How to Write Web Copy — Seven Web Copywriting Tips

How to Write Amazing Web Copy

Simply defined, web copy is text specifically created for use on web pages. Good copy understands and addresses the needs of the website’s audience. What people search for – or keywords – are an indicator of your audience’s needs. Good copy is almost always reader-centric and aims to provide valuable information that would make a visitor to the website want to engage with your business. Amazing web copy goes even further. It draws readers in through powerful storytelling, a confident tone, and reliable information. Use these writing tips for web copywriting that wows readers and stands out from the competition.

Put Your Audience First

A common mistake in many websites is that the business tries to “push” its message to the audience. What “we” do and “our products and services” are common approaches taken by most websites to tell their story.
What works best though is an approach that puts the visitor at the center of the message. “What you need,” “why you need this,” etc., that establish the value proposition for the visitor gets them to engage with websites more.
Keywords are an indicator of what your audience wants. But good web copy goes beyond just including keywords in the content. It’s about trying to anticipate what would appeal to the reader and why they would choose you instead of your competition.
Ask yourself four questions to craft web copy that appeals to your target audience:

1. Who is searching for this information?
2. Why are they searching for it?
3. What do they want to know about it?
4. Why should they choose you for that information?

Writing with these questions in mind helps you weed out irrelevant information and focus on providing clear, concise details that readers value in a way that they would trust.

Transport Your Reader

Use words that instantly conjure pictures in the reader’s mind. Don’t simply tell them about an experience; take them with you. For example, a website for Whitewater Rafting Adventures might talk about the cool shock of water slapping skin or the rush of adrenaline. Don’t be afraid to use a thesaurus or dictionary to find a word with the right flavor.
However, be aware that some words are confusing, outdated or may just be too complex for your audience.

Pay Attention to Structure

Copywriting for websites is equal parts art and science. You can choose words with the nuance and patience of a master artist, but if your copy isn’t readable, your audience will lose interest. Well-written copy should be skimmable. Divide larger paragraphs into easy-to-read chunks of text, and use headers and sub headers to summarize content.

Set the Right Tone

The tone you use should be positive and professional. Readers subconsciously shy away from a copy that lacks either quality. Consider these two pitches:
Buy our new e-book to avoid being outclassed by the competition.
Outshine your competition using secrets from our new e-book.
The first statement focuses on selling and uses negative imagery and passive language. The second is written in active voice and uses a positive tone to highlight benefits without being pushy. The primary purpose of communicating with potential customers is to build a relationship worthy of brand loyalty.
Another approach here is to empower the reader. No one likes things forced on to them. They like to feel empowered to make a choice based on the value they would receive from making that choice. So, provide them with the value that would make them choose you.

Be Honest

We live in an age where information is literally at our fingertips. Back up your claims with reputable sources. Using a few well-placed links to reliable sources will build credibility with both readers and search engines.
Use integrity in your writing, too. Check out the competition, but don’t plagiarize. You may lure in customers with the promise of 7 Hidden Secrets of Top Entrepreneurs. However, if those same “secrets” are available all over the web, your readers will quickly lose interest.
When the subject makes it difficult to avoid repetition, put your spin on it. Think of an unusual approach, and use your own words and thoughts to discuss the topic.
If you can, use testimonials and reviews to reinforce the credibility. Accreditations, certifications, awards and recognition can go a long way in building trust.

Proofread and Edit

Go back and read it out loud. You can catch misused or repeated words, run-on sentences, and awkward phrasing. If your tongue trips over a particular sentence, your reader could get hung up there too.
Website copywriting can be as fun and creative as you choose to make it. Use storytelling and structure to represent your business in a professional, informative, and ethical manner. You will build a relationship with potential clients, and that is what keeps people coming back for more.

Analyze

The project isn’t finished once the final word appears on the page. Analyze the behavior of visitors to your site. Which pages engage them the most? Which pages do they leave the site from the most? Are there patterns in why some pages resonate more with the audience than others? Studying visitor behavior and testing different approaches will help you refine the content to reach and engage a larger audience.

Work with Professionals

Web copywriting is both an art and a science. So-called “SEO Copywriters” tend to keyword-stuff the content and make the content reader-unfriendly trying to influence rankings in search engines. On the other hand, copy written by high-quality writers without web copywriting experience can often miss out on relevant keywords. Striking the right balance is important. There are tools that can help, but tools don’t replace human skill and experience. The cost of working with seasoned professionals in web copywriting can often be well worth it.