A lot of companies come to me looking for a new web site with all of the bells & whistles.  They want Flash, video, lot of pictures, oh and yeah some content.  Sometimes it seems like the copy is almost an afterthought.  Clients will often spend the extra money in their budget on a glitzy Flash banner but skip the copywriter.  “I’ll write it myself” is a phrase I hear all of the time.

The problem is that most of us are not professional writers.  We don’t know how to write good marketing copy that focuses on the needs of our target markets.  Heck, some companies don’t even define who their target market is before they begin to write.  Remember, the copy shouldn’t be about you and what you do.  The copy should be about the customer and how your product or service meets their needs or solves their problems.

Not to mention that it’s hard to find the time to write all of your web pages when you have your own business to run.  This is the number one cause of project delays (ask any web developer and they’ll tell you the same!)  The client is too busy to write the content themselves but is afraid or unwilling to hand over the reins to someone else.

“Nobody knows my business as well as I do so how can someone else write the web site copy?”  This is a question that I am often asked when I suggest using a professional copywriter.  The answer to this question is you’re right and you’re wrong.  Yes, you know you business better than anyone else, but a good copywriter will know the right questions to ask during an interview, learn about your business, research your industry and put it all into words that will sell your product or service.

Higher sales are the end result.  Isn’t that what we all want?  So if you are considering a new web site – why not skip the glitzy banner and put your money into copy that sells.

Writing for the web is different than writing for any other medium.  You need to be short and to the point – you only have about 3 to 4 seconds to capture the reader’s attention.  If you don’t, they’ll hit the back button and be gone.  Your copy needs to focus not only on what you do but also on their needs.  If not, you may lose them.

Below are some tips that I like to give to my clients who want to write their own text.

1. Use your keywords in the copy

You and your website developer need to come up with a list of keyword phrases that are critical to your business and will be used to find your business in the search engines.  These keywords need to appear frequently in your web site copy.  Each web page should focus on a different set of keywords.  You may want to write the copy first so that you can focus on your message and then go back and work the keywords into the copy.

2. Writing should be done simultaneously with the design.

Do not wait until the design is complete to begin your writing.  Set a deadline and stick to it.  Lack of content is the #1 cause of project delays.

3. Think of 2-3 critical points that you want the reader to leave with.

Start with an outline.  Your critical points should be in bold or bulleted. The rest of the copy on the page should revolve around these points.

4. Keep it short and simple.

People tend to scan web pages, often just reading the bold print and bulleted text.  Even the search engines love bold and bulleted text, so don’t hesitate to use it!

• Keep your copy short and to the point.
• Avoid writing long, involved paragraphs.
• Your goal is to write enough details to get the reader to contact you!

5. Focus on the reader.

How will the reader benefit from your product or services?

6. Avoid technical jargon and acronyms.

Your writing should be in layman’s terms unless your web site is intended for an audience of your peers.  What might be common knowledge to you may be confusing to the average person visiting your site.

7. Consistent writing style is important.

If there is more than one person writing the content, the writing may appear to be disjointed due to different writing styles.  Designate one person to be the editor.  This person’s job is to make the writing style appear consistent throughout the web site.

8. Consider using a Professional Editor

Editing is less expensive than writing and you’ll be amazed at the results!  You provide an outline of critical points that you want on your web site and have an editor mold it into clear, concise web copy.  You focus on what you want to say without worrying about the finer details of how to say it.

Following these tips will help you to write quality website content to capture the reader’s attention and to get your pages ranked in the search engines for the keywords you’ve chosen.

If you have any other web site writing tips that you would like to share, please leave a comment below.

Your web site copy needs to be concise and to the point right from the home page.  People don’t have the time to scroll through pages of information about your company history and the lives of its founders.  This may be important to you (and could be put in the About Us section of your website) but you only have 3 seconds to grab the visitor to your home page – and they want to know “what’s in it for me?”  How you are going to help them?

Focus on their needs and they’ll browse around your site a little longer.  Prove that you’ll make their lives (or jobs) easier and they’ll be more likely to contact you or make a purchase.

If you have a large web site then it is also critical that your pages and menus are well organized.  If your home page copy is well written and has enticed the visitor to browse around, you want to make it as easy as possible for them to find the right information that meets their needs. 

So think very carefully about your menus and submenus.  This may sound obvious, but like information should be grouped together.  If you have a page that doesn’t make sense under any of the other menus, then perhaps it should be pulled out as a separate menu item.  Put yourself in your client’s shoes – where would they expect to find this information? 

Planning the menu is an important part of your web site project and should be one of the first steps in your design.  The size of your menu often dictates the location and type of menu your designer can use.  For example, a horizontal menu can only fit so many options across the page – if your menu becomes too large, then you need to either add a drop-down submenu or move the menu to the left-hand column where you have more room.  As you & your designer make this type of decision, always keep the client in mind and choose the option that improves your web site usability. 

Bottom Line:  If you focus on your client’s needs and make it easy for them to find the information they want, you’ll be more likely to close the sale.

Related Reading:  Web Site Writing Tips