web site design, application development, eCommerce, multimedia, streaming media
Friday 4 July 2008

copywriting tips

Remember the medium

  • You are writing for screen which means that people's attention spans will be shorter and they will be more inclined to scan the page instead of reading it. People using the internet are usually searching for information and if they can't quickly grasp what your page is about they will leave.
  • A good tip is to always summarise your page in the first paragraph, so people can quickly get a flavour for the content.

Keep it brief and to the point

  • As people are information hungry and rarely stay for long on a site, it helps to have your copy organised with headings, summaries and dot points and to put the most important information near the top of the page.
  • Only include information that is absolutely necessary and that adds value to your site.
  • Don't overwhelm users with solid blocks of copy - they won't stay to read it.

Keep it simple

  • Make sure the language is friendly, approachable and relevant to your target audience.
  • Try to avoid acronyms/jargon that users may not understand.

Think in terms of your customer

  • Make sure you are selling the benefits of your company, not just the features.
  • Is it immediately obvious what separates you from your competitors - is your Unique Selling Point highlighted?
  • What message are you trying to convey about your company? What type of reputation are you trying to establish?

Check your competitors

  • Look at the sites of your competitors and take note of what you like and most importantly what could be done better.

Read it. then read it again

  • Make sure you have proof-read all your copy and eliminated simple grammatical and spelling errors.

Think about yourself

  • Your customers will react to your website the same way you react to other companies' sites.
  • You may know every detail about your company and its operations, but it may not be necessary for your customer to. Be objective and only include relevant information that will help achieve your site goals.
  • If you don't stay to read information on other people's sites when there's too much of it, chances are your customers won't either.
  • Read through the site and make sure you find it clear, simple and easy to understand. If you don't, what chance do your customers have?