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Copywriting for an Online Audience - Writing Copy that Sells

By Geoff Jackson on 22 September 2011 @ 12:30 PM.

Writing for the web is something most website owners may take for granted. Yet all too often readers notice poor grammar, spelling mistakes and simply bad wording that puts them off - potentially never to return.

The important thing to note is that web copy should have impact on an audience. Another is to consider the target audience - writing sloppy text may send the ideal customer somewhere else.

Here are some strong tips to help our readers realise that writing copy should be carefully considered - not simply thrown together in the way you may think is right.

Here is a list of items to think of when writing web copy, which we expand on below.

Research - It's vital to find more about a subject, despite what you know there may be other points of view to add into your piece
Tone of Voice - Are you targeting technical readers, teenagers or the average consumer?
Be Brief - Look for the opportunity to write bullet points instead of writing lengthy sentences
Don't Stray - Stick to the points you want to make
Punctuation - Overdoing it may risk a good piece
Capital Letters - Avoid SHOUTING AT READERS, use capitals where they were intended
Headings & Subheadings - Use them wisely; readers scan web pages for key words that make them read the text placed near to them
Paragraphs - Ensure paragraphs are short and cover only one subject or topic
Proof Read - Every time it is worth leaving a draft to read over it again after a break as mistakes can be spotted more easily

Research Your Subject

By conducting thorough research - it's easy by using search engines, but important to use reputable sources - it is possible to source and supply interesting facts about your subject.

Offering good copy can mean the difference between gaining visitors that want to return to find out more, and losing them forever. Researching a subject ensures that copy is well prepared and factually correct.

Use your research to layout your copy in a logical manner. That is, to not overdo the detail in each sentence and paragraph. Keep each paragraph relevant to just one subject or topic in order to keep the reader informed.

Ideal Tone of Voice

Writing good web copy is very different from any other type of writing. That's because readers on the web don't always want to be 'spoken to' in a formal tone - that's not to say you should write in the way you speak.

It can be beneficial to think about how your target audience speak - telling someone with above average intelligence to "Give us a ring and we'll sort it out for you" doesn't give the right message, although it's nice and brief.

Perhaps keeping it brief, yet considering that statements affect the way readers think.

Try "We invite you to call or email for a solution" or "Please feel free to call our friendly team today" - they read easily and have been written with care and thought.

Sticking to the Point

An interesting and informative point of view is what to achieve when writing for the web.

Because it's proven for people to scan, rather than read an entire article, it's important to put important and brief information in the heading and sub-headings whilst keeping sentences short.

Headings are larger than the paragraph text and should contain key words that attract the eye, with sub-headings in bold or larger font. Titles and headings are also beneficial for those concentrating on Search Engine Optimisation (SEOAn acronym for 'search engine optimisation', the series of processes used to improve your ranking in search engines and drive more web traffic to your website organically.

Learn more about SEO). This works hand in hand with copy writing, and has the opportunity to provide full benefits that can be sought from both human readers and robots - we can cover that at a later stage.

The Finished Article

Simply put, concentrating on copy that appeals to a target market, is well researched and is written with good grammar and spelling can help any article or sales copy stand out from others servicing the same industry or selling the same product.

Well prepared text, interesting information, relaxed tone and good editing are all things that contribute to great copywriting.

In the same breath, good proofreading, well edited and cleverly laid out copy has visual appeal and keeps readers on the page for a longer period.

Taking time to do this before copywriting is published really does alter the chances of it selling a product, business or service that may otherwise go unnoticed.

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About the Author

Geoff is more commonly recognised online by his internet pseudonym 'zigojacko'. He is the Director of Search at Clubnet Search Marketing, founder of The Clubnet Group and has a huge involvement in the music, clubbing and entertainment sector where he also manages operations at Clubnet UK