How to avoid common web copy mistakes

It’s all very well having a page that ranks highly on Google but all your efforts (and expenditure!)  are wasted if that page doesn’t influence the reader to take some positive action such as calling you, asking for a quote or signing up for your newsletter.   The technical term for this is conversion, and it’s the critical last step that all too many people forget about.

As a copy writer and web word wizard – I specialise in helping my clients create web pages that are loved by Google and generate new leads, enquiries or sales.

There is both art and science to writing  good copy that converts at a high rate and it would take a lot more space than is available in this blog to explain all of it but I’d like to get you started by highlighting three common web copy mistakes and how to solve them.

1.   “Weeing”  all over your readers.
   Let’s be blunt, most potential customers are not that interested in you and your company, they really want to know what results you can deliver for them.    Take a look at your website see how many times you mention the words, “we, us & our”   compared with the words “you & your”.
   TIP – if there aren’t at least as many “you’s” as “we’s” then re write your copy.
   
   
2. Missing or hidden calls to action.
   Every web page should have a clear focus and the content should be written in order to drive the reader to take one specific action.   Look critically at your web pages and ask yourself the following questions.
   a) Are you clear what you want the reader to do as a result of reading the copy?
   b) Is it clear to the reader what you want them to do next?
   c) Do your calls to action stand out from the rest of your text?
   TIP – Identify your calls to action for each page and make them obvious
   
   
3. Lack of product or service specific pages.
   Many small businesses are tempted to lump all their services together on one page and this creates two major problems.
   a) It leads to long wordy pages and lists that turn potential customers off
   b) It creates generic pages when clients are actually looking for a specific solution for their problem.  They want their search to take them to a page that clearly shows (in the first sentence!)  that they have come to the right place and that you can solve their problem.
   Tip – Create product specific landing pages optimized for a specific search term to increase the chances of conversion

Want some more great tips like these to help you avoid common web copy mistakes?  Then sign up for our web copy  tips newsletter by entering your name and email in the box below

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