It’s no secret that having a website is vital to your business’s success in today’s marketplace. But what you put on your website is just as important as actually having a website.
The writing on your website’s static pages, known as copy, should be part of your company’s marketing mix. When used correctly, copy drives sales, reaches new customers, and helps your company reach its goals.
How does copy do these things? Why does copy matter?
Your Website Makes First Impressions
Your website is one of the first interactions your customers have with your business. Web designers understand how big of an impact first impressions can have. But web design is only part of the equation to making a good first impression.
Writing is the other half of the equation.
When you view a website, the first things you see are the website design and the homepage text (often a tagline or catchy phrase appears front and center). This text has the power to make your website visitors continue reading and become customers or stop reading and click away.
If your writing is full of errors or if your writing tone does not match your target market, then your website viewers will be confused and think your company is sloppy.
However, if your writing is professional, your customers will recognize that your company is a serious and respectable business venture. And if your writing is easy to read, your customers will think you are an approachable and communicative company.
Look at some of the largest companies right now:
Microsoft Outlook’s website immediately explains to customers what Outlook does for them. Outlook’s copy is concise and tells customers why they should get Outlook. And most notably, this copy is super easy to read and understand, which indicates to customers that Outlook is a service they can use without a large learning curve. Simple. Easy. Practical.
Similarly, Berkshire Hathaway’s HomeServices’ website greets its visitors with a simple statement—“Our network knows great homes”—that is expanded on with sections of details about the different benefits of choosing to work with Berkshire Hathaway.
Even a more recently formed company, TRX Straps, understands how copy makes first impressions. TRX uses lots of exclamation points and an energetic tone to match its brand image that is centered on fitness.
Most importantly, all of these companies have copy that is clear, compelling, and high quality.
Your Customers Matter
When your customers see your website, they should be able to understand what you are selling, why they should buy from your company, and how they can do so. Your customers should be able to easily understand what you are trying to tell them. Nothing is more frustrating than sifting through unorganized, error-ridden, or difficult-to-read writing.
Copy that is easy for customers to read and understand will make your customers stay on your website instead of finding another company to purchase from. Your customers are also more likely to trust your company and have confidence in your products or services if your writing is professional.
Look at the three companies listed above. Their copy is all easy to read and understand, and these are companies that customers trust time and time again.
Quality writing shows your website visitors that you care about their experience as potential customers and are willing to put in extra effort to make sure they are served well.
Writing is a form of customer service, and your customers can spot good service.
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Your Website is a Marketing Tool
Your company’s website is, ultimately, a marketing tool. As a result, your website writing should be part of your overall marketing strategy.
This means the content of your writing, your writing tone, and your writing style need to match your overall marketing plan and brand image—just like any other marketing mechanism would.
You wouldn’t think that the quality of any other marketing campaign didn’t matter, and you wouldn’t neglect any other marketing tool, so you should give your website’s writing the attention it deserves.
In turn, your writing will reward your company with a greater and more powerful marketing reach, new customers, and revenue.
Microsoft, Berkshire Hathaway, and TRX have different copy, but all of them have copy that matches their brand image, targets their customers, and ultimately sells products or services.
Copy Affects Who Sees Your Website
Where your website ranks on Google dramatically affects how many people even view your website. 67.6% of clicks on Google are on the top 5 organic results while results 6-10 earn a mere 3.73% of clicks. After page 1, pages 2 and 3 receive under 6% of clicks.
Search engines use a variety of factors to determine where your website ranks. But one of the largest factors impacting your website’s ranking is your writing. After all, writing is a large part of your total website, so it is a large factor in your total ranking.
For example, writing that incorporates keywords for search engine optimization will reach your target market and give your site a better chance at ranking within those first 5 results. Even something as seemingly insignificant as numbered lists or bullet point lists within your writing can improve your search ranking.
All in all, your copy is an integral part of your website and marketing mix. When you invest in it, you will see gains, and when you neglect it, it will end up hurting your company, both in short-term website traffic and in long-term growth.
But writing copy can be time consuming and frustrating, especially as you also manage the rest of your business. Book your free consultation with Jantz Writing Services to learn how you can get copy that supports your business’s strategy so you can keep focusing on running your business.
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