What is Copywriting for Websites?
What is web copywriting? A website can be beautifully designed and expertly developed – but if the content is weak, it can ruin every other element. Copywriting for websites is the construction of strategic messages for landing pages, service pages, blog posts, and beyond. It provides valuable information to your audience and attempts to solve their problems efficiently and creatively.
With so much pressure on this content, it is no surprise that the number one reason web design projects get held up or fail is due to lack of content. Writing copy that is engaging, informative, and designed to convert is not easy -- which is why many people choose to outsource services. So, what is copywriting for websites? And what steps should your business take to ensure copy converts users? See our website copy best practices below for content writing guidance.
Website Copy Best Practices
- Style Guides
- Client Discovery
- Audience Identification
- Subject Matter Experts
- Brand Work
- Industry Terminology
- Readability
- User Experience
- Efficient Collaboration
Style Guides
When writing copy for websites, consistency is key. In the United States, most journalists and copywriters reference the Associated Press Stylebook (also known as the AP Stylebook). This guide provides clear direction for how to properly spell, capitalize, hyphenate, and beyond. Many writers always keep a copy of the stylebook by their desk for reference, but you can also just lookup rules online. Some businesses even have a list of proprietary brand writing guidelines. These are great for building consistency and voice – but they must be followed by everyone who writes content for your brand.
Client Discovery
The first step to writing about a business is getting to know a business. Through the client discovery process, we uncover the qualities that set their brand apart, and combine those with their messaging goals. What are you best known for? What is most exciting about your businesses? What are misconceptions about your product or service? With good copy, all these questions can be answered and leveraged to set your business apart from competitors.
Audience Identification
Who are you speaking to on this website? Identifying a target audience is one of the most important steps in effective website copywriting. Without a clear idea of who you are talking to, what their needs are, and how you can meet them, you can’t create an effective message. At Blennd, our content writers are always creating copy with a specific target in mind. We find that audience through our client discovery and research. That data greatly impacts our website design and branding strategy. That way, each client has a unique voice and tailored message.
Subject Matter Experts
The best place to get information about a company’s details and value is directly from their experts. Part of the discovery process at Blennd is understanding what we are selling. Whether we gather information from trusted industry sources, or through walkthroughs with the client directly, we make sure copywriters have a strong understanding of the subject matter. That way, the content has the knowledge of an SME, with engaging and understandable language.
Brand Work
Once you create a foundation in style and information, you can move into the fun part of writing copy for websites – brand work. This is where copywriters can get creative by writing from the perspective of a company – highlighting their value and harnessing their unique tone. At Blennd, before we begin writing copy for websites, we try to hone-in on specific brand guidelines. For many clients, we start by building a brand style guide.
With a mapped out brand marketing strategy, companies have an ongoing reference for their brand’s mission, pillars, tone, and beyond. This is crucial for creating consistency in voice and focusing on the right assets throughout a business’ website and marketing. With a solid brand strategy, top Denver SEO experts, and the best website copywriting services, websites can turn into a marketing machine.
Industry Terminology
Proving your authority in an industry means using the right terminology. Part of identifying your audience is also identifying what they know and don’t know about a product or service. When looking at website copy best practices, it is best to know exactly what industry you are working with and use the terms and phrases that they would understand. This shows your authority within a space, provides more robust and relevant SEO opportunities, and builds trust with your target audience.
Readability
Once all the ideas are out there – you can address one of the most important elements of copywriting – readability. When describing products, services, and processes, sentences can get long, repetitive, and confusing. Flowery writing quickly loses people, so the best website copywriting services focus on clarity and conciseness. Headlines act as short, informative introductions to body copy. Body copy brings in more context and leads users to act. Call-to-actions (CTAs) point them to the next step, and results in more information and conversion.
User Experience
The best website copywriting services boost the user experience. From explaining important processes, to presenting next steps with strategic call-to-actions, writing copy for websites needs to lift the UX by telling a story. With storytelling UX, readers are drawn into the website by the design, branding, and content delivery. It should immediately give them a sense of the brand’s personality, the value it can bring to customers, and what they need to do after landing.
Efficient Collaboration
For businesses without dedicated content teams, writing copy for websites is often a group effort. This allows different departments to write about their own services and provide insightful copy. For Blennd clients who write their own content, we provide content templates, with guidelines for word count, character count, best practices, and other directions. Then, the SEO/Content team takes the content provided, and makes edits to create a cohesive and consistent voice. By combining the subject expertise from the client, with the outside perspective, writing knowledge, and UX insight from the Blennd team – you get effective website copy that is designed to educate and convert.
Outsource Writing Copy for Websites
The best website copywriting services can implement website copy best practices for any industry. With consistent content delivery, businesses can increase their website’s value to customers, boost website traffic, and reduce bounce rate with a better, more informative user experience. Ultimately, website copy serves as the voice of your business, and should be a major priority when constructing a new website.
Communicate Effectively with the Best Website Copywriting Services
If your business is looking for the best website copywriting services, the Blennd team can help. By combining website copy best practices with our SEO content writing best practices, and a winning brand strategy, your website copy will improve user experience and convert. Contact the Blennd team today to discuss how our website copywriting services can transform your online presence.
