Congrats! You elevated your business with a website!
It has a beautiful color palette, necessary visuals, and an easily navigable layout. You paid, perhaps, a bit more than you’d hoped to, but you realized it was worth it. The site looks great and all the content is there for your customers to see.
But wait… do you hear that? Is your website saying something? Anything? Does it have a voice?
The visual aspect is only half of a two-pronged attack when it comes to getting your website to motivate the marketplace. Your site must also inform visitors once they arrive. Even if the thrust of your online presence isn’t sales-driven, you have to ask yourself some important questions:
- Is all the pertinent info available?
- Is the info easy to find?
- Is the info engaging?
- Does the info make sense?
You’re not tapping into your web design’s full potential if it’s lacking quality web copy. From headlines to fine print, your visitors expect certain information when they visit, and the better you present that information, the more likely you are to build a loyal audience. But how do you know what to look for when measuring the integrity of your web copy? Here are a few key ideas based on common web marketing themes.
Know Your Audience
Marketers never get tired of saying this. Probably because it’s the most crucial piece of the copy dynamic. If you don’t know your audience, you’ll have no idea what “conversation” they expect to have when they visit your website or what questions they want answered.
Talk to Your Site Visitors, Not to Google
Ideally, you want copy that is conversational in tone. So…read it out loud. If it sounds like you’re talking to a friend, you’re on the right track. Make it easily digestible by using only language your readers will be familiar with. Furthermore, don’t stress over Google search ratings; instead, create content that your customers actually want to read such as trending topics in your industry (this requires – gasp! – research on your part).
Know When to Shut Up
Reduce unnecessary copy. Effective copy allows visitors to find what they’re looking for, understand what they’ve found, and act on the discovery.
Use Your Head(ings)
Headings and sub-heads help break up content and organize information. They’re also a great place for keywords, as they help clue readers into the main idea of subsequent passages.
As you can see, creating content for a web page is more than just filling up space. Much like the design itself, it involves planning, understanding, and appeal. Know what questions your customers are asking about your products and services beforehand so that you can inform them when they arrive.
