Copy the copywriters for optimal sales
Good copy writing on the web is like a rainbow macaw in a flock of blackbirds: rare and exciting. Of all the aspects of web development and marketing, copy writing stands as perhaps the most integral element to success. Yet in my experience, 90% of the time, companies opt to recycle their print materials or, worse, give the assignment to an internal employee not versed in the craft.
According to Jakob Neilsen, digital text on a computer monitor - by itself - slows reader speed by 25%. He recommends that every commercial web site review its volume of text and make every effort to reduce it by at least 50% to ensure that their customers and prospects do not exit the building.
"Every word should have to fight for its life," adds Crawford Kilian at newarchitect.com.
The rules of good copywriting for the web are still in a formative stage, but there is essential agreement among experts about the following ones:
- Create a conversation with text content, not a monologue. Presentation of information should be quick and to the point. It should allow the user to 'respond' after only a few moments by clicking a related link and asking something new, for example.
- Two-thirds of all visitors' eyes fix not on images when they first arrive at a site, but on summaries, headlines, and captions. They want clear descriptions of what's available and a clear system for finding it. Therefore, special attention should be paid to these copy elements.
- Avoid complex language that requires additional processing time. For example, an 'About Us' introduction that reads, "We are a non-profit organization whose mission is to implement core values..." might more effectively read, "We are an NPO with core values..." This brevity is more than just appreciated by readers, it keeps them 'in motion' toward the next part of the dialogue.
These are the simplest of bedrocks upon which to cling when creating your site's messaging. But other aspects of web writing will also become important: benefit driven promotions, brand message consistency, audience specific styling, and more.
As your organization moves to improve its online marketing presence, a modest investment in copy review, creation, and mark up is sure to be a profitable one for years to come.