Know the Basic Ingredients Before You Write Business Copy

The Basics of Good Web Copy

Like any recipe for delicious food, the right basic ingredients for a website create palatable content. When you write for your website, how do you know you are writing to connect with customers? You can study search engine optimization (SEO) and employ advertising to get people to your website. SEO works over time to bring people to your site organically, and advertising gets them to your site when you pay. 

Either way, what happens when people reach your website connects with your bottom line. Once they arrive, your website must address their concerns. Every page, including your About page, should address how your business serves their need.

The emotional response to your content triggers interest and a desire to buy. Even though most people think they are making a rational decision to purchase, the decision is founded on emotions. That means the features of your product or service don’t hold a candle to the emotional benefits. 

The Headline, More Than Just a Title

Start your emotional approach with the headline. Add an emotional hook. A title like 5 Reasons to Inspect Your Mobile Home isn’t enough. Add the hook, 5 Reasons to Inspect Your Mobile Home to Stay Safe During Winter adds the emotional tug of safety. So, combine an interest statement with an emotional pull.

Keep your headline short and clear. You are letting the reader know what to expect in the content. 

Correct Grammar

Your copy presents an image of your business. Good grammar and correct spelling show you care about every detail of your business. If you are lazy with grammar, you’ll raise questions about your product or service. Check your copy before you publish. Tools like ProWritingAid will help you check for grammar, spelling, and readability before you upload to your website.

Write Conversationally

Write as if you were speaking to the reader in person. And, make sure that you address that one person. The “you” in your copy is about him or her. 

Employ your reader’s language and vocabulary. This is especially important for technical services and tools and apps. Focus on your customer’s needs in their language and clearly explain the benefits of using your product or service. 

You may be facile in industry language, but your customer may not be. Your customer wants a problem solved. Be the ibuprofen to their headache. 

One Focus for Each Page

Focus each page on one topic. Keep it clear and simple while you present your topic. Help your clients and customers understand and then ask them to take action. Refrain from trying to tell your reader everything about your business. When you lose focus, your reader loses focus. 

If you want to mention other aspects of your business, create internal links to another page. This allows the reader, at their discretion, to discover more. But, on the page, you are creating keep the focus tight on one topic. 

Make Clear Points 

Break up your text into chunks of information. Shorter paragraphs set off by headings guide your reader through the page. Each short paragraph is a digestible bit of information. According to neuroscience, small chunks are easier to remember helping your reader retain more of what you say. 

In the current age of instant reward, people will gloss over long paragraphs. But if the same information is broken into chunks, they may read and retain each of your points. Keep each paragraph clear and succinct.

End with a Call to Action

Once your reader understands your focus, end with a call to action (CTA). Tell them what you want them to do next after reading your copy. Should they call you? Fill out a contact form? Order the widget? Schedule a consultation? 

Aim to ask them to take one action. If you give them a choice, they may end up doing nothing.

So make your CTA clear and rewarding. “Read our Guide for the Best Use of Product X” is much clearer than the generic “Learn More.” Anybody can say learn more, but only your company provides Product X. 

Writing Copy Takes Thought and Planning

Like any skill, writing copy for your business takes practice. There’s an art to putting words together that emotionally connect with customers. If you are just starting out, focus on being clear and concise and speaking naturally in your customer’s language. 

Convey how your business solves a customer problem. When you mention a feature, tell your prospective customer how it meets their need. Think customer first. It helps to visualize a customer and write as though you were talking face-to-face. 

Call Zara at 503 468 7008 for a free 15-minute conversation on how to improve writing for your business

Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash