Why Have Good Copywriting? Writing Effective Website Copy

Every good website needs good copywriting, the two things go hand in hand. That’s really the answer to why have good copywriting: any content posted on your business’s website, social media pages or other channels should be written by a professional.

No one knows the ins and outs of regenerative farming techniques better than an experienced organic farmer, right? And while the farmer has all the knowledge in how to practise sustainable farming, they might not know how to convey that information in the most engaging way possible.

What does a copywriter actually do?

The copywriter’s job is to absorb the key information a client wants conveyed, and deliver it to their target audience in a way that ensures the reader understands the relevant information, isn’t overwhelmed by irrelevant information, enjoys reading the content, and remembers where it came from.

This “information” a client wants conveyed could be that their electrician services are the best in Melbourne. It could be that right now is the ideal time of year to sell a coastal property in Western Australia. Whatever the message is, the objective is the same, sell a product or service, and subtly promote this specific brand as the leading provider of it.

Good copywriting means more website traffic

Marketing software developer HubSpot found that a third of companies say their biggest marketing challenge is generating leads and traffic to their website. This is another reason why have good copywriting matters so much, it can bump your website up the search engine rankings, thus increasing website traffic and leads. It also establishes your brand as a reliable authority in whichever industry you fall under.

Consider that content marketing costs significantly less than outbound marketing, while generating several times as many leads. Content can revolutionise your business when written and marketed properly.

Why website content deserves more attention than it gets

95% of information on the internet is written information. Visuals are an integral part of a website, in that they initially capture a potential customer rather than repel them, but digging into the nitty-gritty of services, products and what sort of company you actually are is where the real sales are made. That’s the entire point of a website, it has to make money, not only to justify the cost of the thing, but as a tool to generate customers in a semi-passive way, like a 24/7 salesperson. Lost in translation, however, is an effective way to communicate the intended purpose, which is exactly why have good copywriting on your side matters.

Figure out your purpose.

As a business owner, ask yourself the hardest question of all: why do I need a website? A website’s purpose will largely be to generate qualified sales leads, and often represents a hefty investment you want to make the most of.

Show, don’t tell.

It’s not only about being visual in your approach, but using your content to paint a picture as well as any graphic ever could. Most people fail at this, but not for lack of trying. The problem, especially with sole traders, is that they tend to write their website’s content all by themselves. A CMS makes it easy to do that, but it doesn’t magically bolster the quality of the copy, which is again why have good copywriting from someone who does this professionally.

A few common pitfalls: not investing the right amount of time in writing compared to running the rest of the business, defaulting to simply stating what a product or service is (boring, and won’t generate leads), not understanding that web readers approach content differently than they would a newspaper or billboard, overstating styling in place of well-written content, and getting grammar, spelling and punctuation wrong.

It’s all about storytelling

As human beings, storytelling has been a way of communicating effectively for tens of thousands of years. A story can take many forms, from long-winded epics to a single sentence. When you talk to friends, explain things to your children, or watch a film, it’s all in stories, and website copy works the same way.

Think about how a plumber’s website often reads: “Gary’s Plumbing service and maintain plumbing systems for commercial and residential buildings.” A visitor thinks, “I already knew he was a plumber from the business name, nothing here is new.” They click to the next page hoping for something useful, only to find the same regurgitated sentence followed by a wall of text about how long the business has been running. You wouldn’t talk like that to a friend or family member, and you wouldn’t let a salesperson say that sort of thing either.

The solution: get inside your ideal customer’s head. When someone lands on your site, what are they looking for? What do they need to see to get what they want? Understand the type of person that is, and write to their interests or problems, not just a description of what you do. Instead of “a manufacturer of professional-looking and fun clothes for your children,” write to a mother’s real concern, something like “kids’ clothes that survive the school holidays.” Keep your copy interesting enough to carry the reader from headline to lede, from lede to content, from content to enquiry.

A few simple steps to writing better content

• Write for the story. Intrigue the reader, create problems, then propose solutions, keeping them engaged with a narrative flow rather than a hard sell.
• Don’t drown the reader in steps. Keep a clear structure so content leads naturally from one idea to the next, rather than confusing visitors with pages that link back and forth to other pages.
• Use your headline to effect. Don’t cram everything into the homepage. Tantalise a potential customer with a snippet led by your headline, and bring them deeper into your website.
• Structure your content logically. Avoid one big wall of text with no paragraphs, headings or subheadings. Writing needs rhythm.

Practical tips for writing scan-friendly, effective copy

Most people using the web only scan content rather than read it at length, and reading on-screen is also more tiring on the eyes than reading on paper, so it’s worth writing with that in mind from the start. This, too, is why have good copywriting as a foundation makes such a difference to how your content actually performs.

Make your copy scan-friendly.

Include headings, subheadings, and bulleted lists to help readers scan. Keep paragraphs short, one idea per paragraph.

Adopt an inverted pyramid style.

Give the most important information first, with supporting details in subsequent paragraphs. Readers who find your content interesting will read the whole thing, but the majority who only scan won’t miss your main point either.

A few rules of content-writing etiquette:

• Narrow your target audience to key specifics, and tailor your content exactly to them
• Keep headings and subheadings clear, simple and easy to understand
• Only use words like “number one” or “one and only” if you can back them up with facts
• Focus on benefits, not technical aspects, of your products or services, tell readers how your product or service solves their problems
• Avoid vague headlines written for the sake of cleverness, use simple, easy-to-understand language while maintaining a professional standard
• Create a connection with readers by using a “you” tone
• Maintain consistency in language style, tone, content flow and formatting across all pages, this builds trust

Optimise for keywords naturally.

Use well-researched keywords in a way that flows naturally with the content, without sounding forced. Pay attention to what your readers actually want, and the search engine visibility tends to follow.

Double-check your copy.

Let a first draft sit before revisiting it, this brings a fresh perspective and results in a stronger final piece. Check for grammatical errors and unsupported claims. Poor, inexpert copy can genuinely damage your brand’s credibility.

In conclusion

Of course, all of this takes real work and time to implement well, and it takes some getting used to. Hopefully this makes clear why have good copywriting is worth the investment, and why professional copywriters exist in the first place, though there’s nothing stopping you from putting some of these improvements into practice right now. Ask yourself: would I buy from myself, based on this copy? Digital Developments can add real value to your website with attractive, action-inspiring copy, written by experienced writers who understand web-user behaviour. Contact us at 0425 804 026 for more details.