BloggernityHow to Write Copy for a Website
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Writing copy for a website is different than writing copy for the printed page. But it’s not rocket science. Anyone can do it if they follow a few simple rules. And while we’re not throwing out the rule book, we do need to bend it a bit.
For instance, you must keep in mind two things when writing copy for a website page or blog post. People are in a hurry on the web. They’re impatient. You need to make your copy easy to scan and easy to read with short sentences, bullet points, and paragraphs of no more than four sentences.
You also need to keep in mind that it is much harder to read on a computer screen than it is on paper. Ergo, people simply won’t do it unless you make it easy to scan through the page and find what they’re looking for. In other words, if you insist on writing on a website or blog the same way you do on paper, you’re wasting your time because no one will read it.
I just helped the owner of the All Things Wawaiian Store revamp a lot of the text on the store pages to increase readability. We also put a lot of links in the text to reference information so it comes accross to Google as an information resource rather than just sales copy. And we used the primary keyword phrase in the headline and as the opening words in the first sentence. That is a major help with search engine optimization.
You also want to keep your words short and simple. That really applies to all writing unless you’re working on an academic or scientific paper. Remember, a great writer always thinks about the reader’s needs first. An arrogant or egotistical writer thinks only about themselves.
If you insist on doing it “your way,” your writing is an exercise in futility because on one will read it. And I’m a firm believer that arrogance and stupidity are their own reward. God knows, that’s a lesson I’ve had to learn enough times.
Originally posted 2009-05-23 10:19:09. Republished by Blog Post Promoter
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3 Comments
May 21st, 2010 at 8:36 pm
My two biggest “must dos” when writing website copy — SHORT paragraphs with white space between each paragraph and large-enough font size that people can read the text easily.
Third “must do” is a “must don’t” — don’t use large words when you can use small words. There’s no place for showing off in effective website copy.
Website copy has one purpose — to be read! Do everything you can to make that happen.
May 21st, 2010 at 10:11 pm
Absolutely right! The quickest way to scare people off is to hit them with a wall of words. Short, sweet, to the point, and simple language.
December 9th, 2010 at 1:27 am
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