Do you remember when spell check came into existence? The angels’ trumpets sounded and God opened the Heavens. Ok, that’s a bit dramatic, but still, the non-spelling bee champions of the world could finally be on par with everyone else. But … spell check doesn’t help with web copy if people don’t use it. Ta-dah! I know, it’s common sense, but many companies aren’t checking and their web copy is suffering. You know what that means? Potentially, a loss of business! Impression is everything … especially on the web.
Web copy like traditional copywriting is powerful! Your website may be the first impression for your company and a number of things need to be aligned just right. First, make sure to have a balance between your writing style and your website design. Like mismatched clothes, mismatched web copy and website design, will leave customers confused and unsure about your business. Consistency establishes trust, and customers learn what can be expected from you. Second, depending on your business, you need to determine your web copy objectives. All companies want to lure in and capture visitors on their website, but once granted customer attention, what is it that you want to divulge and how do you want to communicate it? Do you want to entertain? Inform and educate? Persuade? Compare? Once objectives are established, begin to create web copy that matches the tone of the objectives without being too aggressive or too subtle. For example, we want to create eager anticipation not a feeling of being pestered, harassed, or pushed too far. If you’ve studied your customers, web copy can help communicate your ability to listen and respond!
While in some instances (and with some businesses) details are imperative, a good rule of the thumb is to keep text short and simple. So thirdly, don’t use 10 sentences when 5 will do just fine. However, have the option to learn more. It’s better to raise questions on your website that are easily answered (only a click away) than to dump all the answers on the homepage or in one spot. Why? By raising questions, you engage the customer to actively seek answers. By providing quick links to answer questions, you provide excellent customer service and the customer feels good about your company. Furthermore, dumping a lot of text or providing more text than is necessary, encourages disengagement (eyes glaze over), and visitors are more likely to just not read the information. Instead, lead them through your maze (website) and make it delighting, interesting, and informative. Also, in order to keep customers coming back for more, be known to constantly refresh your website content and/or products or services. Keep your website changing, and they’ll keep coming back!
Customers today want to know a little bit about the companies they are purchasing from, and that’s good news for small companies who communicate their unique points and strengths! Here-ye, hear-ye, small companies must differentiate themselves from competitors and larger companies taking over the nation. Through web copy, you have the power to communicate your businesses’ unique points and strengths while also, building a strong community of customers. It’s imperative that small companies build a community element into their web copy! A nurtured community can build a solid, loyal customer base that can be the point of differentiation. However, web copy still needs to remain professional … personal, but professional. A little personality goes a long way. Small businesses can show a lot of personality within their web copy without getting too personal and without the fear of losing professionalism. Go on … find the right voice for your web copy, communicate your unique points, and don’t forget to spell check!
Remember, web copy may be your company’s first impression. What kind of impression do you want to make and once you’ve made that impression, what do you want to communicate to your customers and where do you want to take them? If you would like help finding the right voice for your company, contact us at Ripley Designs, Inc. We specialize in web copy that will meet your needs.
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