Copywriting for your Web site can make or break the relationship with your Web site Users. We know through research that visitors will have either already bookmarked a competitors site, or will aim to view your Web site then Google key words to find other sites to compare.

However, assuming your design inspires trust in what you have to offer, a little care and attention over your copy will lock your audience in and drive them into a conversion.

Here are our Top 10 tips to improve conversions through more effective Web site copy:

1) Understand the difference
Copywriting for the Web is entirely different than copywriting for print. Web site Users scan text and flick between different areas of the page rather than reading a page from start to finish. When Users fail to find the information they want, they jump straight off to search another Web site.

2) Develop a User Profile
Before you start copywriting, develop a detailed User profile to confirm the motivators and buying triggers that affect your target audience.

This includes a confirmation of issues that concern your audience, a confirmation of how your audience will benefit doing business with you (not a list of features) and a summary of how they use Web sites to find what they want.

3) Use the correct tone of voice
Remember you are engaging your audience in conversation so write your copy in the same way as if you were communicating verbally on a one-to-one basis.

Try to avoid industry speak and acronyms because your audience won't relate to this. In addition, avoid using technical phraseology to a non-technical audience, and only use product or technical specifications in areas where it is relevant.

4) Use the correct tone of voice
Reading online is up to 25% slower than reading offline so break your copy up into meaningful sections. Try to use about half the word count than you would for print, and if it is really essential to deliver a lot of copy, cut it down for the Web page and provide a full version as a printable PDF.

5) Help Users scan the text
Accept that your Users will not read all your text. They will skim it to find the relevant points in the fastest time. Aid the process by highlighting key areas of text and try not to bury important information in long complicated paragraphs

6) Get to the point
Users won't give you the time to build up to a conclusion, so grab their attention by starting with the key points and working backwards. If you use this strategy in conjunction with clear navigation, then a typical User can click through your Web site and quickly take in the key message from each page ’Äì this is a very powerful engagement technique.

7) Make it consistent
Keep common words consistent such as either; Web site, Website or web site. Create a company style guide so different Web editors can all write in a consistent tone of voice. There is nothing more unprofessional than well-written copy that has obviously had an edition made by a completely different author.

8) Manage your SEO correctly
Include key phrases in page titles, near the top of copy, and in image ALT tags to boost search engine relevance, but avoid overuse of key phrases at all costs.

Keyword spamming or keyword stuffing is not enough to effect search engine listings alone (Google uses over 100 different factors to value a Web page for key phrase relevance) and this tactic is proven to alienate Users and increase Web page bounce rates

9) Add clear calls to action
Decide in advance what you want your Web site Users to do when reading your text - buy, view, comment, register, navigate to another page etc. Make it easy for your Users to do what you want and give them the incentive through well-written, highly relevant copy.

10) Review your copy frequently
Research shows that Users will require 3 or 4 separate interactions with your Web site before they make a decision to buy. Often these interactions happen over time, so keeping your Web site content fresh without loosing focus will help maintain your Users interest on each visit.

We hope you have found this Insight of value. If you would like to discuss online copywriting as part of a wider Audit & Strategy, please feel free to contact us.