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Here’s how to write website content, emails, social media, blogs, microsites and landing pages the right way.
The bounce rate for the average website is between 40 to 55%. That means, within a minute, around half of all site visitors hit that back button! The copy content is just as important as the design of your website…
The main thing you want to remember when writing the content for your website is that each and every single line of copy on your website should help your visitors accomplish or learn something. This is important no matter what type of website you’re creating, so whether you’re in ecommerce or run a small business or even a not for profit, this is vital for everyone!
Tip 1: Keep it simple
Writing for the web is not the same as writing for print; people read differently when they’re online. It’s harder to read on a screen than it is to read on paper, especially now that many people rely on their small-screen tablets or phones to read. The longer the sentences and paragraphs, the more challenging it is to grasp the meaning. When you write for the web, you need to keep in mind how people view a page. Most people actually don’t read—they scan. They look at headings and subheadings first. Then they scan for hyperlinks, bullets, numbers and keywords. The simply just look for the key points and summaries and read those areas.
Tip 2: Keep it friendly and approachable
Most people think they need to write copy content in the same way they were taught to write at school! This is wrong!! Forget those formal essays and try to speak in a friendly manner! Write with active voice, as opposed to passive voice. Use present tense whenever possible. Explain everything in a clear and simple way for all to understand. So, unless you are explicitly targeting industry experts with your web copy, avoid using industry-exclusive terminology.
Tip 3: Keep it short
The most effective websites don’t use a print writing style. They are composed in a talking style of writing. Avoid long, complex sentences. One of the handiest tools for the online copywriter is your PC’s word-count function. Try it. If you’re consistently writing paragraphs with more than 50 words or five lines, you should probably simplify.
Tip 4: Key Words and SEO
You should always write copy that will appeal to your target audience. It’s not about you; it’s about them! What will they need to understand about your business? Try telling a story to engage. The first thing they see when they land on your site should be exactly what you do, the problem you solve and who it’s for. They need to know they’ve landed on a website that suits what they were looking for.
However, that’s not the only reader you need to think about. If you want your website to come up in search results, you’ll need to write with search engine optimization (SEO) in mind. Learn more about SEO and keywords in our blog here.
Tip 5: Use compelling Call To Actions
End each of your website pages with a call-to-action. Don’t keep your website visitor hanging, leaving him to decide whether to plunge deeper into your site or hit that “back” key.
Tell users of your website what it is they need to know. Should they click here? Should they fill in this form? Read more? Download this? Why?
Here's some tools that could help you:
https://www.copy.ai/ - try a 7 day free trial of automated creativity tools,
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https://copywritertoday.net/the-copywriter-today-free-headline-creation-tool/ - a free headline copy generator
https://www.podia.com/sales-copy-generator - try a free trial to help you create great sales copy content
Use these tips to help your copy sparkle! Remember, if you need more support with writing the website copy for your business then get in touch!