5 Copywriting Tips for Websites
Writing the content for your website can be difficult. I get that. You know everything about your business, but how do you present all of the information succinctly? How can you figure out what needs to go where?
Below, you will find some 5 copywriting tips that I use when I am writing websites.
Tip 1- Write for a distracted teenager (or drunk person!)
It’s not particularly PC but when I started out I was told to ‘imagine you are writing for a drunk person’…I think nowadays, distracted teenager is also a good analogy, especially with all the press about shorter attention spans.
However, what do I really mean by this…basically, think about how you are going to make what you write very clear and very easy to follow. Also, don’t be afraid to repeat yourself, both using copy for call to action that are exactly the same, as well as rewording of the same information in a different way in different sections of your website.
Finally, it’s important that your copy tells your website visitor exactly what you want them to do. Be directive.
Tip 2 – Plan your headings carefully
Take a look at the current headings on each webpage. Imagine they are like a detailed contents list. Do they develop naturally? Do they make sense if you are just scanning them? Are important keywords included? Headings are very important when it comes to SEO, so check to ensure they are clear and update those that are vague, more like click-bait, or don’t really relate to their corresponding copy or imagery (i.e. what directly follows).
Headings will catch the eye and they will also be what a visitor bases their decision upon when they arrive at a certain page and skim through it.
Tip 3 – Be consistent
If you are looking to give your website copy a ‘once over’ and a bit of an upgrade or polish, look to ensure there is consistency across the whole site.
Be consistent in terms of tone and written style, across not only your website but all of your social media copy too, and any other content for that matter. This includes level of formality and tone. Are you going to use mostly the active voice or passive? This is how you build a ‘brand voice’.
Also, decide if you are going to write in first person singular (‘I’ and ‘me’) or first person plural (‘we’, ‘us’) or (unlikely these days!), third person. Mixing this drives me mad! It is not an easy decision, if you are a single person but have a company name, you may want to write about what ‘We offer’ or what ‘we do’ but do remember what this will convey. Potential clients may expect a whole team of people. This could also be inconsistent with your About page content which talks all about what you do…on your own…with no team to be seen.
Finally, make sure that there is consistency in that actual content that you have written. There is nothing worse than seeing one price on one page and a different price on another, for the same product or service….the same for dates, opening times and contact details! Also, check longer items of copy, including blogs for consistency too.
Tip 4 – Write in short sentences and short paragraphs
As mentioned in regards to the headings, everyone scans websites before reading anything in detail. Furthermore, reading anything on a mobile device is not as easy as a lovely sheet of A4 or a well-typeset book!
Keep sentences short and concise. This is not the time for lengthy sentences. Keep information to the point. Don’t waffle. Importantly, check how a paragraph of text looks on mobile, as well on a desk top. What looks like just a couple of lines, can easily become a big paragraph! No one wants to get RSI from scrolling through your every webpage!
With this in mind, white space is also important. So not only should paragraphs be kept short with line spaces in between. You should really have a heading every two-three paragraphs max on a most webpages. It’s again why headings are important to include and why you mustn’t try to cover too much on one page. Finally, consider your use of buttons and images too, to make the page diverse.
Tip 5 – Include the obvious
Make it clear. Repeat it. Make it easy to find.
When checking consistency, also check for ‘what is not there!’. This is harder than you think, as you know your business inside and out. It is easy to forget or overlook details which people new to your business see as vital information.
Here is a little checklist that I think should cover most ‘must have’ items for most websites:
- Have you included:
- your location? This can simply be within a sentence, i.e. ‘…based in Hampshire’ but is really important for SEO. If you have a physical shop/property, include a map and a postcode.
- an email address? Contact details are so important and must be EASY to find and repeated.
- a telephone number? There is a certain level of transparency conveyed if you offer a telephone number, especially for those who sell products. If I buy something and there is something wrong with it, I want to know I have lots of options for getting in touch with any concerns.
- your opening hours? This might not be essential for all, but it is a great way for managing expectations, especially if you work part time. If someone knows they are contacting you out of your office hours they are less likely to expect an immediate response. They are essential if you have a physical location customers can visit.
- your logo and branding colours? This isn’t really about writing , but it is essential for branding. Use your logo, use your brand colours and brand fonts too. Be consistent – oh wait that was Tip 3!
- what you actually do? So many people forget this! They expect their business name or perhaps just job title to convey what they do. However, I know ‘Content Consultant’ will not mean a lot to most people. Worse than that it could mean lots of different things to different people. So be clear, in the most common, easy to understand terms exactly what you do and what you offer (ideally on the home page!).
- your name? This may not be appropriate for bigger businesses, but I visit a lot of websites for sole traders, which happily state ‘I do X’, ‘I do Y’ but I can’t find anywhere who ‘I’ is!!!). Whilst thinking about this, make sure you ‘About page’ information is all up to date too.
- your prices? Controversial for some service-based businesses I know, but I believe in giving some indication of price, even if it is ‘from £XX’ if you don’t feel comfortable committing to something. At the very least, remember if you do include price to ensure they are easy to find and consistent.
Don’t let your website copy ‘gather dust’
Creating your website can be costly and time-consuming; sourcing images, choosing a template, working with a design and planning it all. Let alone the technical side of things. Don’t let your business down, after all of this hard work by shoving in any old words…or letting good copy ‘gather dust’ and go out of date!
Plan to tweak and improve regularly!
February’s focus in The Content Club is websites. There’s lots of resources to help ensure your website is a effective business tool.
Want to learn more my website copywriting services or The Content Club, please email: kate@thecontentconsultancy.com.