identitydesignwebsitedesign
web copywriting
what is it you’re trying to say? really?
Before you start writing copy, you must be clear about what you want to say— and to whom. The really important bit is understanding there’s often a big difference between what’s important to you and what’s relevant to your website visitors.
As advertising guru David Ogilvy once said, ‘if you’ve got something to say, say it; if you’ve got nothing to say, sing it.’ Some websites might as well be advertising jingles for all the useful information they actually contain.
So. Tell me about yourself…
One of the most important factors in writing for the web is establishing your own ‘tone of voice.’ It’s your ‘virtual personality’ if you prefer. The site should read like the copy was all written by one person, not a committee. Consistency’s good, but don't forget it has to be interesting and relevant as well.
If your content is boring, generic or the same tired old crap you skip over on lots of other sites, don’t be surprised if ‘two clicks later’ users find it hard to remember much about you.
Don’t try to be ‘all things to all men’ – chances are you’ll end up saying nothing, or at least nothing memorable. If you’ve got a strongly held opinion, express it. Passionate about something? So tell me.
There are always clients/customers out there who’ll see things the way you do. Speak to them.
Writing for the web ‘Do’s...’
Get to the point as fast as you can. Think of it as writing ‘upside down,’ ie. it often helps to convey benefits and/or conclusions first. Then the supporting facts or info. And last the ‘process’ or background. The other way round and you risk boring them to death – except they’ll be long gone (and so will a serarch engine ‘bot.’)
- Bullet points are good.
- Use headings & sub-headings to quickly convey what the content’s about. (Google assigns greater weight to correctly formatted headings than body copy).
- Web users scan pages very quickly, so break your content up into small chunks.
- A small degree of repetition on key info’s usually okay – it’s unlikely visitors will look at every page.
Writing for the web ‘Don’ts...’
- Avoid meaningless buzzwords. It’s a website, not a press release.
- It’s not a government white paper or a doctoral thesis either. Simple, relatively informal copy often works well.
- Would you talk to your mother in those words if you were explaining what you did? No? Well, don’t do it to me. Plain English will do fine, thanks.
- Don’t prioritise information which is irrelevant to the visitor.
- Unless it’s a travel site, you’re not really on ‘a journey...’ Avoid clichés where possible.
Don’t bore them to death with ‘corporate-speak’
Is a machine writing your copy for you? No? So don’t say this:
The contemporary business environment demands a synergistic approach to accumulating and deploying accurate marketplace information in a holistic manner, defining the foundation required to successfully enhance your fundamental product proposition. Our unique, in-house developed ADC™ (Advanced Dialogue Capability) strategic approach delivers the key data you need in an integrated, custom-engineered solution.
If you mean this:
We’re full of ideas. We’ve got loads of enthusiasm. We’ve got the know-how, we’ve got the technology and we can probably suggest a few things which will make life a bit simpler. We think you’’ll notice a big difference, so let’s talk.
Yes, but why do I care what you do?
I read loads of sites which tell me what the company does. I read their strapline. I read about their processes. Their background. Their philosophy. And I’m none the wiser as to why I’d employ them.
Hint: tell people about the benefits to them of what you can do. Show them you’re more interested in their business than yours.
A lot of sites talk about their products/services in their industry-specific language, written as if the reader was already an expert in their field. If that was the case, the potential client wouldn’t need to hire you would they? (Clients may well have in-house expertise in your area, but such people are rarely those making final purchasing decisions).
Me, myself & I
If it’s just you, that’s fine, revel in the ‘perpendicular pronoun’ – and say ‘I.’
Amazing the number of one-person companies I encounter who feel compelled to use ‘we’ all the time (or write about themselves in the third-person). It often suggests a lack of confidence, and nine times out of 10 makes the copy rather impersonal. (If you sometimes work with third-parties on projects, fine. So do I. But if they’re not on the payroll, you’re not a ‘we’).
If you’re enthusiastic, good at what you do and can speak in sentences, most people can figure it out for themselves. There’s no need to try to sound like you’re a ‘global brand-leader.’
Just be yourself.
Bloody hell. Sounds complicated. Can you help with this stuff?
Er… Yes. Normally when I give you a proposal, the core cost is for the design & build of the site. But since ‘design’ as I define it is worthless if it doesn’t actually communicate, I’ll often make suggestions relating to the content and copy structure.
If you’re not that confident, or the longest sentence you’ve written in adult life is ‘Got here safely, weather fine, see you all soon...’ I can help with the copy-writing or put you in touch with someone else who’ll do it. The only thing you’ll need to write is a larger cheque.
On the other hand, if the simplest sentence you’ve written in the last decade is ‘The contemporary business environment demands a synergistic approach to accumulating and deploying accurate marketplace information in a holistic manner, defining the foundation required to successfully enhance your fundamental product proposition.’ then boy, do I have news for you…
so miles, tell me...
Brief? What brief?
Many of my clients seem to feel that my frequent habit of questioning what they tell me they want, or suggesting a different approach ultimately leads to a better result.
One of the things I’m generally pretty good at is viewing a website from a user’s point of view — whereas to be honest clients often try and build a site for themselves.
In my experience, the two are very rarely the same thing.