Like all medium advertising, the web has its own quirks, guidelines and rules of thumb to follow when it comes to writing good website copy.
Guideline #1 – Page length
Users hate reading paragraph upon paragraph of text on a single website. Equally users hate navigating to page that has a single sentence (i.e click here to download PDF), as this is neither informative nor does it make the user feel that navigating to this page was worthwhile. A good rule of thumb is to ensure there is 3 – 4 paragraphs per page, with good associated imagery.
If you have more then 3 – 4 paragraphs consider splitting this into a number of easily navigatable pages (like our archive here) or have a PDF download that they can then save or print out.
Guideline #2 – Home page content
On your home page do not waste space with self indulgent “about us” messaging (i.e. our History, who started the company etc). Get straight to the point by highlighting your product or service and the benefits this product or service provides to the user who is visiting your website.
Guideline #3 – Be informative
The web is different from traditional advertising in that users have actively decided to come to your site to get information. So if you’re selling a product make sure you have all the relevant information about this product, i.e. Name, Sizing Details, Description, Photos (with captions). Also make sure that you provide associated resources such as How to Guides, Servicing Guidelines on utilising your product.
If you are a service based business consider putting some free advice on your website that helps the user make decisions. This will also demonstrate your expertise in your field. You may also wish to have a “subscribe to our newsletter” feature where users who are already impressed with the advice you are giving may opt into a regular newsletter.
Guideline #4 – Structure
Make sure the way your copy is broken up makes logical sense.
Ideally your copy should guide people throughout your site from home page copy through to products and then a call to action (such as purchasing or getting in contact).
Also don’t just dump testimonials and case studies into isolated sections. Try to provide links to this content where relevant, i.e. link a particular product with relevant product reviews, case studies and testimonials.
Guideline #5 – Demonstrate your site is kept up to date
To get users to return to your site – you need to quickly identify to them the site is kept fresh and relevant. The easiest way to do this is to have a news column / section on your home page. This also allows you to highlight new product lines, events or resources to your customers and clients.
