KatyWeb Short Guide to Good Website Copy
Writing for the web is easier if you always keep in mind what your customer or visitor is looking for. Yes, your site is supposed to promote your business or interest. But your visitor will want to find useful information or features, and quickly.
You also need to balance your human readers' needs with your need to please search engines. The trick is to find a balance between sufficient keyword density and readable copy.
Here are some pointers that should help you plan and write better copy for your web pages:
Keep It Short!
Concise and punchy sentences work well. Keep paragraphs short but readable. Research shows that website visitors do not read every word - they scan text for the keywords they are looking for.Use Headings Well
If you can build in a heading or sub-heading every few paragraphs this will help break up the page and make scanning content easier. Make sure your headings are worded to include relevant keywords if possible - search engines like headings too.Use White Space
You don't need to cram every page full of content. Spacing out your content results in a clearer design that is easier to read. If you have lots of content on one topic, think how you can break it up into a series of pages. This can look a lot less daunting.Use Images Sparingly
A picture can paint a thousand words but is normally less accessible and won't help you as much as text when it comes to search engines. Remember too download times need to be fast so optimise your images.Remember Your Target Market - Use Plain Language
If you are in a professional or technical operation that sells to or deals with the public, remember that your target visitors may not understand or use the same terminology as you. Don't fill your website with jargon and acronyms unless you can find an easy way of explaining everything.Link Text is Special
As with headings, any words you use to describe a link are seen as special by humans and search engines. Link text should describe what the visitor will find on the other side of the link. Never create a link with the text "click here"- as this is not accessible and it will not help your search engine Optimisation. Search engines take account of link text when assessing what a page is all about.Synopses are Special Too!
Placing a synopsis paragraph at the top of your page will give your readers a good idea of the content without them having to read it all. Plus, it gives you the chance to say the same thing twice, but in a different way. So, this is good for search engine optimisation too.Tell Your Visitors What You Want Them To Do
Make it easy for people to buy, sell, register or whatever by telling them to "Contact us now!". Well drafted calls to action can help usability and productivity of your website.Check Your Spelling
Last but certainly not least - bad spelling and grammar can undo all the investment of time and money you put in to your website. Your designer should check this for you but if you are building your own site, double check everything. A simple mistake could convey a totally wrong impression of your business.
Katyweb's copywriting service is available from £99 per page, based on typical word count of 200 - 400 words per page. Discounts are available for mulitple page orders. You will be required to provide basic information about page content and complete our CopyWriting questionnaire.
If you would like any information about any of our copywriting, web design, or search engine optimisation services, please contact us or complete our online request form.
