Whether you want to inform, promote, display, share or sell, your website is the most important marketing tool in your armoury, whatever sector you work in. But a dynamic and attractive website is useless without words. The first thing to say is that what works in print won’t work online, so forget any idea of transferring your brochure copy.
Good web copywriting is the power behind an organisation’s online presence, what attracts search engines and engages visitors – a combination of specific content structure, consistent brand identity, relevant and compelling web copy and well-researched and purposefully positioned SEO keywords that will boost your search engine rankings.
Website copywriting has to work hard. The words not only have to attract and engage the reader, they also have to capture the attention of search engine robots. Online, people read quickly and patience is short. In fact, someone visiting your website for the first time will probably scan your landing page before deciding whether to read on or click on another site. In a few short sentences, you must convince visitors that they’ve found what they’re looking for and inspire.
To address the unique characteristics of how people read online, you need digital-ready copy that justifies its place, an authoritative tone of voice, content that’s broken up into short paragraphs with relevant headings and sub-headings, bullet-points that reiterate key points, and naturally positioned short and long-tail keywords. Every word must have intent and every sentence must be written to encourage the reader to read the next sentence
The internet doesn’t stand still. To meet changing trends, stay relevant and reach evolving audiences, website content needs continually updating, understanding search engine rules and maintaining keyword research and readability. Effective copywriting can increase your website’s traffic and ultimately boost conversions. The industry, audience and purpose might change but some things are fundamental.
- Decide on who you target audience is and what your objective is.
- Focus on your customer/client using a personal, conversational tone.
- Include quantifiable facts if/where appropriate.
- Anticipate and address objections and alternatives.
- Emphasise action. What do you want them to do?
- Keep the copy simple, clear and concise. Clarity is king.
- Write with both potential customers/clients and search engines in mind.
- Write compelling headlines and sub-headlines.
- Leverage social influence by adding reviews and testimonials.
- Use psychology to motivate your readers.
As an experienced web copywriter, I’ve written web copy for 5-page sites and 200-page sites. To see examples of my web copywriting, please visit my portfolio page. Or if you would like to discuss web copywriting for a new or existing website, please contact me.
