A website is only as effective as the content it contains, as no amount of flashy interface tweaks will convince visitors to stick around unless you also present them with compelling copy to read.
Here are five extra tips to think about when creating content so that you can avoid common pitfalls and capitalise on your site’s visibility online.
Brevity rules
Most site visits last a matter of seconds, so you need to grab the reader’s attention and avoid fluff. Writing in a concise, engaging way will achieve this, especially on landing pages which will be your first point of contact with potential customers.
Keywords are king
While it is a bad idea to flood your content with keywords to the point that the flow and meaning are lost, it is equally unhelpful to completely ignore their power. Keywords are a tool for search engine optimisation (SEO).
Using keyword research tools to find out which words and phrases will work best to drive traffic to your site depending on current trends will help when writing relevant copy.
Proofreading is vital
We all make mistakes, but putting error-ridden content on your website is not acceptable in an age of powerful spelling and grammar checking solutions. Check and recheck copy for issues that need to be fixed before publishing, preferably with help from a separate proofreader.
Tone is important
Getting the tone of your content right is difficult, especially since most web users consume so much copy each day that they can see when a site they visit is trying too hard to impress them, or conversely, failing to convey much enthusiasm with tepid writing.
Exaggeration, hyperbole and other rhetorical tools all have their place, but balancing these against the need to maintain an element of realism and genuineness is the best way to strike the correct, convincing tone.
Design is relevant
The way your content is presented is undeniably influential when it comes to capturing the attention of visitors, so getting the assistance of a firm like http://www.rycomarketing.co.uk/web-design.html, which provides web design in Belfast, could be sensible. E-commerce sales are increasingly driven by mobile devices, so responsive design which works across all devices is worth embracing – http://internetretailing.net/2017/04/increased-average-basket-values-mobile-driving-etail-growth-says-imrg/.
You can even outsource content writing if you do not have the in-house resources to provide it, with affordable options widely available.
