Content is everywhere, from the text on landing pages to promotional emails to brochures and more. But, if the purpose of content is to drive sales and traffic, then it is known as copy in the marketing lexicon.
In today’s increasingly digital world, the emphasis is on driving traffic to websites via effective web copywriting. As an increasing number of businesses make their digital presence known, the demand for website copywriting services has increased correspondingly. Whether you are a content provider or client, these 20 web copywriting tips will help you boost conversion rates and contribute to improving your website content writing skills as well.
Conversion Boosting Web Copywriting Tips
Know Thy Audience
Before even writing a single word, you need to know who you are writing for. It seems like a fairly obvious point, but it’s missed out on by copywriters and marketers alike. Getting to know the defining traits of your target audience requires research. But once you know those traits, it is easier to tailor your web copywriting to present them with what they need.
Being Human
It is a strange phenomenon that we observe in web copywriting that there seems to be a competition to see who has the most flowery language. It often leads to articles filled with an over-abundance of jargon, excessive buzzwords, and marketing language. The goal for your web copywriting is to create content that is easy to understand, to the point, and conversational, like the way communication works.
Weave a Story
The story of Scheherazade and the tales of 1001 Arabian nights tell us the importance and need for weaving stories that are engaging. Any web copywriting that you do, you are weaving a narrative that hooks the readers, informs them, and leads them to a call to action. If that is not the result, then re-weave your story and examine your web copywriting.
Know Your Competition
It seems like an obvious thing, but it is important to know what others are doing in parallel to you or in competition. It is similar to know thy audience because that tells us what the demand is for. On the other hand, knowing your competitors will tell you how they are doing their web copywriting. Inspiration can be found in all manners of places.
The Headline Matters
The headline or the title is what people see when they arrive at a page. A compelling headline means they’ll stay to read through the body. A title that sparks interest is especially important for landing page copywriting so that it may fulfill its purpose. Be specific, and have a hook in it without falling into the trap of click baits.
Shorter is Better
Web copywriting favors shorter paragraphs. Being confronted with a long, unbroken wall of text with no spacing is extremely off-putting to a reader. Shorter paragraphs are easier to follow and more easily understandable. So remember, shorter is better when it comes to paragraphs in web copywriting.
Use The Numbers
When we say use the numbers, we mean you should utilize quantifiable facts and things in your web copywriting. Using numbers makes things quantifiable, and that gives it a more clearer value proposition. Users are likely to go through a web page that provides a quantifiable element.
Use The Emotional Connection
Always be on the lookout to use the emotional connection in your web copywriting. Craft a story that evokes an emotional response or create a headline that uses numbers to elicit it. The point is an emotional hook has the reader staying longer, and it reflects on the analytics.
It’s Not About You
Sometimes, it can be difficult to keep in mind that what you are writing about is not for you but the audience. Therefore, the tone, the image, everything about your content should reflect what would resonate with the audience. Your personal preferences and styles are secondary.
Don’t Forget About Visuals
Web copywriting for long-form articles or posts should utilize visual elements as required. They tend to add vibrancy to the content and present the page in a more engaging manner. Sometimes just one visual element is enough, sometimes more. In the end, it is a judgment call. The point is to remind you not to forget visual elements in search of wordsmithing glory.
The Master Design
Remember, web copywriting is for a website, web page, or blog and will have certain design constraints. Therefore, tailor your content to fit the master design of the site that it will be posted upon. By doing so, the overall aesthetic will be pleasing, and the reader will have an easier time following your content.
Use The Social Currency
We are social animals, and we tend to gravitate towards things that are recommended to us. So, if the web copywriting that you are doing for a brand has earned this social currency of review and recommendations. Do not forget to use it on landing pages that you generate content for.
Benefits in Focus Not Just Features
It is quite tempting to list every single feature that is available to entice the reader. And yes, features are important, but the benefits those features bring to the reader are more important. It is all about the approach to your web copywriting. The key to good product description writing is to frame the features by focusing on the benefits.
The Power of CTAs
When doing web copywriting, all the right steps will mean nothing if you can not lead the user to where they need to be. Don’t forget to include a clear call to action to lead the user to the next step or complete a sale.
Curiosity is Powerful
Curiosity is a powerful thing, and one of the worst things you can do in web copywriting is revealing it all at once. Additionally, depending on the brand message, dialing back to reveal things in increments would be best to prolong engagement. In other circumstances, the curiosity comes from keeping the reader hooked to the possibilities of what they are reading.
Edit, Edit, and Then Edit Some More
Justice Louis Brandies said, “ There is no great writing, only great rewriting.” Editing is essential for a copy to be crisp, technically sound with the right tone and message. Editing is a multi-layered process, copy editing followed by content editing then proofreading, and what you have is an example of excellent web copywriting.
Details in The SEO
The saying goes that the devil is in the details. But when it comes to web copywriting, the details is in the SEO. How discoverable is your website, blog post, or page depends greatly on the strength of your seo writing. SEO trends are constantly changing, but a little research and knowing your audience will greatly simplify the SEO details necessary for effective web copywriting.
The Right Post at The Right Time
Timing is key to getting the maximum benefit from your efforts in web copywriting. The best product or post can fail to garner enough attention if the timing is not right. For example, creating a post about a specific game before its tournament is more likely to garner attention than any other game at that specific time.
Quality is a Habit
Your web copywriting should be consistent with quality for excellence is not an act but a habit when done repeatedly. The goal is to be known for it’s upon hits and not end being like the one-hit-wonder Macarena.
Perfection is a Moving Target
Perfection is a moving target, and the reality is that there is no full-proof formula for website copywriting. Yes, there are tips and tricks to improve your copywriting, and they do help greatly. And you can spend a considerable amount of time trying to perfect every single statement and rewrite it to ad infinitum. But what matters at the end of the day is the story your website analytics tell. Additionally, web copywriting is not a one-time exercise. One needs to evolve with the changing dynamics of the digital realm.