Top Tips For Writing Website Copy

Writing great website copy can be tricky, but it’s not that hard.  You need to convey your message concisely, and with personality.  You have to think as your users would.  Anticipate their reason for reading your content.

Read on for some top tips to write better website copy.

Know Your Audience 

 Make sure you have a solid understanding of who is buying your product or services, and how they are being used.  This makes the following points much easier!

Write first, edit later 

When it comes to writing copy for your website or social media, it’s easy to become your own worst enemy.  Get your ideas down on paper and improve it later.  This should help you overcome writers block and on the way to producing regular content.

Headlines grab attention, when your page comes up in a search result or on social media, users will spend only fractions of a second on whether they want to click through. Drive curiosity, spark intrigue, but be on point.

Keep it Conversational 

No one likes being sold to, and users are more than ever blind to a sales pitch.  So, get conversational, write like you would speak to your best mate – well – maybe not in exactly the same way, but you get the point.

Educate

People like facts, to feel they have gained an intangible benefit from your content.  To become a go-to resource in your industry, ensure you can provide facts, insights and information to retain your audience.

Use Fewer Words

It’s almost impossible to bore people into becoming a customer. Keep your sentences punchy. Use short sentences and active verbs to enhance the quality of your message.

Spend time laying out the page

It’s not just your content – and good images – that retain your audience.  Page layout is an often overlooked factor.  If it works for you, get a pen and paper and draw up some templates that you can then use for different pages.

Consider a mobile reader  

What may seem like a reasonable amount of scrolling on a desktop can seem insurmountable on a smart phone. Keep your content simple. More people are looking through your marketing materials on a cell phone than you think.  Paragraphs of 2–3 sentences are easier to digest.

Edit before you publish 

 It used to be that your writing needed to be good enough for someone else to publish. Now, the publish button looms on the side of the page as we create the material. Sloppy writing, misspelled words, or an unclear message can detract from what you are trying to accomplish.  Still it’s important to edit and scrutinize our own work before we publish.

Finally, Be Yourself 

 Your personal voice is important, it’s probably the reason some of your clients opted to work with you.  Write how you talk (but keep it professional).  Remember, you speak to your audience on the phone, at events and you meet new contacts all the time, so they will feel comfortable reading your content.

Share your content 

Your content is complete, but you are not quite done!  Share your content on relevant social platforms, such as LinkedIn, Facebook or an industry relevant platform.  Some platforms allow you to boost your content, which can be a highly valuable strategy.

Have a go at writing great website copy, remember to include your keywords and keep it concise.

If you would like some assistance, get in touch!