Good web copy writing has its own requirements. Take it from someone who has a lot of respect for the art of writing – all genres included.

Good Web Copy Writing

After finally reaching the point where I’d actually received a few compliments on my prose, I realized that I would have to relearn much of what I thought I knew in order to meet the requirements of good web writing. After many unanswered applications (for web writing jobs) later and a class in search engine marketing, I finally felt that I was beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel re the distinctive demands of this venue we call the internet.

Get to the point

Web readers read differently than book readers. This is not to suggest that the content should be watered down and superficial. It simply means that your web copy should move the reader along with a minimum of confusion. E-commerce users in particular are on your site to buy or to get ready to buy, so be prepared to”de-confuse” them by creating content that is clear and unambiguous.

Did you know that web users are much more likely to scan the text than to actually read it in traditional linear fashion (the way they would read a printed page)? Moreover, they are much more likely to “bounce” or abandon your page and your site than they would with a printed version. To prevent this from happening, keep in mind what any good writer would regardless of venue.

Granularity…or this isn’t your father’s prose

First of all, don’t forget that a short word is often as good as a long one, Also keep in mind that a no-nonsense presentation of facts and features about your product will work better than flowery and overdone prose. For those who want to explore your product or service in detail you can provide a link to an in-depth treatment of your subject matter. In addition, avoid great big paragraphs. Instead, use “bite sized” chunks of information, as an authority on web writing so wisely put it. Bulleted entries that consist of short and engaging statements are essential to web writing.

It’s time for a note of caution here re style and vocabulary. Although“short and sweet” is often the way to go in web copy writing, there are some exceptional cases in which good old fashioned prose may also be appropriate. Good examples of this are often found in academic sites or informational ones that appeal to a specific profession. Unless your viewer has already been “signed, sealed, and delivered” and shown (an example of this is someone who signs up for emailed delivery of a scholarly pdf)  that he or she very much wants to explore any given  topic to his or her heart’s content, long and complex prose may be suitable for the printed word but often not for the web

Relevance, relevance and more relevance

Make your site into a clearinghouse / mega emporium. If you are there to sell your products, promote your services and/or to gain new customers for future sales, then your focus must be just that…commerce! Describe your products and services in a matter of fact way. Be sure to emphasize your unique selling points and how they are relevant to your prospects’/site visitors’ needs and search terms. Remember that nothing says I value your business like “free.” Free content works well on the web. Do you want to turn your site into an effective means of acquiring new customers for your business? Then give them some free information! For this you will want a blog; something that will keep them coming back to your web site for more information and compelling content. Many of your visitors will be happy to sign up for your “opt-in” list in order to avail themselves of any future articles of interest you might post to your site. By doing so you gain a number of well qualified leads for your next email campaign as well as repeat visitors who may eventually become paying customers.

This core group of loyal readers who are interested in the topics you discuss on your site can help to turn your site into an authority site to which other sites will want to link. This counts for a lot when it comes to boosting your search rankings.

Good web copy writing…to sum up

This new world of the internet is changing everything as we speak, and one of those things is the written language. Compared to readers of good old-fashioned print, many web readers are virtually ‘ADD” and will leave your site unless immediately given a good reason to stay. You can help to ensure that they won’t abandon your post by providing  clear and easy-to-read prose, free content that is relevant to their needs and a healthy respect for their time!