It can be difficult to pique readers’ interest with effective website content. The majority of website visitors will only stay a few seconds on a page before determining what to do next.
The answer to overcome these odds is good website writing. Well-written, web-optimized content rises to the top of search results and captures the attention of readers.
Some writing strategies apply whether your work is displayed on a screen, printed in a book, or carved into a pyramid wall. Other strategies are particularly useful for professional writer/author websites and online shops. To ensure that your website content receives the attention it deserves, follow these guidelines.
Know your audience
It may seem obvious, yet many authors put pen to paper—or finger to keyboard—without considering who they’re attempting to reach. Before you start writing, consider the following: Who is my key target market? What about a secondary audience that has the potential to impact and inform my core audience? How will they locate my website on the internet?
Your website’s visitors think about two things: Does it provide what they’re looking for? And will they be able to locate it quickly? Visitors to your website take a brief check over it to see if they’re in the proper spot. They don’t need to be certain. They simply want to make a decision quickly. How can you get your message over if your website visitors barely glance at it?
Put your most important information first
Writing for the website is not the same as writing an essay or a paper. The following is an example of an essay: Explain what you’re going to talk about first. Then give a summary of the literature. After that, debate; and finally, come to a conclusion. The most crucial argument you convey is at the end of your essay, in the conclusion!
On a website, though, you must do the something else: your most significant points must always come first. When you’re looking for a roofing service, for example. When you visit a website, you expect it to offer that service. Second, you want to view the information you’ve been looking for.
The most key information for your website visitors is usually a straightforward statement of what you do. They may want to know some important details after they comprehend what you do. Then they might want to hear some background info.
Write short, simple sentences
Consider the following two factors: competitiveness and attention spans. As a result, readers have developed. According to one estimate, the average sentence length during Elizabethan times was 45 words. By the early twentieth century, they had shrunk to 23 words, and today they are as few as 14 words.
According to studies, the average human attention span has decreased to eight seconds from 12 seconds at the turn of the century. This is at a time when technology is rapidly delivering information to our eyes. Readers have little patience for the frills. Because there are so many competing for our attention, brief phrases and paragraphs are essential for retaining interest.
Keep messaging simple, brief, and sweet, or readers will leave.
Make a visual impression
Web article and web design should complement each other. You can’t write your words, make your sentences, or make your bullet points without thinking about how your web page will look.
The readability of your material is influenced by the visual appeal of your website, as is whether web visitors can quickly understand what you’re about. First and foremost, de-clutter. Add white space and reduce noise. It will not only make your website easier to read, but it will also boost your perceived trustworthiness.
Conclusion
I would to tell you that writing persuasive web article is easy. But the truth is that writing simple, useful article is hard.
Don’t treat your web visitors like academics who love reading challenging and complicated texts. Don’t treat your web visitors like lawyers poring over small print. Don’t be wordy. And don’t show off your extensive vocabulary. Instead make your text as simple as possible.