When clients tell me they need written copy and content for their business website, many admit that they have no idea what it's all supposed to look like or include.
All they know is what's there already isn't delivering results.
The more words, the better, they say.
Adding oomph to your website is a smart idea to improve online visibility (think search results) and stand out, but taking your website copy and content from flat and uninspiring to outstanding and impactful is not about reaching a mythical word count, keyword stuffing, or slapping words on an About Us and Services page and hope it drives traffic.
Visitors expect engaging and informational website copy and website content – here's the difference between the two – that guides them through your site, adds value along the way, and convinces them you are worth doing business with long-term.
At Edit This®, we write web copy and content every day. We make realistic recommendations focused on compelling storytelling to help you get found.
While this is not a complete list, here are 6 characteristics of great website copy and content.
1. Unique – Write in a way that's unique to you and your business. Show your company's personality, spend time explaining the benefits more than the products and services, and create an unmistakable brand. Too many fall into the trap of mimicking what their competitor's website looks like or relying on standard copy that can be found anywhere. Do you want to look and sound like everyone else? I didn't think so.
2. Engaging – It's difficult enough to get visitors to stick around your website longer or read your latest blog from start to finish, so do yourself a favor and make sure you aren't boring. Have fun with the written word and build relationships. The more engaging you are with your choice of words, the more powerful that content becomes.
3. Keyword-focused (but not too many) – It's critical that your website copy and content such as your blogs include keywords that customers regularly search for, but overdoing it makes your writing sound stilted, sales heavy, disingenuous, and flat-out difficult to read.
4. Value-added – You are ahead of the curve if you have effective content that gets people's attention and is both informational and solves a problem or pain point. Congrats on your amazing website, but if you're not continually updating it with solutions to what people search for, what's the point?
5. Clear and error-free – Any large or small spelling or grammar error in business writing (brochures, advertisements, your website, blogs, press releases, newsletters, a postcard, etc.) wreak havoc on your company's image. You want to ensure all your website copy and content is error-free, so you are perceived by visitors in the best possible light.
6. Organized – You want to make sure anyone can easily navigate your website and that your copy and content is evenly distributed throughout the site and is in its proper place. Copy that seems out of place or is duplicated from page to page isn't helpful when it comes to the user experience.
Call Edit This in Denton, TX for your website copy and content needs
If you are struggling to come up with the right words for your business website, call a professional content and copywriter at Edit This. We are a writing and editing services company, and we pride ourselves on helping business owners just like yourself who may not have the time to add one more task to the to-do list.
We will bring your website copy and content to life. The best part is we bring to the table more than 20 years of award-winning writing and editing experience, and we are local. That means we can meet with you in person and learn everything about what you do and why you do it. We are the writer and editor every company needs.
Thanks for reading!
*STEVE GAMEL is the President & Owner of Edit This, LLC, a writing and editing services company located in Denton, TX. Steve handles anything involving the written word. Give him a call today to help give your business a clear voice.