Power up your website’s language with these three website copywriting tips!
I find that many of us when we first decide we want to put together a website for our business, initially get excited about the aesthetics: our logo, our fancy new photos, and what fonts and colors we want to use to portray our brand. But then … after all that, there comes a point when it hits us and we think to ourselves with dread: “Wait, I have to come up with text for every page? Yikes.”
But fear not! It’s not as scary or daunting as you might think – if you’ve got some juicy pearls of wisdom to get you started. Before you put pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, consider the following three tips. These should get you pointed in the right direction and on your way to the captivating copy you want your website to have.
1) For each page, ask “What do I want the visitor to know, understand, or do after viewing this page?”
Each and every page of your website should have a specific goal and purpose. By asking the above question – What do I want the visitor to know, understand, or do after viewing this page? – you make sure you’re writing your page content with intention. Is the goal for your visitor to feel like they’re getting to know you? Or to view you as an expert in your field? Or to realize you can solve their problem? Or to reach out for a consultation? Whatever your page’s end goal, start with that and work backward from there. This way your pages will do what you want them to do instead of having largely accidental effects.
2) Make your content skim-able.
People don’t read the Internet – they skim. When people ask me if they have too much text on a page, most of the time my answer is “not necessarily, you may just need to make it more skimmable.” And how does one do that? By breaking up text into headings, smaller headings, short paragraphs, and featured or “call out” pieces of text. Take a quick look at my Services page as an example. Could I have written about my stats, proven process, text, and FAQ all in essay format? Sure, but most likely none of it would ever get read. Break your content into different sections with contrasting background colors and space between and your visitors will skim, digest, and better understand the heart of your message.
3) Write the way you speak.
When you speak to a prospective client on a call, you don’t speak stiffly with lots of literary terms – you just speak like you. And when you do the same thing on your website, your copy will come across as engaging, conversational, and genuine. Here’s a quick tip: if you’re experiencing writer’s block while trying to come up with page content, write yourself a list of interview questions related to that page’s topic and then record yourself answering those questions. You may be surprised at what you come up with!
What struggles are you running into with your website copy? Let us know in the comments below!
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