We create websites every day, and the same scenario recurs: the client plunges into the content writing phase for their website, and then they freeze. Completely. Then come the questions: how to write effectively for the web? How to target my customers’ needs in my texts? How to create engaging content? How to optimize text for search engine visibility?
We don’t have magical answers to these questions, but we have 10 good tips to help you improve the quality of your website content.
How to write effective content for your website?
1. THINK ABOUT THE famOUS « WHY »?
Every website has a special mission. A reason for being, to which all components, especially the content, must align. Ask yourself: what do I want the user behind the screen to understand from this page, this paragraph, this sentence? Is it necessary? Is it clear? These reflections involve stepping out of your text, coming back to it with a fresh mind, seeking feedback from colleagues, clients, even your mother if necessary! From the title to the footer, the content should reflect your mission. So, what’s your mission?
Also, take the time to address the “whys” of your users. They have many questions: list them and make sure to answer them in your writing. Your readers want to know if your product or service meets their needs, so prove it. It’s your time to shine!
2. know your subject
To write a text, you need to know what you’re talking about. You have to be convinced to be convincing. If you’re not well-versed in the subject, do your research. Understand the nuances of your product and/or service to explain it well. It’s also a good idea to see how the competition approaches a topic. Get inspired, and then do better than them!
3. WRITE FROM HUMAN TO HUMAN
Customers need a reason to choose you. They search for you, get to know you, and trust you, all before doing business with you. Hence the importance of talking to them. Ensure you convey your company’s key messages, be clear, and be relevant.
We all have a different writing style, and some companies are confined to a very precise writing framework. However, keep in mind that websites are visited by humans, so write for humans. Simplify if the terms are complex, explain if it’s not clear, and use words to spark the imagination. Remember that a user gets thousands of results for the same search, so they won’t hesitate to leave your page if the content doesn’t meet their needs.
4. DON’T OVERUSE KEYWORDS
Human beings have a visceral need to learn, so feed them relevant content. It’s all well and good to write lengthy paragraphs and repeat the same keyword 50 times to please Google, but for search engines to be content, the content must primarily address the user’s needs. Copy-pasting the same word 10 times in a paragraph could even penalize you, so be cautious.
5. RESIST COPY-PASTE
It’s super tempting to check out what your biggest competitor is writing as content and just copy it. Even easier, copy-pasting the content from your website from ten years ago. Unfortunately, the rules you learned in school haven’t changed over time, it’s always discouraged to plagiarize.
Search engines evaluate your website on all sorts of components, including its relevance. So your content has to answer your users’ questions. It must present you, they want uniqueness. For example, what’s better than seeing images of your own team in full action? We were talking about knowing, building trust, it’s with unique content that your future customers will develop a sense of closeness to your organization.
6. THINK ABOUT TITLES
According to Larousse, a title is “the large text that caps an article and announces its subject.” If the text caps an article, think of yourself as the hairstylist, and you need to create the best cut!
In search results, it’s the title that determines whether a user clicks on your website or not. There are thousands of ways to write a title (I’ve pondered this myself several times for this article ). You can use explosive numbers, appeal to people’s emotions, create suspense, ask a question, and more. Your title should grab attention!
7. TELL A STORY
Tell a story. Everything is more interesting when it’s told. We want to travel in our reading, we want to learn, we want to find answers to our questions. If we’ve landed on your website, it’s because we want to know the starting points, the wrong turns, how you’ve managed to help someone, and how your product has revolutionized the world. Then, support your stories with numbers or statistics, as these are often the foundations of your argument.
The best way to “connect” with your users is to write for them. According to Content & Marketing, “80% of decision-makers prefer to obtain information about a company through articles rather than through advertising.” Yes, writing articles (as I’m currently doing) builds connections, so write!
8. USE CALLS TO ACTION
Don’t let the user wonder where to go. Tell them. Use calls to action to build a narrative thread throughout the website. Make a joke, answer a question, provide a comment, connect your message to your mission. Regardless, be clear and remind your visitor of the value of your content.
9. let the text breath
This is the point where we say “goodbye” to endless paragraphs explaining the company’s history and “hello” to timelines, bullet point lists, and images that liven up the content.
Readers looking for quick answers to their questions should be able to “scan” your text, understand what it’s about, and come away with key elements at a glance. Remove unnecessary words, refine good ideas, break up your sentences, let your text breathe. Keep in mind that you don’t want to overwhelm your visitors with a content-heavy page.
10. correct your mistakes
You can have the most beautiful of writing styles or sell the best product, but if your text contains a mistake every three words, your credibility will take a hit.
Remember that what is written on your website will probably stay there for many years. This is another reason to run each of the pages through Antidote, have your texts proofread by other people, and take a step back before publishing everything.
Compare your website to one of your representatives, but one who works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all over the world. Make sure that this representative and their message measure up to your company before clicking “Publish.”
in short, content writing is not rocket science.
It just takes time. This is often what most people lack, but you should see it as an investment. Moreover, if you don’t have the time or the skills to write the content for your website, there are copywriters available.
