Tips on writing website content for small businesses

At GO Creative, we realise that there is no point in having a perfectly designed WordPress website, if the content is below par. The problem is that not everyone likes writing web content and it is also fair to say that writing content for a website is different to writing hardcopy advertisements, brochures and catalogues.

In general, people who land on a website have completely different expectations, when compared to the same expectations if they were reading a newspaper or a book.

People today want information at their fingertips, they are busy and don’t have the time to read pages and of content, not when they are looking for products or services. This means that writing copy for your WordPress website involves a certain skill set.

Write short simple sentences and paragraphs

You don’t want to write long, complicated sentences that go over two or more lines. People lose track of what you are trying to convey when they have to deal with very long sentences. The same principle applies to paragraphs, keep them short and include just 2 or 3 sentences in each paragraph.

Include headings and sub-headings in your content

When online, people tend to skin down a page, reading the headings and sub-headings to garner a quick overview of the content. If they are still interested, they will then read more of the content. So if you they are faced with a long page of uninterrupted text, visitors are likely to click out and go to another site that is easier to skim.

Avoid complicated jargon

Keep your writing simple and don’t use industry jargon that your target audience are unlikely to understand. Make sure that you don’t waffle on endlessly, do come to point quickly and only include information that is important to your viewer. You can always add a link to another page if they want more information.

Here are a few more quick tips for writing on the web:

• Include images on your page to add interest and engage your audience.
• Use active not passive voice.
• Write concisely and simply.
• Avoid small or elaborate fonts.
• Ensure the placement of text and images is optimised for engagement.

For more information on WordPress website design, call us for a chat at GO Creative on (07) 3333 2932 or request a free quote online.