Digital Marketing Blog
Holy Webs 101: Digital Marketing Blog
By Travis Whatley
Simplify Your Message: Writing Clear and Concise Copy
When it comes to marketing your business, getting people to your website is only part of the battle. You also must get them to stay and engage. When someone quickly clicks away, they likely won’t become a customer. Clear and concise copy are the keys to this. Here are some of our best tips for adding clear and concise copy to your web design.
Pretend It’s a Conversation
Have you ever noticed that how we speak and how we write are often different? Writing often involves lots of flowery (and unnecessary) words. This works well in novels but not with web design for your Charleston business.
By contrast, conversations are straightforward. We tend to communicate necessary information using normal language. There are rarely fancy words involved. Contractions are used (i.e., “it’s” instead of “it is”). Pretending to have a conversation with your audience is a great way to begin to write clear, concise copy. This can help you be more direct and focus on relatable language.
Focus on Organization
Web copy should carefully stick to a message, communicating it in an easily understandable manner. An important aspect of quality Charleston web design involves providing the reader with information they need without unwanted extras. You want one major idea per web page.
Creating an outline can be an easy way to focus on clarity of message. Think about this almost as if planning a college paper. What is your topic? What is your main argument? What are your supporting points? This can help you ensure that you include all necessary information while preventing you from going on tangents. Now, convert your outline into copy for your website using short, direct sentences.
Layout is Key for Web Design
When working on web design for your Charleston business, layout is just as important as the actual copy. Visualization of your text should help communicate a concise, clear reading experience for the audience. Have you ever clicked on a website with a massive wall of text? Did you want to read it or click away?
Focus on creating short paragraphs with roughly 3 – 4 sentences. Use headers to break up text into sections (and to leverage SEO for your web design). Add in visual elements like images and videos too. This helps draw in your audience as well as improving their ability to read your content. Layout is key for creating copy that is clear for the audience.
Read Your Web Design Copy Out Loud
One tip we often give to businesses who collaborate with us on Charleston web design is to read your copy out loud before printing it. There is something about hearing your writing that can help you catch areas that can be improved. This is very effective for identifying places where words can be cut or sentences streamlined.
Reading your web design copy out loud can also help you identify awkward phrases and aspects that are not clear. Of course, it is also effective for catching typos and other errors. This tactic tends to work best when you have had some time away from your copy. Thus, come back to your writing after a few hours or even a day or two to try this technique.
Shorter is Almost Always Ideal
When it comes to writing clear, concise copy, shorter is typically better. We’ve already discussed the importance of short paragraphs and sections. This rule also applies to language. Use short, simple words and terms. Avoid using jargon except when necessary. If you have to use jargon, make sure to define it or consider using examples or analogies to help the reader understand a new term.
Use short sentences whenever possible. This improves the conciseness of your writing while making it easier to read. Extremely long sentences can be frustrating for the reader. These can also make it more likely that you accidentally confuse someone. Short and direct is the way to go!
Conclusion
If you don’t have the time to streamline your online copy or simply want to outsource the task to the experts, Holy Webs is here to help. Your local expert at web design in Charleston, we would be happy to partner with you to strengthen your website performance.
You can take a look at some of our work with local businesses here. If you would like to chat about how we can work to help your web design succeed, simply contact us today. We are happy to setup a phone call, video call, or in-person meeting to make sure we understand your needs.
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