Website copy is an essential element of any site. It has the unique purpose of driving your visitors to action and can be the deciding factor in converting visitors into leads. Often, copywriting can be overlooked in the web development process by other elements such as SEO, design, or functionality, but its purpose is just as important.

When writing effective copywriting for your website, it’s important to keep some details in mind:

Know your audience
The first step is to know who you’re writing to. Fancy language and unnecessary buzzwords aren’t going to resonate if you’re not speaking to the appropriate audience. By identifying your customers and their needs, you can better tailor your copy to have the desired effect.

Know your purpose
The next step is to know what you’re trying to accomplish. What benefit are you providing for your readers? What action do you want them to take? Before you can get your visitors to perform an action, you must know what that action is.

Skip the jargon
Too often, business owners get used to using terminology that the average consumer may not know or relate to. Instead of long, complex paragraphs, it’s much better to take a simple approach. Visitors are much more likely to stop reading when faced with large amounts of text and jargon.

Don’t forget about the microcopy
Throughout your website, there will be snippets of microcopy, such as call-to-actions and tee-ups, that are arguably some of the most important pieces of text on the site. Think of these as the guiding sentences that direct your visitors and tell them what to do, prompting the actions you wish your audience to take.

The copy on your website plays an important role at every stage of the web visitor’s journey – from brand awareness to conversion. Be sure that you’re giving it the proper attention so you can ensure the best results.