SERVICES: Web Design: Content Development
Writing website content is not like writing a book. Your customers rarely curl up by the fire with a good website and a cup of coffee. They want information that is concise, relevant, easy to find and well written. If a subject is complex and wordy, give your customers an overview, plus the option to dig deeper. Here are a few authoring tips.
Keep it short
Visitors come to your website for a purpose and are typically very goal-oriented. Your copy should be designed for the impatient reader. Here are some guidelines:
- Headings: 8 words or less
- Sentences: 15 - 20 words
- Paragraphs: 40 - 70 words
Scanners
Visitors to your website will not read each and every word. Rather, they will scan at high speed looking for the key words they find important. They’ll scan headings first, links second, and then the body text in the middle of the page. Because of this pattern, headings and links are the most important pieces of content. Headings must concisely describe what follows, and links must contain enough words to let users know where they are going.
Write for how people search
If you want your site to be found when people search the web, use the words and phrases your customers are looking for. Before you begin, write down these keywords and then carefully weave them into your copy.
Sell benefits, not features
If you want your website to sell your product or service successfully, write about benefits more than about features. A feature’s only relevance is that it solves a need. Your customers don’t care that their new cell phone has an “omni-directional amplified antenna.” They care that they will “never again drop an important phone call.”
Edit. Edit. Edit.
Have two or three people proofread your text. Check it for consistency in grammar, punctuation, capitalization, abbreviations, etc. Mercilessly prune out unneeded words.
We can help
If you are uncomfortable or inexperienced writing for the web, you may wish to utilize our copy services. This is an item we will discuss during our discovery meeting.
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