website copywriting

You should always consider search engine optimisation (SEO) issues when drafting your website copy. My recommendation is that you write in a ‘natural style’ for your target audience, while keeping an eye on the keywords and phrases you use. It can be a delicate balance. Though the two goals are […]

Writing in the active voice as opposed to the passive voice makes your writing more concise and readable. Your message will be more to the point. Writing in the active voice also uses less words than writing in the passive voice. The active voice focuses on the subject or the […]

Imagine a shopping cart without an ‘add to cart’ option? It would be ridiculous wouldn’t it? Then why do so many websites not even ask for enquiries! A call to action is simply asking someone to do something, such as: fill in an enquiry form complete a questionnaire purchase a […]

It’s easy to get stuck in a ‘word rut’ where you keep using the same words over and over again. It helps your writing considerably if you vary your copy with an interesting mix of powerful phrases. Unless you are a natural word smith then you will need some help. […]

When writing for the web you can afford to be less formal with your language. After all, you are not drafting an annual report or asking for money from your bank manager. So avoid referring to your business in the ‘third person’. Third Person: “Since 1995 Acme Publishing have published […]

What’s in it for me, is the question that everyone is silently asking themselves as they go through the decision making process. You need to answer it. Will you help them save time? Or save money? Or both? Will this improve them as a person? Will it benefit their business? […]

Your unique selling position (or proposition) is what sets you apart from your competition. So what is your USP? It could be the personalised service you offer, the speed of your delivery, or the depth of your knowledge about a specialist area. Once you have identified your unique selling position […]

Before you can sell to someone they have to be motivated to buy. So you need to know what motivates someone to buy your type of product or service. Motivation is stimulated by desire for needs, or for wants. This is pretty simplified, but I believe it is a fair […]

Make your headlines work for you. They should grab attention while also imparting important information. If your site lacks good headlines people won’t take the time to read the body of your text. Headlines need to pull people into your website copy, engaging them and making them want to read […]

Website copy writing adapts traditional writing guidelines to solve some of the problems all web marketers face. Typical challenges faced by website owners include: The back button! One click and your visitor can be gone never to return. People skim read web pages, so information has to be ‘digestible’. People […]