know their business and understand their target audience so that I can deliver interesting and valuable copy.
You have a leg up on me because you know all about your business and your target audience. So all you need to do the write great web copy, is make it interesting and follow the above tips to smash it out!