Writing text for your Webpage

Below is free advice about writing for the web - how to write good advertising text for your website.

Or if you think that writing text is too hard, we can interview you by phone and write the text for your website from just $150.

Grab them while you can - internet users are impatient!

To get the very best value out of your website - new customers contacting you or ordering your products - you need content that grabs their attention and answers the big selfish question they have, which is "what's in it for me?"

The internet in particular is a medium where information has to be passed on quicker than print. People don't sit down in a comfy chair reading a website - they're pretty impatient and they scan read and move on.

So, you need to think about what is going to grab their ATTENTION. What information is going to really be of INTEREST to them? And what can you say that is guaranteed to stimulate a DESIRE so strong, they just have to take the ACTION you suggest?

Below are some initial tips about writing website content. We have more complete information available free, as a PDF document. To download it, click here.

How do you grab their attention?

Firstly, don't lose them before you have told them anything. At each click they will be deciding if they want to read further or if they want to click to another page or another website. They will make that decision within a couple of seconds.

Make your first sentence on every page really punchy. Let them know they are going to get something special from you.

Getting their Interest and turning it into Desire

To really make your website work hard for you, you need to tell your future customers who you are and what you do but more importantly what they are going to get. Why should they buy a product from you rather than from the next guy?

You need to get their interest by telling them how you're going to solve their problem or make a difference to their daily life. You can create desire by really selling the benefits of buying your product or service from you.

People are pretty lazy and they need you to really spell out the benefits they are going to get by using your service or products. Don't just tell them about the product or service features, tell them how you'll make a difference. This is a very important part of selling on the internet. You need to do their thinking for them. But in order to do that you need to be clear what a feature is and what a benefit is.

A feature is one of the components or functions of your product or service. For example, if you sell waterproof gear with glow-in-the-dark strips, that's a feature - not a benefit.

A benefit is something your product or service will do for your buyer to somehow offer a solution to a problem. Your waterproof gear with glow-in-the-dark strips means that the cost of work place accidents will be reduced saving your customer money. That is a benefit - and it's a good one as customers like saving money!

Emphasising benefits is the number one most overlooked rule of website writing, and this oversight is one of the top reasons advertising falls flat. Don't think that your customers will figure it out for themselves - they may or they may not, but in the meantime you may lose out on some sales.

Getting them to take Action

At the end of each page (and at points midway if it is appropriate), prompt them to act. For example "Contact us to find out more" or "Click here for a free quote". We can link this to your contact form so it is really, really easy for them to act, quickly fill in a form and make that very important first contact with you.

Make it easy for them to be decisive.

Page by page tips

Here are some other prompts for what you to use when writing your text:

Structure
Another way to make sure people stay on your website is to make it is easy for them to find the information they need. You can do this by structuring your information well.

A typical website structure that your customers are likely to expect is:

...but its up to you and what's logical in your situation.

Whatever you end up doing, having clearly structured information and navigation means that when they hit your Home Page they think "yes I am on the right website" and "I can get to the information I want by clicking here", just like you have done to get this far.

So put some thought into how you structure your website. If you provide Products and Services, don't cram them onto one page as they may get missed. If you have 3 distinct ranges of products, split them up into separate pages with an appropriate menu button for each, so that it is less likely that an impatient website visitor misses them because you don't clearly show them where to go.

Clear navigation is one of the most important things. And if people can easily find the information they want, you've built some goodwill already.

Make Your Home Page Count
Do an initial paragraph that sums up your business, what you do and what makes you special. Remember you're aiming to grab their ATTENTION and generate INTEREST.

If you are a long-established business, say how long, and spell out how that benefits the customer (eg. expertise they can rely on). If you are a new business this too could bring benefits (eg. keen to please customers). Really spell out the benefits you offer from your customer's point of view. For example:

"We have a long history of contracting so we can offer you an experienced and versatile contracting service you can depend on. We have been in business servicing the Tauranga area since 1987 and we know how to build strong, lasting and trustworthy relationships with our clients."

Your Products or Services pages
Think about what types of products or services you offer. Try and put them into categories. For example:

"We provide transport, engineering supplies and saw milling."

This gives you say three clear categories for you to work on in detail.

Then, for each category, describe the features, service or products in more detail and make sure you sell the benefits. For example, a feature is something like "24 hour service". The benefits to the customer are "available whenever you need it" or "peace of mind".

Make sure you tell people all about everything you do or provide. You may think that because you are a well-established business everyone knows what you do - trust us, that isn't the case. New people to your area don't know you. If, for example you are a garage that repairs cars, but you also repair lawn mowers and chainsaws - tell people.

At the end of the page, try and round off nicely with an affirming, personalised message and a call to action. For example:

"So, if you want a no-strings, honest appraisal that will put you on the right track, email us or phone Kay on 456 7890. "

About Us
It's important to build trust with the viewer so it's good to provide them with information about you, your approach and the benefits of doing business with you. If you have a point of difference - make the most of it.

It is good to include a photo of you or your team - the internet can be a bit impersonal, so if potential customers see a photo of you, it can give you an edge in that they have already started a physical link with you. Make sure it's an appropriate photo - if you have B&B accommodation you wouldn't want one of you looking miserable otherwise no-one will want to come and stay with you. Whereas if you run a funeral home a sombre and compassionate look is appropriate.

And if you have any testimonials - statements from happy customers - then try and work some of them in. They don't have to be on the About Us page. You can spread them around the website.

Again, try and include a "call to action" - a prompt for them to get in touch with you.

That's it! Now off you go...
For further information about writing text for the web, download our free information document by clicking here.

Or if you are ready to make a start and want some prompts to get you going, download, save and fill out our Content Template. It's a Word Document that you can fill in and email back to us, and it may help you make a start on your text.

When you got your content ready, email it to us with your business logo and content.

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