If you want your brand to succeed online, you need to have compelling website copy. Sites have about 7 seconds to create a good first impression. Visitors are creating this impression of your brand and your website as soon as they start reading your content. The first few lines that they see can affect the success of your digital marketing objectives for your Strikingly website.
The best websites have one thing in common: they have web copy created by humans and that speak to a human audience. Good copy speaks to you as a living and breathing person and not just a generic target persona or demographic. With that in mind, here are a few tips on how to write web copy that creates that positive first impression and increases your site conversions.
1. Make your website copy scannable
What is website copy and how is it different from writing essays or blog articles? The difference lies in how people approach these two writing forms. People will most likely take the time to read a blog article, an essay or a book, word for word and from start to finish. A website copy, on the other hand, does not get the same kind of treatment. Visitors scan web copy rather than read it so you want to write your content with this important reading habit in mind.
This means breaking your content down into headers, subheaders and further down into short but punchy statements. Bullet lists are also easier for readers to skim through rather than full-on paragraphs.
2. Think of your reader
As mentioned earlier, the best websites feature web copy that puts their reader at the top of mind. People don’t read content only for the fun of it. There is an underlying concern, issue or problem that they are hoping your content will solve. Give them what they want.
3. Avoid talking too much about yourself
We get it. It’s your website and you should be able to talk about yourself and how great your brand is as much as you want. You should be able to tell everyone about your company’s accomplishments. You can do that but it will not bring you the sales conversions that you’re aiming for. The key to compelling web copy is to - again, going back to tip #2, making sure your reader gets what he wants.
People are rarely interested in a company’s awards if it doesn’t help them solve their problems. They come to your website looking for a potential solution to their concern and they are hoping that your product, service or whatever information you have on site can help them sort things out.
4. Benefit-driven web copy works
Whenever customers go through a website, most of them will have one question in common: “What’s in it for me?” Another tip on how to write web copy is to zero in on how your product or service can rock your target customer’s world. Leading with a benefits-driven web copy dispels any doubt in a person’s mind that your brand is exactly what he or she needs.
5. Write using the customer’s voice
In marketing, we create a target persona - the characteristics of the person most likely to purchase your item or service. Characteristics include education level, language and personality. When you create your web copy, keep these characteristics in mind. You want to write in a language that your target audience will understand and relate to. For instance, a casual and laid back tone may not sit well with academics. Every language has its own nuances you want to take note of. Certain English words in the US take on a different spelling when you take them to the UK. Read more about mastering your tone when writing website copy here.
