Top 5 DIY Tips for Writing Engaging Website Copy (Written Content)
So… you decided to DIY and write your own copy for your website! That’s great if you love to write!
However, copywriting for a website is more than just pouring out your passion and heart’s desires in long form. There are actually a few tips and tricks to it.
This blog post will be covering 5 important aspects of copywriting for your website and how to write effectively.
If you’re working with a Web Designer, I’ve included an extra tip at the end for the most convenient way (in my opinion) of sharing your final copy with them.
Pssst... thinking about creating a website but not sure where to start?
CONTENT
Keep paragraphs short - how to cut out the fluff
Start with keywords and headings as your outline
Write with intention & purpose - for your ICA
The 4 Steps for writing an engaging sales page
Let your unique voice help you stand out
1. Keep paragraphs short - how to cut out the fluff
Do you read every word of every website you stumble across? Or do you skim read? These days, people don’t really read websites in-depth anymore, they don’t have time to with the other 10+ tabs they’ve got open on their browser!
Large chunky paragraphs look overwhelming to your readers and most people tend to skip them or quickly skim read. Therefore, try to keep your writing short and to the point in order to get your full message across.
A full paragraph now and again is fine, but whenever possible, keep things concise to one or two sentences. You can also make use of line breaks, headings & bulleted lists to make it easier (and faster) to read.
Your first draft will look something like a long mess of texts with the same point made across multiple paragraphs. Time to start trimming down!
Start by reading everything out loud. This will help you:
find sections where you blabbed on a little too much
focus in on the message you want to portray
pick out areas where you might have sounded a little too pitchy…
It’s always hard to find that right balance between a compelling sales page and one that feels too sales-y. Just remember, your goal is to persuade and this is driven by internal pressure (rather than sales manipulation, which is driven by external pressure).
Photo by Christin Hume
2. Start with keywords and headings as your outline
When you finally sit down to write, you’ll probably have so many ideas swirling in your head that it’s a little overwhelming! Trust me, we’ve all been there!
I find it’s much easier to start by jotting down ideas and notes. Include all your keywords, potential headings and navigation titles too. This will help form the structure and also help you narrow down on what’s most important.
With a growing trend towards minimising the top navigation menu, I would suggest you have just 5 options in your navigation (eg. About/Contact/Service/Portfolio/Blog. etc.). The more options you give, the less your visitor is likely to do what you want them to.
How do you choose what makes it to the top? You’ll have to think about what your goal is with your website. Do you want the viewer to book your services? Buy your products? Read your blog? Subscribe to your newsletter?
These ‘call to action’ pages are the most important and should make it to your main navigation heading. Definitely put a lot of love into these sections!
Tip: if you have more sections, which you’d like to share on your page, you can always put them in the footer! Things like: delivery and shipping information, pricing variants, extra resources, etc.
Photo by Laura Mancke
3. Write with intention & purpose - for your ICA
First of all, if you have no idea what ICA stands for, then you might want to quickly read this first - What is an ICA and why is it important for your Business?
Spoiler: ICA stands for your Ideal Client Avatar. Before you do any copywriting, you should know your ICA like she’s your best friend - coz she will be soon!
Niching down on your ICA is an essential part of your branding. Coz if you try to appeal to everyone (with no particular target ICA in mind), then you’re not really speaking out to anyone.
The more specific your ICA is, the more effective your copy will be - and the easier it will be to write! It can be so stressful trying to please everyone!
First, start by creating an avatar for your ideal client. Good news, I’ve done the hard work for you and come up with all the questions you need to narrow down on your ICA niche!
Narrow down on your ICA by asking questions like:
what kind of clients do YOU want to work with?
what style/case studies do YOU want to portray in your portfolio?
where do these people hang out? Online? Co-working spaces?
… and only speak to these people, who fit your ideal client criteria.
4. The 4 Steps for writing an engaging sales page
When writing your sales page, the most important thing is to be clear about what services they can hire you for, or what products they can buy from you. Then tell them exactly what steps to take next with your ‘call to action’.
Let’s break it down into 4 easy steps:
Start with the why behind the why. Discover the deeper reason behind why someone would want to hire you.
Then, you want them to agree with you. Write with empathy, let your potential client know that you understand their situation - and get their heads bobbin up and down!
Next, visualise yourself speaking to your ideal client, as if you two were having an intimate personal conversation. This will help set your unique tone.
Finally, lay out clear expectations for your clients. Let them know why you’re the one and how you can help them solve their problems.
Photo by Content Pixie
5. Let your unique voice help you stand out
n this digital day and age, it can be hard to ‘stand out’ in the vast ocean of internet content. It can even be hard to hear your own voice, especially when your subconscious is heavily influenced by the content you consume.
If you read a lot of blogs and content online, it can be easy to fall into the trap of ‘speaking like them’. Let yourself be inspired by them but weave in your own unique tune. People can definitely pick up on false authenticity.
Think deeply about who you are and what you stand for. Copywriting is so much easier when you think of words and phrases that you actually use in your every day life.
Bonus: How to share your final copy with your web designer?
In my opinion, Google Drive is one of the most convenient ways to submit your final copy. If you need to make any quick edits, you can easily edit straight in the Google Doc instead of sending your web designer multiple emails.
There we have it! Hope that was useful and let me know if you have any more questions! Comment down below or slide in my personal DMs here @arohavisuals.