Abridged with the author’s permission from Site Booster.
It’s amazing to me how many times I’ve read website copy and shook my head because I couldn’t understand what they were talking about. Writing website copy requires a clear and simple purpose.
There are many things that can cause copy to be unclear or just plain confusing. Here are a few of these website copywriting faux pas:
- Using clichés
- Using colloquialisms
- Using lengthy sentences or run-on sentences
- Never getting to the point
- Never asking for the sale
- Using technical jargon
- Using big words
- Disorganized writing
3 Simple Rules for Good Website Copywriting
1. Always keep your reader in mind when writing your copy – you can’t write effective copy unless you know who you’re writing to. Often times, we don’t have research to tell us exactly who it is we are writing to.
In those cases, you need to picture your reader as best you can. If you know of someone who might be like your reader, use them as a model. Ask yourself if they would understand what you’re writing. Would they get excited by what you’re writing? Would they buy or call based on what you’re writing?
And always write “you oriented” copy. You are writing to a person, not a thing. Remember that.
2. Make sure you organize your selling points before you start writing – the key here is to prioritize your points. What is the primary selling point? What are the secondary selling points? What order should they be in?
3. Never use big paragraphs – sounds simple enough doesn’t it? However, too many times I have run across website copy that is just one big wall of words. And like all the other people who arrived at that website, I immediately left and went to the next site listed in the search engine results.
There are all kinds of ways to break up your copy to keep the energy level up and make it look like interesting and easy reading. Using subheads is one. Using bullet points is another. Even varying the length of your sentences can add energy to the writing!
Bob McClain is a web copywriting expert.
