OK, this is an old adage and not always relevant. But, it speaks volumes as a reminder to website owners and managers to dumb it down.
Keep it simple
People are busy. They’re tired. They want light, easy to read copy that they can graze while watching a show! People will scan through your content, instead of reading it all the way through. Some great tips to remember include:
- Use headers
- Pick a simple font
- Use bullet points
- Cut out any unnecessary words
- Keep your sentences short and sweet
A part of keeping it simple is to go easy on the acronyms and industry jargon. If someone has to guess as to what something means or look it up, they’re probably gone.
Know your audience
Knowing who you are writing for is essential when writing copy, so you can customize the experience. Remember, that no matter who you are writing for, keeping it simple and clear is still important. Even if your audience includes rocket scientists, they’re probably not coming to your website to get in some technical reading. Writing friendly understandable copy will appeal to a wider group of people than one specific target audience. So, cutting down on any industry jargon is a great way to be more inclusive.
Evoke emotion
Keep it human! Write like you’re having a conversation, rather than spraying bland information at your reader. People like to know who they’re buying from. They also really relate to emotion.
Storytelling is probably the best way to show emotion and connect with your audience. It is also far more memorable than an overload of information. Have you heard the famous Maya Angelou quote, “people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel”? This is a great thing to remember when writing your copy!
The age old phrase “good copy sells” will always ring true! Update your copy and let us know how things change for you!