Your website copy reflects who you are as a company and a brand. It speaks volumes.

You put your blood, sweat and tears into crafting perfect paragraphs to grab every single reader’s attention so they never leave your site. Ever. You wrote, edited, rewrote, deleted everything entirely and wrote some more to create 100 percent effective web copy. Then, you publish your life’s work only to realize everything has gone terribly, terribly wrong. No one is staying on the site for extended periods of time. No one is signing up for your email newsletter and you’re not receiving any sales leads. What did you do wrong?

Your web copy is probably garbage and here’s why:

You’re writing a novel on a website

If I wanted to read a book I would go to nearest bookstore and pick up a 400+ page book. Web copy isn’t supposed to read like a book. You’re not telling a story, you’re stating facts about your business. Yeah, I know every business is unique so web copy isn’t going to be standard for everyone, thanks for reminding me. Some sites will have more information than others, but it’s all about how you break it up.

Big, long paragraphs of information about your services or products are overwhelming to readers. The entire history of your company, including every job the owner had, might be interesting to you, but it is essentially irrelevant to your readers.

Use bullet points or sub headings to help trim down those bulky paragraphs. Add in some photos or graphics as points of interest. Also, people aren’t always going to start on the homepage of your site. A simple Google search could lead them directly to your services page. They won’t even see your homepage unless they decide to snoop around your site.

You didn’t consider your customers.

Big mistake. Huge! You want to attract new clients, right? Well then write your web copy  to persuade new customers to buy your product or service. Think about what your customers like and don’t like. Listen to their comments and concerns. Use their feedback as a source of inspiration for your content. Make it about your audience. Tell them what’s in it for them! People want to know the benefits they will receive from working with you. Remember, it’s about the customer, not you.

You thought about Google too much.

While SEO is important, it shouldn’t be the sole purpose of your web copy. You should definitely do some key word research, but don’t try and include every single keyword into your web copy. That’s ludicrous. Engage readers with relevant content and the SEO will often take care of itself.  If you focus too much on appealing to search engines and your copy will sound like a robot and not like an actual person. I don’t care if you work with robots. Your copy still needs to speak to actual people.

You claim to be the best, but have zero proof.

Don’t make such a bold statement about your business unless you have the evidence to back it up. Customer reviews and awards give the reader visual proof that you have some clout. Testimonials and photos of projects are another great way to show off your work. Potential new customers need to know you’re a trustworthy business. If you can talk the talk, you better be able to walk the walk. Know what I’m saying?

Your website is a huge asset to your business, so make sure your web copy doesn’t drive people away. Have a second set of eyes look over your work. Get feedback from your customers. Take everything you learned from this little article and apply it to your web copy, or just let your current stuff rot on  your website.