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Nailing Your Web Copy
Charlotte Booth • 25 January 2023
Four top tips to better copy
Websites are becoming increasingly important for small businesses.
Not only does it act as your shop window, but it is also your business card and a way for clients to find you if they are not on the social platforms that you use.
However, simply having a website isn't enough. It needs to have clear and concise copy which appeals to your ideal client and encourages them to buy from you.
There are many things which make great web copy but here are four tips to get you started.
Audience
Knowing your audience is key. This allows you to speak to them directly with the content you create.
However, some businesses may have more than one client. For example: landlords and tenants if the business is an estate agent.
The biggest mistake is to try to write generic text to suit both on the website. All that will happen is it will appeal to neither.
Instead, have two separate home pages – one for landlords and one for tenants – and address them directly.
Keep it Short
Think about your own website usage. Do you read everything on the page, or do you scan around looking for something in particular? If you do that then you can pretty much guarantee your potential clients do too.
So when writing content for a website keep it short.
The less text you have the better.
If you can bullet it or have short sentences it is easier to scan for relevant information.
This allows visitors to your website to see what you do, and how they can buy from you without reading blocks of text.
Intuitive
We've all been on websites which are impossible to navigate, right? We either persevere because there are no other options, or we jump to a competitor's website.
Don't force your potential clients to leave your site because it is impossible to navigate.
- Make sure the journey is intuitive.
- Make it clear how visitors can contact you.
- Make it clear how they can buy from you.
- Make it clear what they need to do next.
How do I pay?
When writing content for your website make sure it is easy to buy from you.
I recently wanted to buy a service from a website. There were two purchase options: a live event, or a recording. I wanted the recording.
I clicked the 'buy now' button, which led me to PayPal payments for the live event. For the recording, I had to contact the organiser, BACS a payment over, email them again to let them know I had done it, and then they would send me the recording.
Guess what? I didn't purchase. It was too much of a faff.
How many clients have you lost because they don't know how to buy from you?
Make sure if you don't have 'buy now' buttons on your website, it is clear and easy for the client to contact or pay you.
For many products not making it easy for your client to buy probably means they won’t.
A website isn't a one-and-done project. It can constantly be tweaked and updated to make it more appealing to your ideal clients, or more relevant if you change your products, services or client base.
But it's important to make sure these four basic elements are in place.
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