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So You Want to Write a Website.  Where Do You Begin? 

By Susan Greene

So you’ve decided you want to write a website.  Now what?  How do you make the leap from an idea in your head to an impressive online marketing presentation, one that will attract visitors to your website and convert them into customers?

Fortunately, it’s not quite as overwhelming as it seems.  First, realize that when it comes to purchasing products or services on the web, most people really don’t care what company they buy from.  They simply are seeking a solution to a problem.  If you can persuade them through your website copy that your product meets their needs, then they’ll buy from you.
With that in mind, you want to write web copy that:

At its most basic level, good website copywriting provides the facts.  It has the exact information that your customers seek and ultimately compels them to take action.

You can’t just toss random content on your site like a basketful of clean laundry that needs to be sorted.  Readers won’t sift through the mess.  The clutter, like the mound of disorganized clothes, becomes an overwhelming deterrent.  At best it is pushed aside to be dealt with later or, more likely, in the case of a website, it is ignored completely as the visitor clicks off to search for another more concise website.

To be effective in your web copy, you need to carefully organize the information, employing words and categories that make sense to the reader.  Use topic sentences and limit each paragraph to one main idea.  Provide the right amount of information, enough to satisfy the readers’ questions, but not so much that they’ll be overwhelmed. 

Clarity is key.  So is the tone.  Website copy should be conversational, written as if the author were actually speaking one-on-one to the visitor.  Use simple sentences.  Informal, down-to-earth language and a friendly manner will connect with your reader.  Let your personality shine through.  Even humor has a role in work-related websites.  Copy that reads like a college term paper, impersonal and pretentious, is boring, and it’s a challenge to comprehend.  
 
You’ll learn that visitors are impatient.  They want pages to open instantly. They want results. They want to find the information they seek or do what they came to do as quickly as possible. 

The most essential features and text should be placed in the easiest-to-find locations.  Unnecessary clicks, extra steps, requests for personal information, and other actions need to be eliminated.  Tasks should be streamlined.

Scanning is the norm.  Visitors want to glean the essence of your pages often with a mere glance.  Strip away all the filler content to create a clean, lean website that focuses on exactly what your customers care about.  Graphics and photographs are appealing, but only if they complement the text.  Be useful.  Be functional.  Be concise.

Applying some basic design guidelines can help your copy look as good as it sounds.  The use of simple tactics such as incorporating white space to let your copy breathe, adding subheads to make your copy scannable, sprinkling bullets to catch the eye, and selecting the right color and font, will make your pages more readable.

The quality of a site's content influences your credibility.  A well-designed website with authentic information creates a favorable impression and a positive image.  When tastefully done, it enhances trust in the company.
Ultimately, the objective is to create a website that is truly customer-centric.  It must speak the customer’s language, not the company’s.  With compelling web content, you’ll make more sales and build a stronger brand.

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Copyright © Susan Greene