Can Any Old Writer Create Web Content?

You need content for your website. Should you just call your usual writer, the one who has written your brochures or ads for the past few years? Unfortunately, the answer is NO.

Choose an Expert

As in any professional, for best results, hire a specialist. Website copywriting is a unique skill, and while many website copywriters were once some other type of writer pre-Internet, they’ve since spent a great deal of time honing their craft for this new medium. Experience is the great qualifier.

Content for your website needs to be clear, concise and conversational. It must meet the agenda of two audiences: 1) your prospect whom you want to persuade to buy, and 2) search engines that you want to drive traffic to your site.

Check out the Writer’s Portfolio

The best way to choose between website copywriters is to look at their work. Visit actual websites that they’ve written. Remember to go beyond the graphic design of these sites. It’s the writing content that’s important for your purposes. Look for these elements:

• Friendly, intimate, conversational tone
• Short sentences, short paragraphs
• Scannability, so readers can quickly get the gist without reading every word
• Believability, a presentation of the facts without hype
• Benefits-oriented copy that spells out for the visitor exactly what he or she will gain from buying here
• Inverted pyramid style. That is, the most significant points should be mentioned at the top, moving into less important information toward the bottom of each page
• Simplicity is good. Rather than sounding like a term paper for English class, copy should be engaging and easily understood
• No large words or more jargon than is absolutely necessary
• The word “you” outnumbers the words “we” or “I” by at least 3 to 1
• Spelling is perfect
• Grammar rules can be stretched (after all, this isn’t your Freshman English class). Just make sure the meaning is clear
• A style that makes you trust the people behind the site
• Copy that coordinates with the website design and navigation

Good Copy Converts

There’s one other important element worthy of consideration when choosing a copywriter to write content for your website: marketing expertise. What are you hoping to have visitors do after reading the pages of your website? Do you want them to subscribe to your newsletter, contact you for more information or make a purchase?

Good website copy will gently push your visitors toward your objective. Your website copy can’t be only informative and interesting; it must also convert, which is the industry term for persuading visitors to take action. If visitors read your website and then click away, you’ve lost them. And most likely they won’t be back. Consider that sale gone.

A website copywriter who also has a solid understanding of online marketing can be an invaluable resource in getting your site to produce results. And in the end, that’s what is truly most important.