Why Great Copywriting is Important in Web Design

This is a guest blog post by www.mayswebdesign.co.uk

With the updates to Google’s search algorithms, the quality of website content has – thankfully – taken centre stage. While visuals are essential to attracting new visitors, when we talk about content we largely refer to the written word. Though business owners need to take ownership of their website text, agencies that can provide initial copywriting services or support to produce great copy are one step ahead of their competitors.

Here are our tips on delivering engaging written content and why they matter:

Quality AND Quantity

You’ll know that Google now values longer, more informative content that is added to or updated regularly. There’s no doubt that this is a big challenge for small businesses that don’t have time to create new articles all the time. Writing good quality text does take some effort but there are a number of techniques that can be shared with clients to support their content creation activities:

• Know what the end will be before you make a start
• Build a content ideas and editorial calendar
• Cut down time by using article templates (eg, ’7 Ways To’ or bullet point lists)
• Find a few reliable sources of information where statistics can be retrieved to generate ideas and add credibility.

Tell a Story

People are bombarded by a myriad of content marketing every day. So how can your clients’ messages rise above the froth and attract attention?

In fact, the trick is not so much in persuading someone to click on a website but for them to stay and to remember the brand afterwards. That comes down to storytelling, which might sound a little old fashioned but is still one of the best ways to trigger an emotional response and increase loyalty. Clients don’t need to have the skills of a novelist but they do need to understand their target audience and how they should feel after visiting their website. From there, it’s a case of figuring out how to create these feelings and bind visitors to the company.

No Jokes Required

We all love witty copy and it’s great if you can pull it off – but that doesn’t mean that more straight forward content isn’t valuable. A clear, no-nonsense headline that explains exactly what the page is all about is much better than a pun or in-joke that doesn’t mean much to customers. Remember: the overall purpose of website content is to provide clarity and information that visitors will find useful, not to deliver text that looks more like a stand-up comedian’s script.

Stick to a Few Core Messages

When you do the right research, there are almost endless ideas for website content and articles. However, branching in to too many of them risks going ‘off topic’ and losing potential conversions. And shouldn’t good copy be completely focused on influencing customer behaviour?

All of the client’s content should be derived from two or three main messages or ideas so that their brand can be easily identified. These could come from the company’s stated values or from their strategic goals. For example, one of our principles is around clarity of pricing, which is why we incorporate so much information about our packages and quotes within our web pages and blog posts. It’s important that clients trust us when it comes to cost management so one of our core messages is that small businesses will know exactly what they are getting for their money.