Writing for the Web

By Kirrily Ciscato - Copywriter

Writing for the web is much different from writing a brochure or a speech. Internet surfers often have short attention spans, so it is important to capture and hold their attention with great text and graphics.

Following is a few tried and tested writing tips. Stick to these and you’ll be on your way to writing web copy that is clear, concise and grabs attention.

1. Keep it short, simple and to the point

About 79 per cent of Internet readers scan a website. They look for particular words and sentences to get an overall feel. Rarely do they read a site word-for-word.
To make sure your customers do not miss important information, stick to the following guidelines:

• Write your web copy then halve it! Never write more than 25-50 per cent of the amount of text you would use in a printed brochure.
• Use hyperlinks, text boxes and bullet points to refer to extra information.
• Emphasise important information by using bold or italic text...but don’t overdo it.
• Present one idea per paragraph only and limit sentence length to 25 words or less.
• Use meaningful headlines and subheadings.
• Avoid catchy, clever headlines and instead use one that summarises important points
• Use an active voice. Replace weak verbs or phrases with strong, active ones. For example "the services we provide are..." can easily be replaced with "we provide..."

2. Check spelling and grammar

Enhance your professionalism by ensuring your web copy is well written and grammatically accurate. Don’t damage your business reputation with spelling mistakes, grammatical errors and inconsistencies.

3. Write From the Customer’s Perspective

Remember that customers don’t necessarily think in terms of business units and business goals - and they may not understand industry jargon. Take the time to get to know your audience and use language they understand.

4. Make Sure Copy is Benefit-Oriented

Rather than focusing on the attributes of your product or service, take the time to explain how that product or service will be useful to the customer. People read your site because they have a particular need. If you can offer them a solution, you are halfway to making a sale.

Using a professional copywriter for your website content generates a sense of professionalism and credibility for your business.

Kirrily Ciscato is a professional writer who works closely with clients at Taipan Internet Services, providing quality writing for their websites. Click on the following links to see examples of websites written by Kirrily.

1. Sublime Design
2. Instyle
3. Stage Struck
For more information on copywriting, contact us today.