Writing a website copy is undoubtedly a challenging task. It takes a lot of experience and a great deal of effort, practice, and inspiration to address readers in the right manner. Many copywriters perceive messages from a business perspective rather than a customer perspective. As a result, customers fail to see the point and the actual benefit.
Writing a website copy that converts requires establishing a bond with your readers. You need to make deep emotional connections if you wish to leave your readers enthusiastic about taking action. A compelling website copy is a form of art that taps into the psychology of your customers each time you step out of your shoes and consider your audience.
Experts say that it only takes seven seconds to make a first impression. People that come across your website are developing impressions of your company as soon as they land. And what they find there can either help or harm your business. This is why in today’s article, our digital marketing agency Chicago explores how to write website copy that intrigues, delights, inspires, and leads your readers towards conversion as well as improves your website ROI.
The science behind creating a killer website copy
We can not change how people read. We have to work with it. Our eyes don’t move smoothly from left to right but rather jump from one place to the next.
Our eyes create the F-shaped pattern as they jump up and down and from left to right. This is best represented through a heat map.
The red areas are where our eyes spend the most time. This is because we have trained ourselves to scan the page in search of the information we are looking for. This only goes to show that we rapidly, within just a few seconds, make a decision about whether a page is useful to us or not.
In 1997 the Norman Nielsen Group found that only 16% of people read every word on a web page. We can guess that this percentage is even lower today. They also tested the effect of words and writing on online text usability. What they did was they took a long piece of text and made it more concise and scannable, and also added more bullet points. They concluded that the new version of the copy is twice as usable, memorable, credible, and impactful as the original.
Studies like these are certainly something to bear in mind when deciding how to write website copy.
Get to know your customers
Getting familiar with your customers is crucial when writing a website copy, regardless of your offer. You have to know their pain points and position yourself as a problem solver that knows how to deliver the right solution. When you know all the needs and wants of your customers, writing a website copy stops being a guessing game. There are two crucial elements in understanding your customers:
- Buyer personas – Making buyer personas will help you know what your potential customers need, which is extremely important if you want your copy to fit the target market. There are a couple of ways to do this. You can either survey to find a common problem people face or do a fact-check with your audience. You can expect people who face challenges to give you an honest opinion which you can use to tailor your products or services.
- Speaking in customer language – People are more likely to relate to content that speaks on their behalf. Being the voice of your customers will make your website copy resonate better. Although we can’t give you exact guidelines on how to write website copy in a tone and style specific to your target audience, make sure to use one that supports the message you wish to convey and helps your customers recognize themselves.
Benefits are more important than features
Product features are important, no doubt about that. However, based on the line of business you are in, it is often more important to stress the benefits that your product brings to people instead of highlighting the raw specifications. This can prove to be tricky since the product and its features are closely tied more often than not. Your best chance is to change how you advertise and showcase product benefits in solving your website visitors’ problems.
In case a simple textual copy doesn’t manage to explain all the key advantages your product offers, you may consider placing product demos on your web page. Video content is a great way to effectively engage your audience and use compelling narration to convey your message in a meaningful way. Converting long paragraphs of your written copy into bite-sized videos is something that will entertain your website visitors and boost your conversion rates.
Keep it as concise as possible
Most people are reluctant to read a long website copy, especially if the bulky text is complicated to understand. In this day and age, people tend to have a short attention span. So, if they find your website copy overwhelming, they won’t bother to read it. They will bounce instead and search for another source of information. This is why you need to be concise in what you write. Stay away from overly long sentences. They won’t do you much in terms of advertising. Whether generating conversions or increasing traffic, you write your website copy with an objective in mind. So, aim for the bullseye.
Headers are one of the most important elements of your copy. People that land on your web page don’t usually start reading your content from the beginning all the way to the end. Instead, they scan your text in search of the info they need. Breaking up the copy with headers and subheaders will make your content clearer and easier to scan.
Bullet points will also help you optimize the clarity of your copy and grab readers’ attention. These are very prominent in a way that they clearly stand out from the rest of the copy, so it is wise to use them to highlight important details and emphasize the message you want to convey to your audience.
Using short words and sentences also goes a long way in communicating your message. Think of it as a conversation. If someone addresses you and starts using big words and long sentences, they’ll probably lose you halfway through. This is why it is better to keep your sentences short and digestible to avoid misunderstanding and give your readers a chance to move to other points of your text rapidly.
Boost your design
When it comes to marketing, presentation is essential. You can’t expect to deliver an engaging website copy without an engaging design. Your copy will hardly make visitors want to stay longer if your design is hard to look at. On the other hand, compelling web design will help your readers consume your message. This is the main reason why copywriters work together with designers to create visuals that best support the message.
Font choices play a huge part in how people consume a written copy. Small fonts combined with long paragraphs will make your text look cluttered and hard to read, while large fonts may come as unprofessional. Of course, there is more to fonts than just size. Font styles communicate your brand personality, so make sure to choose the one that speaks about you and also improves the user experience.
Adding visuals to your copy is also important. People find it easier to process information presented through images, so pictures can help you communicate your message more clearly. One of the ways to best utilize pictures is to showcase your product on your website copy. This way, your website visitors will immediately know what you are offering without having to guess what your product looks like.
Brainstorm a bold headline
You have to nail a headline if you want your website copy to attract visitors from the get-go. A headline is a vital part of copywriting and how you convince your audience to read the rest of the text. However, we advise you never to use click bates. Your audience won’t appreciate it, and you’ll hardly see any conversions.
Coming up with an alluring headline can sometimes be harder than it seems. Your best chance is to create as many headlines as possible until you get it right, and over time you’ll get the hang of it.
Incorporate a clear call to action
Writing a shorter copy and carefully placing a CTA button will leave your website visitors with a sense of urgency to take action and nudge them towards your sales funnel. Just make sure that your call to action is concise so that people can understand it at first glance. There is no need to create a long and elaborating copy that goes into detail when explaining why people should take the action you want them to take. There is a clear difference between content marketing and native advertising. Therefore, a brief sentence that powerfully encourages visitors to take the following step is all you need.
Be a bit witty
A good website copy should be somewhat witty. There is a reason we didn’t use the word jokey. Jokes can be tricky, since not everyone shares the same sense of humor. However, being witty is more than welcome as it adds nuance and helps to enrich your copy. Cultural references are great for adding that extra layer of charm.
Know your keywords
When deciding how to write website copy, use the phrases you wish to rank for so it would show up in your future customers’ search results. However, as a company that offers keyword research services, the crucial piece of advice we can give you is not to overuse keywords. Your visitors won’t appreciate it if you overcrowd your copy with keywords, and your conversion rates may suffer.
Incorporate internal links
When your prospects enter your website, you want to keep them there as long as possible. Placing internal links to other pages and the content will keep your visitors invested in your website and help search engines crawl your web pages better.
Final thoughts
Writing a killer website copy isn’t easy. As you can see, there is some strategy behind it that takes time to develop. Although we have provided you with tips that will help you improve your copywriting technique, you shouldn’t feel discouraged if it takes hours of trial and error to find the right approach. Each mistake you make is a chance to learn something new. As soon as you get the hang of it and start producing the type of content your audience is looking for, you’ll notice your website become much more productive.
