Writing for the Web
Communicate
effectively
with
clients.
Content is King. Long live the King.
In a world where the internet has positioned itself as the go-to point for instant information and business interaction, content really is the key to communicating effectively with clients.
Writing for the web is all about writing effective web content. If you're positioning yourself as the expert in the field and are looking to use Content Marketing as a tool for customer engagement, make sure you don't oversell your company. People reading your blog or listening to a podcast don't want to hear all about you – they want to learn about how you can help them.
Effective web content like this means valuable, clear communication that'll retain their attention longer.
tips for writing effectively
Become a "word miser" – be brief and clear
- Cut down the length of your writing considerably
- Avoid confusion – write concise and objective text to make things clear
When writing, aim to spot the difference between being clear, brief, objective and keeping things simple
- Make sure you balance these elements
Be positive and be careful
- Write with a positive and objective tone
- Use language carefully to avoid misunderstandings
Good layout techniques improve the users ability to read and scan your content, such as:
- Meaningful headings
- Lists, from numbered to bullet-points
- Keywords for search engine optimisation
- A good font that's easy to read and available on all computers
- Well planned spacing to give your content room to breathe
5 more ways to easily improve your site's copy
Usability needs to be easy and doing this is important. First impressions last, and if users are having a bad experience with your website, they'll think the same of your institution.
Link Format – label your links
- Whole words are more effective and descriptive labels a easy to spot
- Users can scan the content quicker
- If users can predict the actions of your site, they'll feel better for it
- Do: Application Form (PDF)
- Don't: "Click here www.arcaeon.com for the form" or "Click here for the form"
Keep your Writing Brief
- Cut down on fancy language
- Use shorter paragraphs
- Write in the active
- Make use of lists, numbered or bullet-points
No Content then No Page
- Only you know if something isn't up on your page, user's won't
- So don't publish an empty page if you're lacking content for it
- Just like a newspaper, they'd never publish an empty page with "under construction"
Less is More
- A well-written site with updated content that's useful and easily maintained is best
- Don't get yourself in a bind with dates – news that's dated 1 year old gives a bad impression
- If it's smaller, you can make it beautiful more easily
Be Clever with your URLs
- Don't put dates in URLs
- URLs should be easy to remember
- Keeping long-standing URLs persistent means sites organically linking to those pages won't end up with broken links if the URL changes
- Where possible, use directories to section off parts of the site so URLs can be shorter and categorised well
Copywriters and content marketers can really help your site get to where it needs to be. When strategically re-designing your site's layout and content, you can improve upon existing relationships with your customers and build successful dialogue.
We'll spend the time to get a clear understanding of your business and your goals to help you communicate effectively with clients. Brief us on your company and ways you'd like to improve your online presence and we'll get in touch to discuss opportunities for marketing your business to its full potential.
For more advice, latest news and information check out what's In The Pipeline.
