The importance of good copy

It’s written all over the Internet so it must be true. Tired tag lines aside, though, compelling website content is absolutely essential to the prolonged success of your website and for a number of different reasons, but first you need to know what makes good copy good.

Website Content For Search Engine Optimisation

Good website copy can draw visitors from search engine pages; these visitors are highly prized assets to any website or online business. They are highly targeted because they have searched on a term that is relevant to a page on your website and then they have read the description of your site and chosen to click the link. They have already opted in to read more information about your service and they have done this twice. However, irrelevant or unoriginal content means that search engines won’t view your website as favourably as you would like and you will lose visitors because of this.

Website Content for Visitor Satisfaction

Compelling content should do more than just drive visitors to your site, though; it should provide these visitors with valid and valuable information once they are within the confines of your virtual walls. By giving website visitors information and sharing your knowledge you appear as an expert in your field, whether this is really the case or not. People are more likely to trust you if you can come across in this manner.

Website Content for Promotional And Marketing Purposes

Website content that has a subtle but effective marketing slant added to it, can also encourage your potential customers to become fully paying customers and generate you revenue. Informative content goes a good way to do this, but it must also sell. There are several things you must avoid, though:

• Never Lie
• Never Boast Too Much
• Never Attack the Competition
• Never Be Offensive
• Don’t Be Too Pushy

Lying can be easily picked up on and if your visitors believe you are lying they will not want to give you their money or click your links for any reason. Similarly, boasting too much can make it seem like you are lying and have the same affect. Obviously you should show off your achievements or inform visitors of the advantages to using your site but do it in an informative way and not a manner that would come across as being brash or untruthful. This can be a difficult achievement itself, but it is one that you must master if you intend to write your own website copy.

Defaming your competition may seem like an easy way to win business but there are several reasons you shouldn’t do it. Firstly, your opposition are more than capable of doing the same thing but also visitors truly do not like it. They do not see it as good business practice and again, you are likely to lose customers this way. Being offensive to any people or group of people will have a similar affect. Even in the case where visitors agree with your opinion they may be less likely to use your service and you will always alienate someone if you are offensive.

Avoiding Pushy Sales Copy

Pushy sales material has a place in promoting businesses, but it is not on the home page of your website. You should be giving informative and reliable content without pushing people in to buying. Giving a page of useful information with a single link to an appropriate product or two or three lines about that product at the bottom of the page will be more effective than touting the same product throughout the text.

The Last Word On Website Content

Good website copy is a fine balance. You should always remember that you are writing for many different audiences but you should gear your content towards the most important audience, i.e. the area of the market you are aiming to corner.

Make no mistake, if you want to promote your business online or use your website to generate revenue in any way, your website content is an important aspect of your Internet presence. It should go hand in hand with a good, clear website design and other avenues of marketing to help your site fulfill its true potential. Poor website content will mean fewer visitors and a much poorer conversion rate.