Best Practices for Online Copywriting

In a previous article titled, Writing for Digital, we have covered the basic theoretical principles of writing for digital. In this article, we will look into the best practices that you can apply to whatever copy you are writing for publication on the web. In short, we will discuss the best practices for online copywriting.

Things To Consider:

When it comes to only copywriting, there are a few things you need to consider while writing. These are listed below. 

• Will that copy you are writing convey a creative idea?
• Is the layout easy to read?
• Does it have a clear and direct meaning?
• If applicable, does the copy convey the features and benefits necessary to put your point across?
• Do the content of the message structured in a logical manner?

This article will be dedicated to making sure that you have the required knowledge and tools to answer these questions listed above. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Conceptual Copywriting

Aside from getting information across and encouraging user actions and engagement, a good copy should also be creative. It should be beautiful and provoke the thoughts of the readers. 

Additionally, it is good to write a copy that expresses an idea that grips readers. In conceptual copywriting, it is all about making an idea memorable merely by using words to express it. 

A conceptual copy should have clever wording, thoughtful content and smart ideas. It should be able to make the reader pause, think and want to engage more deeply with your idea. 

Oftentimes, images are used to express powerful ideas. However, words can be just as effective. Below is a famous example that demonstrates how a small change in the copy can radically affect one’s perception of an idea:

• A woman without her man is nothing.
• A woman: without her, man is nothing.

With just a few tweaks in wording, the whole idea and concept changed. Writing conceptually means that you need to understand who your audience is. It is also about knowing what meaning you want to convey to that audience, and then cleverly expressing the said idea with the use of words.

The whole point is to write the copy in an engaging manner that your audience won’t be able to let go and stop reading. 

Layout and Legibility

Readers process content differently when it comes to the online and offline world. On paper, readers can manage to read every word. It is the opposite online. On the web, readers have a very quick attention span, most of the time because of the other distractions the worldwide web can offer.

Online, readers often tend to scan the text rather than take their time to read every word. This is one of the major reasons why online copies are often left unread. It is judged at a glance, not just on content, but first and foremost on its layout.

This is where layout and legibility come into play. If your copy looks too long to read, or if it is not formatted in a way where people can understand it easily, there is a higher chance your audience won’t sit through it. 

Your audience needs to be able to take a glance at your copy and immediately think “This is a must-read.” It needs to look as if it is so easy and quick to read. That is the only way a user will choose to read it. 

Yes, indeed, digital copies should be easy to scan through. To do this, you need to use the following tactics:

• Your headings should be clear and concise. It should have a direct message to the audience so they’ll know what they’re getting into.
• Bulleted and numbered lists make it easy for the audience to read instead of long paragraphs.
• Short paragraph for a better flow.
• Bold and italics for important keywords and ideas. 
• Descriptive links.

Language

The basic principles of good writing that apply offline also apply online. However, as we mentioned earlier, online, the attention span of readers is often limited and divided. This is why it is best to keep your copy simple. It should also be tailored to the language of your audience. This way, they can feel like they are reading something from a friend. 

Tone

We have discussed in a previous article just how important brand representation and consistency is. It is important that the tone of your content is consistent with the brand you are writing for. 

Oftentimes, brands will have full tone-of-voice documentation. On the rare occasions that a brand does not have specific tone documentation, it is best to read some of the brand materials. This will help give a writer a feel for the company’s style of communication.

Neologisms and Buzzwords

The increase in users of social media also plays a huge role when it comes to writing your online copy. Keep in mind that there are hundreds of new services and products developing daily. 

In turn, this results in a lot of new words that you can use to your advantage. However, with a large number of new words growing, it can be difficult to keep up. This is where dictionaries come into play. 

It is best to use modern-day colloquialisms and words to tailor to your audience. It also gives off a certain vibe that your website is up to date with modern trends. 

Keep in mind that you are writing to your users. This means your writing should also talk in the same way your audience talks. 

Features and Benefits

This is another important part of online copies. You should be writing a copy that provides benefits to the users as well. Otherwise, they will not see the point of reading through it. 

A feature is a prominent aspect of the product or service you are offering which can provide benefits to the users. In short, it describes what the product does.

On the other hand, a benefit is a positive outcome for a user that a feature provides. In short, it is what the user gets from your product.

These words are very different, and they have very different meanings. Features are very important for companies that provide the product or service. On the other hand, benefits are for those who decide to use the said product or service. 

© Image credits to Markus Spiske