How often do you get excited to visit a website only to discover that it doesn’t really do much for you?
Often there’s nothing wrong with the website design. It’s just that the writing doesn’t grab you and make you feel like you could be part of this thing. After looking around for a while, you’re back to surfing the web, probably never to return.
All too often, the only thing missing on a good website is killer web copy. It’s hard to define what that is, but you know it when you see it. And when it’s missing, it’s obvious.
Let’s be blunt: Bad writing, spelling errors and long, meandering copy will be the death of your website. You must avoid it like the plague. And while website copywriting is a tricky thing to do well, there are techniques and principles that can help you get better.
7 Simple Tips for Writing Great Web Copy
Tip 1: Stop Trying To Sound Smart
Does that sound rude? It shouldn’t. You probably are smart, but it’s a mistake to try and sound smart when you’re writing website copy. This is not the time to try and win a Pulitzer. Keep it clear and simple and help your readers understand what it is that you do or what you offer. Guide them smoothly through the web page. Write with the bigger picture in mind, considering the customer journey. When your writing meets them where they are and nudges them along, you’re off to a good start.
Tip 2: Know Why Your Readers Are There
It’s very important to keep the customer profile top of mind when you’re writing web copy. Make sure you have a clear picture of the kind of people who are visiting your website, what they’re looking for, and what you can do for them. Then get even more granular — not only why they are at your site, but why they are on this specific page of your website.
Are you writing in a way that welcomes them, intrigues them and then encourages them toward the next stage of the customer journey? One of the most useful tools at your disposal is the buyer persona that should give you vital clues into the kind of references, language and style that your readers respond to.
All of this background work, which should happen with the marketing team before you even start writing, is your best tool for effective website copywriting.
Tip 3: Treat Keywords With the Respect They Deserve
Gone are the days when you were rewarded for slotting your keywords in as often as possible, even if it barely made sense. Today’s search engines favor readability, user experience (UX) and ease of use when it comes to rankings. Of course, websites must still provide the keywords and signposts that match readers together with your products and services.
That’s why we say treat keywords with the respect they deserve. Use them prominently but don’t be a slave to your keywords. Stuffing them everywhere will hurt your website copy, damage your page rankings and detract from your brand’s story and message.
Tip 4: Practice Makes Perfect
It’s up to you to work hard and begin to master the art of writing web copy that works.
- Practice writing short, sharp and punchy sentences.
- Learn to use white space and paragraph breaks when appropriate.
- Spell check!
- Learn how to hyperlink quickly and effectively so it doesn’t slow you down.
- Make sure you understand the products and services that you’re selling.
Like most acts that you try to master in your working life, there’s no substitute for practicing as much as you can when it comes to copywriting. You should also learn how to use dashboards to read the metrics and feedback that tell you how well your audience is receiving your copy.
Tip 5: Train Yourself To Think Visually
Once you start to think of the web page as a holistic piece of content, then you’ll realize how useful photographs, graphs, video clips and other visual content are for getting your message across. Write with that in mind so that the content works together. Often, something you wanted to write could simply be said with an image.
Visual thinking also comes into play when you’re formatting the page. That means breaking your paragraphs into manageable chunks, using bullet points and lists, and guiding readers with compelling headers. These techniques improve your page rankings and make your website copy easier to navigate.
Tip 6: Find Your Own Authentic Voice
In many ways, this is the hardest thing to do. But when you know your product and you’ve put in your hours learning the craft, then you can start to write naturally and effectively. When that happens, the copy starts to soar, and you’ll see the results.
Be friendly and welcoming, don’t talk down to the visitors or overwhelm them with jargon, and be authentic. When you do all of that, it’s hard to go wrong.
Tip 7: Keep It Short
Need we say more?
Good Website Copywriting Is Harder Than It Looks
Writing good web copy is not easy.
Most people can do it well enough to get by, but it takes real talent and dedication to craft the type of language that provokes the desired response from a reader. At Orpheus, we know how to write website copy that stands apart, and we work with the kind of writers who can bring that energy and focus to your website.
Get in touch with our sales team today and discover the kind of website that we can build for you.