No room for small talk in web copy

Writing content for a website is very different than writing for any other medium. There are many factors to keep in mind; most importantly that content is the primary reason for the website. This is why all other aspects of a website’s design should be based around it. After all websites are browsed and visited expressly for their content.

Far too many people take the wrong approach by focusing first on the design and layout of their website, only to fill in the content afterwards. This is a misguided and ineffective approach. First you should decide what and how much you want to say and how it should be categorized, only then would you determine navigation and creative. Don’t sacrifice good content for the creative.

Another common inclination for website owners is to want to share all the information about their business at once. But the key to writing persuasive and compelling web content is selectiveness.

Selling your benefits to website visitors is not the same as selling to them face-to-face or over the phone. On the web, being direct about your goods and services has a greater impact than being warm and endearing. You just can’t afford to be long-winded with your online communication. Your business is competing with hundreds of similar organization just a click away. You have a very short time in which to grab the attention of your website visitors, convey your company message, offerings, differentiating factors, and compel them to act.

Often website projects end up severely delayed as website owners struggle to narrow down the right words to most effectively express the benefits and the tone of their organization.

Many helpful hints for writing website content can be found on the Internet and in print. We’ve determined that they all fall under the basic guidelines outlined below.  Note that these are general guidelines, which may be altered based on different objectives.

CONTENT: Catch attention.

• use the AIDA approach; ideally each element should have its own paragraph :

- attract Attention
- generate Interest
- create Desire
- call to Action

• put most important content and keyphrases in headlines
• convey strongest benefits first
• answer visitors’ unspoken questions immediately
• use popular industry keywords or keyphrases according to your audience
• tell the visitor what you want them to do next – make it easy for visitors to take the next step i.e., “Buy product”, “Contact Us”, etc. -  use verbs
• limit one subject or area of focus per page
• keep length to 200-300 characters per web page – expand on page that call for it eg. FAQs or Support documentation
• provide more detailed information on secondary pages for visitors who wish to browser deeper into the website
• repeat the main idea in the last paragraph using the same keyphrases

STRUCTURE: Write for scanning.

• don’t write walls of information
• use headlines and subheadings where appropriate
• break up large amounts of content with lists, bullets, tables, sections, captions & hyperlinks where appropriate
• highlight keywords
• keep sentences short and impactful
• use short, common words
• keep text lines no wider than 60-65 characters – otherwise they’re unreadable
• don’t use italics if you can help it

Of course, an experienced copywriter will have the necessary skills to incorporate these prevailing tactics and fluently convey your organization’s uniqueness. If you’re overwhelmed or stuck with your writing, hiring a professional to help you communicate your message is a worthwhile investment.

The overall objective that does not change no matter how you endeavour to reach your consumers, whether online or face-to-face, is to sell your benefits. You just need to be more clever with it online.

Comments

• Breaking up content certainly gets me to act. One other thing, if we can provide things the “quotes” or standard “ballpark” figures for service based websites right on the site, the people really appreciate it, I know I do. I am more likely to keep that website as part of my bookmarks if they put pricing up, instead of me having to call, I mean after all I am part of the web generation, who is more likely to make purchases on the web than anywhere else.

  Comment by Shameer — August 17th, 2009

• The post was superb, I too thought the design will show the professionalism, but from your post I understood that content is most important. I will try to incorporate that in my website too.. Please visit mine when you find time.. and if possible suggest some tips..

  Website Design

  Comment by Austin — August 18th, 2009

• I’d add another tip, for B2B writing particularly: grab the reader’s attention by describing their challenge. Then (and only then) explain your solution. Way too much web copy starts with the solution, never getting around to explaining how that solution is relevant. You need to provide context for two reasons: goodwill building (this is information, not a sales pitch) and credibility (prove you know what you’re talking about). Great post. mcnamaracommunications.com

  Comment by tmac — October 16th, 2009

• I actually agree with Shameer – It would save me a whole lot of time if webdesign companies post some sort of a range on their websites. On some occasions, I have spent a good 30-45 mins on the phone with webdesign companies, only to find out that the quote I receive after the conversation is either too high or too low.

  Comment by Ali — December 29th, 2009