You have your website done, it looks great, but now what? Who is going to write the thing and put your ideas into words?

Content is crucial

Keep in mind that most people simply scan websites, with the average visitor deciding in 15 seconds or less to stay or not. Clever headlines with stimulating text will grab your readers’ interest. Tight, focused, clear and concise copy will keep them there.

How tight is tight? Write only about half of what you would have used in a hard copy version. Don’t confront readers with long continuous blocks (yawn!) of text. And use hypertext to split long information into multiple pages.

To make your text easy to scan

  • Highlight keywords using typeface and color variations (hypertext links are another way of “highlighting”)
  • Use meaningful, easy-to-scan subheads
  • Use bulleted lists
  • Stick to one idea per paragraph

Use headlines

And use them well. Your headlines should be powerful enough that your prospect wants to keep reading.
Talk up benefits – not product

Describe benefits your potential customer can see, hear or feel if they use your product. Show that you understand their issues and how your product addresses those issues. Write your marketing copy from the buyer’s perspective. Sorry to tell you this, but people don’t care about you. They’re on your site because they want solutions. If you provide a solution to a problem they have, you’re more likely to make a sale.

Learn the basics of search engine optimization

Powerful web content includes keywords people use to search for your site. To get a high ranking, your web content must be loaded with keyword phrases and still remain engaging to read. Don’t let your content get stale As with most marketing materials, it’s easy for your message to run its course. Maybe you have new products, employees, clients and awards you’d like to publicize. A website is a constant work in progress. Build it and they will come doesn’t apply here. It must be refined and added to on a regular basis to keep it fresh.

Make it easy to buy from you

Many people like the luxury of using a credit card online, so offer that option. But some people simply won’t buy online, usually because of fears about the security of their credit card information. So give them options and make checkout easy.