The Secrets to Writing Good Content For the Web

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Written by Denise Fay

Monday, 06 September 2010 13:52

All over the web, the papers and the Internet, one is constantly bombarded with advice on good web design, search engine optimization and what graphics to use on your website. While all three elements are incredibly important (I give talks and seminars on some of those topics), one of the least talked about areas is the content or copy that you have on your website.

Words are everywhere - in adverts, in papers, in magazines, even greeting cards. So if words are ubiquitous and you're here reading this article, why is it that there is so little advice or column inches on how to write good content for your website or your offline materials?

The truth of the matter is that most businesses don't see their content or copy as essential to their website. They concentrate on the design, the look and feel and the colours of the website. The real substance is the something that is often ignored. The text is the secondary element of the website.

This article wants you, the reader, to think about putting words as the primary element in the web creation process. You use words to talk to people, customers and prospects every day about your business. You need to think about the written words that you use, just as much as you think about the verbal ones.

At the end of the day, you can only be in one place at one time but your written documents which portray your business can be seen and read everywhere and anywhere. Take these three gems of wisdom into account when you are writing good content for the website:

1. Believe the Customer is in Front of You

Most business people feel comfortable expressing themselves verbally but some feel that it is harder when it comes to the written word. Often times it is. I find it difficult to write about myself and my company Achieve Marketing so it's a natural feeling.

Instead of thinking about about how hard it is, imagine that your customer is in front of you. What would you say to him about your business? Would you talk to him about the benefits of your product, would you speak to him with passion about why they should buy from you?

Yes you would. So turn that passion into words to describe the benefits of why someone should buy from you. Often, I come across businesses who begin their web content and talk about themselves. For example:

We are ABC company and we are located in X Business Park

Do I care? Not really, no. All I want to know is that you can do the job that you said that you can do and you've given me the reason why I should choose you as my supplier.

So instead of saying 'We are ABC company and we are located in X Business Park', say something like 'When you need us for support, as soon as we get that call, we can be out to your business within 30 minutes.' While the location of your office is important to you, it's not important to the customer. Getting to them within 30 minutes of a support call is important to them.

If the customer was in front of you, chances are they are in your business park so you didn't need to tell them where they are located. Start thinking as if your customer was in front of you.

2. Solve a Problem

This point is related to point number 1 above. When you are talking to someone that is in front of you, you think about the problem that they have and how you can solve it. Keep this in mind and brainstorm all the problems you solve and all the benefits your product or service brings to your customers.

The products and services that you have may serve different industries, different clients or different sectors. Think about all the problems you solve for each of these different target markets.

To write good content, you can take all of these problems that you solve and and write them up.

3. Decide on the Style of Writing

There are two main types of writing style on websites - formal and informal. You have to decide which works best for your business. I have a client that expressly wanted a formal style for his content. He worked in financial services and wanted to portray a serious image - one that says he won't run off with his clients money!

You just can't mix formal and informal styles when writing good content. It doesn't work. It appears confusing to the reader and the message gets mixed up.

My style on my marketing consulting website is conversational and informal. I want to build a relationship with my reader, hoping to engage with them to keep them coming back for more.

Your style depends on you and your business. However, think about points number 1 and 2 above, If you've actioned those tasks like I've recommended, then it will become clear what style you have.

I could talk about the importance of writing good content for the web and copy-writing for ages. However, I'll stop it here just so you can action the three points here.

Think about:

When a customer or prospect is in front of you, what do talk about? Write it down
What problem do you solve or what benefit do you bring when you're talking to a customer or prospect?
What is the style of your conversations when you're talking to customers and prospects?

If you can answer these questions, I can guarantee that you will write good content for your website. When you have the basics written, you just need to polish it and then publish it. Good luck. Denise Fay