With the greatest respect to designers, people don’t just look at Web sites because the pictures are pretty, it’s because they want to find something. Whether you want to provide information, a product or a service, words are still the best way we have of telling people what we do. So here are a few hints to organising those words so that they are read and understood.
1 – Write a strong headline that solves a problem
I see so many web pages that use “Welcome to my Website” as the headline. Polite, but lame. Your headline is a unique opportunity to stand out and grab your reader’s attention
2 – Talk to your audience
You do know what your target audience is don’t you? Talk to them and address their concerns.
3 – Be clear
Unless you’re talking to a specific audiences that understands your jargon, cut it out. Don’t bore them with too many details.
Suggest things to them and get them to ask you questions rather than giving them all the answers.
4 – Be brief, organised and relevant
Write short sentences organised under short headings and stay ON-BRAND. Talk about your products or services; features and benefits, features and benefits, features and benefits (and what did I say about features and benefits? did you get that?)
5 – It’s all about them, not you
People want to know what you can do for them; they don’t want a mission statement.
6 – Usability is the word
High-quality copy and relevant keywords will bring users to you. Work with a designer rather than separately and remember that users tend to scan Web copy rather than read it. They’re in a hurry.
7 – Write proper, plain English
That might sound obvious, but how many sites do you see (or direct mail for that matter) with sloppy spelling and even worse grammar? Spell checkers, whilst not infallible, are a minimum requirement. Failure to do this will make you look amateur. Then have someone else – not involved in your business – read it. Prepare to be offended.
8 – Calls to action
People won’t buy from your site unless you tell them to.
Post Footer automatically generated by Add Post Footer Plugin for wordpress.
