m a r k e t i n g
is your website speaking out loud ?
chunks that are easily digestible for readers who are glancing through your page . Divide these chunks up with clear subheads that tell the reader what the next paragraph is about . Readers can then quickly decide whether your site is right for them without even having to read any of the ‘ fine print ’.
Stephanie Dale
Managing Partner DMC Advertising Group
When preparing the copy for your website you need to be aware of what you want your site to achieve , the audience you are communicating with , the type of information they require and the limitations of web platforms .
When writing for the web , writers should always keep one analogy in mind ; the internet is a jungle and web users are information foragers within it . Usability expert , Jakob Nielsen , championed this comparison based on his studies that found that the majority of internet users only scan websites in their quest to find useful information as quick as possible .
According to Nielsen , the success of website writing depends primarily on conciseness , scan-ability and objectivity . But these aren ’ t the only guidelines to follow to make your writing successful on the web .
Clear and Concise
Because the majority of internet users scan websites for the information they are looking for , good website writing must be clear and concise . A general rule of thumb is that the word count for websites should be half that of traditional writing . You want visitors to be able to locate the gist of each paragraph as quickly as possible . Flowery language and complex sentences have no place on the web .
Divide into Chunks
Good web copywriting isn ’ t only about the number of words on a site . Organisation is just as important . Break your text into
Bulleted lists are a great way to provide the most important information in a quick and easily understandable format .
It is also important to understand how your website looks in different browsers and with different screen sizes so that you know what visitors see when they come to your site . Know how much of your homepage is seen before having to scroll down , and make sure that the most important and eye-catching information is placed at the top of the page before the scroll .
How to Draw Readers In
Often , website homepages are organised so that users can click on several options that will take them to another page of the site . Whether or not users click on a particular item usually depends on the attentiongetting ability of three things ; headlines , quality text and accompanying photos or multimedia .
Magazines and newspapers rely on their headlines to attract newsstand buyers , and website copywriters should think of their headlines in a similar way . Headlines and quality text on the homepage are the only chance a writer has to ‘ sell ’ that story to a visitor , so they should be simple , clear and attractive to readers . Headlines should emphasise verbs that connote action , something that will inform or entertain readers . But they also must reflect what the article is about .
Who , What , Where , When , Why
Once users have clicked on an article , website writers should follow the inverted pyramid style of newspaper writing . This style means that the most important information in the article is presented first , then expanded upon throughout the rest of the article . In other words , the ‘ who ’,
‘ what ’, ‘ when ’, ‘ where ’, and ‘ why ’ need to be answered first . The ‘ how ’ will make up the rest of the article . Another reason to use the inverted pyramid style is because the majority of readers will not click to the second page of an article . Place the most important information to readers before the page break .
Style
Style will make your website stand out while drawing readers in . For most websites , an informal yet lively voice is the best , helping you achieve simplicity and easy readability . Internet readers prefer sites that are written in a conversational and informal style .
Make sure you write in an active rather than passive voice . Active voice will also force you to be concise .
Make content easy to read
In the online world , less is nearly always more . Write your copy for the impatient , online reader . Here are some guidelines for the length of your content :
14 Australian Window Association