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Writing Copy for the Web

Written by: Adrian Maguire

Article Overview: There are many web sites that can be described as ‘brochure sites’. Literally the corporate brochure transcribed into web format. So why is this wrong? Simply, because readers approach print and web communication in different ways. If I have your brochure in my hand it is because I want to read it and have allocated time to read it. Whereas on the web I am in information hunter mode; if I don’t find what I want quickly, then in two clicks I am away. The following notes may help you craft original copy to keep the reader interested and motivated to take action.

Writing Copy for the Web

Ten Things You Should Do

1. Less is more. Condense your brochure copy to key points. People are put off by big blocks of text. They need quick confirmation that your web page is relevant to them so they will drill into the web site for more detail.
2. People power. Focus on the users needs and interest, not those of your organisation. If your readers have different profiles, then consider how to customise content for each group.
3. Structure. Page headings, sub-headings and bullet points help the reader find the information they want. Key word content needs to be relevant and consistent. Sentences should be short and punchy. Keep paragraphs to four or less sentences. Use links to pages where more detailed information can be given.
4. Key words and phrases. It pays to research with customers and use tools (such as Google Keywords) to find out what words and phrases users search for. Single word searches are rare so pay special attention to two or three word phrases and build them into page headings, sub-headings and body copy in a natural way. Some experts suggest achieving particular ratios of key words per page. However, it is more important to remember that you writing for people not machines. If you keep on topic and focus on your reader's needs, you will write naturally key word rich copy.
5. Keep it simple. Use language appropriate to the reader's level of knowledge and expectations. Strip out unnecessary text and use a link to another page or pop-up that will give greater explanation that the reader can follow.
6. Lead with the conclusion. People searching the web are usually looking for answers to specific questions. If you lead with the conclusion you confirm to them that they are in the right place. They will then be willing to examine the explanation and justification that follows.
7. Test the copy. Test the copy with as many people as possible. Find out if the copy is easily understandable and if the links between the sections and ideas are logical. Refine and test again.
8. Who goes where? Ensure each web page has some form of tracking analytics such as that provided free by Google. You can then track the reader's journey through your web site. See what page people land on, which pages they go to most. Find out how long they stay on each page. Importantly, know at what point they lose interest and leave.
9. White space. Not always white, but using spacing between page elements helps the reader scan the page more easily. We've all been to those web sites that bury themselves in masses of text all crashed together and totally unreadable. We've been there - but we don't stay long!
10. Show me. High quality relevant images (pictures, illustrations or charts) can provide immediate visual confirmation the reader is in the right place. Well chosen images should be appropriate to the text in addition to making page layouts more attractive. Adding relevant text captions and tags to pictures further reinforces the topic of the page to search engines.

Five Things You Should Not Do

1. Don't be coy, clever or a tease in headlines. Headlines and sub-heads need to be clear and explicit about the content. Clever headlines can be pretty dumb because may not have time to work out what you want to say and just pass on to the next site. In addition search engines don't like them either, because they are looking for key terms that they can index and for some concurrence between the headline and the text that follows.
2. Don't repel your reader. There are still sites out there that use garish colours, small white text on black or dark backgrounds, rotating images, irritating animations and scrolling text. These all make it difficult for the reader to easily understand what the site is about and find the information that they want.
3. Don't believe inflated SEO promises. There are 'SEO experts' out there who promise, for a fee, to push you to the very top of the search rankings. Don't entertain them. The chances are they may be using techniques deemed illegal by the search engines and that this dodgy manipulation will be found out and the site demoted. Better to follow the rules given by the search engines and ensure content is relevant, key word rich and provides the best possible experience for human readers.
4. Don't trawl for information. Part of the role of a web site is to capture reader attention and develop a dialogue. Having a simple response form is fine, but anything more than asking for name, phone, e-mail and the briefest details of what further information they want, will reduce the response rate.
5. Don't stand still. Human and robot readers hate to keep seeing the same thing. Web sites are organic and constantly growing and evolving. Add regular press releases, include case studies, consider a blog, think about adding user guides with how-to-do hints and tips. At a deeper level in the site, consider white papers, research reports and access to the heavy stuff that will give you credibility. This gives your readers a good reason to return and a reward for their interest and loyalty.

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Article Tags: brochure copy, bullet points, google, justification, key word, key words, li li, more detailed information, page headings, paragraphs, ratios, searching the web, sentences, single word, use tools, users search, word content, word phrases, word searches, words per page



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Top 19 Copywriting books - 1. Ogilvy on Advertising. David Ogilvy. Wiley. 2. Positioning: The Battle for your Mind. Al Ries and Jack Trout. Warner. 3. The New Positioning. Jack Trout. McGraw-Hill. 4. Tested Advertising Methods. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 5. How to Make your Advertising Make Money. John Caples. Prentice-Hall. 6. Guerrilla Advertising. Jay Conrad Levinson. Houghton Mifflin. 7. Direct Mail Copy that Sells. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 8. Sales Letters that Sizzle. Herschell Gordon Lewis. NTC Business Books. 9. Herschell Gordon Lewis on the Art of Writing Copy. Herschell Gordon Lewis. Prentice-Hall. 10. Romancing the Brand. David Martin. American Management Association. 11. The Art of Writing Advertising: Conversations with William Bernbach, Leo Burnett, George Gribbin, David Ogilvy, Rosser Reeves. NTC Business Books. 12. Confessions of an Advertising Man. David Ogilvy. NTC Business Books. 13. My Life in Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 14. Scientific Advertising. Claude Hopkins. NTC Business Books. 15. How to Become an Advertising Man. James Webb Young. NTC Business Books. 16. The Lasker Story as He Told It. NTC Business Books. 17. Advertising Concept and Copy. George Felton. Prentice Hall. 18. The Copy WorkShop Workbook. Bruce Bendinger. The Copy Workshop. 19. Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This: A Guide to Creating Great Ads. Luke Sullivan. Wiley. This should keep you busy for at least a year. Enjoy!
Need a book recommendation for writing better - I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing skills, so I was just wondering if anyone could recommend a good copywriting or copyediting book? I was actually thinking of reading "The Copywriter's Handbook : A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing Copy That Sells" by Robert W Bly [u:w3cg00nn]OR[/u:w3cg00nn] "The Copyeditor's Handbook: A Guide for Book Publishing and Corporate Communications" by Amy Einsohn. Would anyone know if these books are any good? Thanks
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