Words on websites can easily become a bit blah. You probably feel like you’ve heard it all before: “professional service”, “great customer service” and “contact us today”. It’s hard not to sound formulaic when writing content online.
Of course, clarity in online copy is really important; clarity is often more important than showing off with words…But sometimes there is a solid case for making your website copy interesting, surprising, and innovative. It can be good for your brand and can make people stay on your website longer.
Here are some easy ways to spice up your web copy today….
- Use surprising words inside your call to action buttons: ditch the formulaic “contact me” and “read more”
- Address the biggest objections up-front and be bold. Get people to look again
- Maximise the potential of pre-filled online forms with jokey asides
- Consider whether your menu items could be improved. Are they really going to get people to click? Do they work as an ensemble?
- Balance copy and visuals: sometimes less is more. Always cut where necessary
- Be more honest. Cut through the jargon and tell it how it is
- Add REAL personality to your people pages. Get people to share funny anecdotes or nicknames to spice up your “About us” section
- Update your copy frequently. It’s easy to get copy blind, so keep it current and fresh with iterative editing
- Take the reader on a visual journey and be playful and tactile with your language
- Use surprising synonyms. Widen your vocabulary. One scintillating word can lift a whole page
- Vary sentence length
- Think around your topic. Is there an angle or demographic you’re not hitting yet?
- Ask more questions (both during content research and in your copy)
- Use headings and subheadings effectively. Have them tell a story of their own
- Be adventurous and don’t always go for the obvious/safe options
- Gather local stories and give local flavour to your copy
- Listen to feedback and edits from other writers and stakeholders. Opinions are free (and sometimes they’re also good)
- Get a real writer to do the job. Don’t underestimate the power of a great copywriter
- Tell a story with your content
- Use surprising adjectives and verbs. They can really help boost content personality
- Share real scenarios. Paint a picture and put a face to it
- Start at the end and work towards the beginning. Or start in the middle. Change up the way you approach a page
- Get other people to write your copy for a change
- Avoid the passive, favour the active
- Titillate your reader’s desires with warm and rich language. Try to emulate food writers or poets for a change
- Immerse yourself in great writing and let it wash over you. Be ambitious about your own
- Spend time listening to experts in your niche (podcasts are free) and be inspired by the things they say.