Five Fantastic Findings – Website Copy

Jul 30

Article by Matt Sheppard, Digital Manager

Here we share with you our five fantastic findings from extensive research and experience about how to improve your website copy, increase your conversions and ultimately your bottom line.

When you come to Speed and ask for a beautiful website delivered to your browser you know that it will be delivered, promptly and to your requirements. However, as many web experts will very quickly inform you: “Content is King”.

In short, no matter how beautifully designed and engineered your website is, it is the content that your users are seeking. What is the aim of your website? What do you intend your users to do? Learn more about your brand? Maybe learn more about a specific product line you offer? Perhaps to buy something, or to sign up for a newsletter?

Users need a clear sense of direction, and they will struggle to find this amongst a long winded page of text, no matter how eloquently written it may be. The key points to remember are that web copy is not the same as printed copy, less is more. You are not trying to only entertain your audience; you are trying to get them to do something.

Quick Guidelines for Web Copy

Here are our five fantastic findings about writing effective web copy:

  1. Less is more: be succinct and to the point, if it doesn’t add value to the page, don’t add it to the page
  2. Web content should be top heavy. Summarise the content of the page in the first paragraph
  3. Be clear; if you want your users to sign up to a newsletter or learn more about your company, tell them (in as few words as coherently possible)
  4. Don’t repeat yourself, if you’ve said something on one page there’s no need or reason to say it again on another (unless it is for repetitious marketing purposes). Don’t try and force key word / phrases into every single sentence for SEO purposes it will read poorly and content should be user focused not SEO focused.
  5. Give the user simplified, basic information first – then more in depth information if they seek it  (ie through a “read more” link)

Questions, queries, suggestions or feedback? Leave a comment below and I’ll get back to you as quickly as I can

 

 

7 Responses

  1. Joyce says:
    September 19, 2012 at 3:42 pm

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  5. Oliver Gear says:
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  7. Don Bowe says:
    November 23, 2012 at 2:11 pm

    Way cool! Some very valid points! I appreciate you writingthis article and also the rest of the siteis also very good.

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