The internet is a big place, with a lot of websites competing for attention. How, then, can you make sure that your website stands out from the crowd? With great copy, of course! So check out our guide for a few copy writing tips and make sure your site can compete.
1. Get to the Point!
People have busy lives. If they’re looking for information online, they want it quickly. As such, each page on your site should clearly state what it is about.
If you are writing copy for a pizza restaurant’s home page, for example, you would want to say what kind of food it sells and where the restaurant is at the top of the page, as these are the most important details.
Should you have more to say, you can save it for further down the page.
2. Keep It Short
Short paragraphs are much easier to read, especially on screen. And since you’re not limited by page size with website copy, there is no reason to pack a lot of text into a small space.
The ideal length of a paragraph on paper is typically around 100-200 words. But even this is too long for online copy, where most paragraphs should be around two or three sentences long.
You can even use single-sentence paragraphs, like this one!
3. Use Simple Language
There is a place for long, fancy words on the internet (especially in online Scrabble). But your website copy needs to be easy to read, so you should keep your writing simple. This may include:
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- Using clear, concise sentences
- Avoiding jargon and technical language
- Using the active voice
- Using shorter words where possible
For example, if you were selling lawnmowers, you could boast of offering ‘contraptions for the accelerated and efficacious reduction of Poa pratensis.’ But it would be much better for everyone involved if you simply said ‘machines for fast and effective lawn care’ instead.
4. Format for Skimmers
How you format your copy is almost as important as what you write. In particular, you need to format text so that skim readers can take it in quickly. To do this, you can try adding some of the following:
- Subheadings to break up the text
- Bold fonts or other emphasis to highlight key words
- Bullet points and numbered lists
- Images and/or videos alongside the text
These can help you guide the reader to key details. And if your reader gets the information they need, they will return to the site in the future.
5. Think SEO
When writing website copy, you’re not just writing for human readers. You’re also writing for search engines, as this is one of the main ways people will find your site. And as a result, search engine optimisation (SEO) is often an important part of writing good website copy.
We won’t go into any depth here, as SEO is a complicated subject. However, the basic idea of SEO involves two things:
- Identifying key words for each page on the site
- Working these naturally into your website copy
These key words are terms that people search for to find your site. If you do not have any yet, do a little research to find the right ones. And when you have some key words, make sure to use them on the relevant pages.
6. Proofread Everything
The internet is a Wild West for writing, with the rules of grammar, spelling and punctuation often ignored. But typos on your website will look unprofessional. And if you don’t care about your website copy, people might think you don’t care about your business either! As such, getting your website copy checked by a professional before it goes online is essential.