Professional Tips on Copywriting for Web Sites

Copywriting for web sites requires a unique skill set that many entrepreneurs, and even offline copywriters, simply don't have. This article will outline some of the key concepts you ought to keep in mind when writing copy for a website, whether it's your own, that of your employer, or work for a client.

Break It Up

One of the most common mistakes when it comes to web writing is making the writing too dense. I'm not talking about difficulty of language here (although I'll cover that in a second), but more about the actual layout of the words on the page.

When it comes to online writing, paragraphs ought to be short. Why? Because reading big solid paragraphs on a computer screen is a strain on the eyes. People aren't going to carry on reading copy that hurts their eyes, no matter how clever and compelling it may be.

So one of the most basic principles of writing for the web is to keep your paragraphs short. In some instances, it will even make sense to break the copy up into single-sentence paragraphs. This can be good for building intrigue and suspense, but it's a technique that shouldn't be overused.

Keep It Simple

Web readers tend to have short attention spans. If your sentence structure or word choice is too complex or forces people to think too hard, they'll switch off. You're not writing an academic essay - you're writing copy which needs to convey a persuasive message as quickly and simply as possible.

Cut out any big words and try to keep sentence structure simple. Don't get fancy with semicolons and long, boring sentences. It's a sure way to lose the reader's interest.

Know The Reader's Emotions

Understanding the motivations of your target audience is absolutely key to your success when writing web copy. If you're even slightly off the mark, with the wrong tone or angle, readers will immediately switch off (in other words, click the Back button).

It's essential that you, or your writer, have a good understanding of what the target audience wants to know. The writer should demonstrate a clear understanding of the problems and challenges facing the target audience that is being addressed by the copy.

This allows for a much more personal level of communication, which in turns leads to greater trust and likability. This all snowballs into more brand credibility, and of course more sales.

Write How You Talk

This is a point which ties in closely with the idea of keeping it simple. If your copy doesn't sound natural when you read it out loud, it won't sound natural when visitors to your website read it in their heads.

This is a problem, because not only does it mean your copy may be confusing, on a subtle level that unnaturalness will set off alarm bells in the reader's head that imply you and your business are not trustworthy.

Think about when you get accosted by a pushy salesman or telemarketer. The way they talk is the opposite of genuine - you can tell they're just reading from a script, they care only about the sale, and they have absolutely no real interest in understanding your personal needs.

Good copywriting for web sites needs to build trust and rapport with the reader - these are the things that will encourage people to make the mental leap to type their credit card details into a website they may never have seen before. If you want to sell online, you absolutely have to be trustworthy. Having conversational copy is a big part of that.

Professional Copywriting for Web Sites

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