Writing web content can be a tricky task. The idea is to write copy for what your customers want, not what you want. Try these tips.
What do customer want?
Customers want answers. They want facts, features, benefits, prices. They hate marketese and useless fluff. If you take away one idea today, let it be: Focus content on your customer!
Questions to ask
Before writing, ask three questions:
- Who is our target customer?
- What do they want to know?
- How will se get them that information?
No company news on homepages
Avoid putting company news on homepages, especially press releases. Customers do not care about your news that you hired a new CFO. Besides, who has the time to prepare fresh press releases?
Assume nothing
You know your business, but customers don’t. Write as if they’ve never heard of you. Avoid industry-insider jargon, and be clear.
Web is for action
The web is an action-oriented medium. People want to get things done. Keep that in mind when designing your navigation.
Don’t’ steal content
Surfing great sites for ideas is a long web tradition. Just don’t steal content—that’s copyright infringement.
Facts, not fluff
Ever read a company mission statement? A horrible experience, isn’t it? Customers want useful information. So get a clue and leave out the marketing garbage.
Make it scannable
Online, people don’t read, they scan:
- Break up long paragraphs
- Use bullets and numbered lists
- One topic per paragraph
Headlines and subheads—Yes!
Aid scanning with lots of headlines and subheads. Be clear and obvious; not clever, funny, or ironic. Research shows 6-8 words best conveys your point.
Links that work
How about links? Use keywords to telegraph what’s on the next page. 7-12 words gives customers enough to make good choices. Make sure the next page delivers on the promise.
Graphics
Graphics can add visual interest to the sea of words on most web pages. Good graphics offer new information that’s related to the text; they do not merely repeat the text.
Use a call to action today!
Too many web pages leave customers hanging without a next step. So include a call to action on every page. Download a whitepaper, order a service, get product support as examples.
Delete!
Ruthlessly delete unnecessary content.
Spell check
Spell checking is like wearing a seatbelt: you’re a numbskull if you don’t.
Contact information
Many webmasters say contact and support information is highly valued by customers. Include it on each page.
Test!
Going live without usability testing is begging to fail. Build testing into your development process and budget. You won’t regret it.