We have observed several trends in writing effective and compelling copy for websites.
These tips probably dont apply to highly factual or technical websites, but if you are selling or delivering a marketing or brand message then read on…
1. Create Allure
Just like first dates, writing compelling website copy is about not giving away too much information. Its kind of like trying to spark an interesting conversation with your website visitor, and then leaving them with a lingering desire to find out more.
2. Keeping it Simple
Try and only have 1 or 2 concepts per page. If you have a large number of ideas on a page, and the web visitor become even slighly confused, they may be likely to close your website and keep looking.
3. Its not about you!
People don’t care about you and your credentials, they care about themselves and their problems.
Instead of writing:
“We are the leading provider of X, and our expertise ensures our position as the number 1 in the Y industry.”
You can flip the message on its head:
“Are you looking for a X provider you can trust? You may feel more confortable knowing that all the Y Industry complexities and issues can be managed by the #1 market choice.”
4. Short is sweet
Avoid long paragraphs or too much detail.
If you have lots of information, break it into bite size chunks over several small pages with a logical & super easy to use linking strategy.
A technique we use to spice up key points is using a 4 to 5 item bullet point list. Example
This technique be used to raise the impact of the key pieces of information you are trying to get across.
5. Search Engine Readiness
Pick a theme of 1 or 2 key phrases for each web page (eg “sydney oven repair” or “how to sell books online”). Try and achieve a “Keyword density” of 3 or 4 for each of your key phrases.
This will also subconsciously reinforce your brand message with the website viewer and increase the perceived relevance of the webpage.
6. Call to Action
Don’t just put information on your web pages. You need to tell a story, to create a path.
I remember (vaguely) at University the TV advertising slogan AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire, Action). It might seem that the same applies to web page copy.
Make sure your webpage is leading somewhere, and ensure their is a link at the bottom of each page suggesting to your visitor where they should go next.
The Results: Using these techniques we have been able to improve our average website visit length to our Shifted Pixels site from less than 1 minute to more than 3 Minutes! Chuffed 
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