How to Write Website Content that Works? 11 Ways

Last Updated on 4 months by Christopher Jan Benitez

Do you want to write stellar web content?

Creating a top-class website content is more than just writing things down. Every word counts. You need to understand the topics you are covering. And it pays to have a concrete goal in mind every time you add a new line of copy.

Website copy makes or breaks your site. The right content will engage your visitors and convert leads into paying customers. Any low-quality content decreases users’ engagement, trust, and retention.

Now, we are going to cover the basics of writing fantastic website content. Follow these recommendations to increase your site’s value and drive more visitors into your sales funnel. Content marketing and SEO are here to stay, so it’s better to catch up!

#1 Understand Your Audience

You should write for a well-defined audience. Knowing your readers is essential if you are writing a website copy. Without adequate understanding, you may find it hard to write pieces that resonate with your audience.

Making sense of the audience’s characteristics is simple. Analyze the people who are using your services or buying your products. Learn about their interests, demographics, hobbies, and aspirations.

The audience factor influences more than the actual content of your copy. Knowing your readers allows you to pick the perfect tone and language. The best content establishes something akin to a dialogue. You don’t just want to talk at them, instead, you also want to create a conversation.

#2: Keep Things Short and Simple

Web writing is a unique genre. Your readers have a short attention span. There is so much content online that competes with your copy. Dense and unstructured paragraphs quickly lose the interest of your audience.

While using longer sentences is okay, use shorter ones most of the time, which is key to writing great content. It makes for an easier read. The same goes for paragraphs. Aim to have no more than six sentences in a single paragraph.

As the standards of online copy increase, you are better off cutting the density of your content as much as possible. People expect simple copy—websites with cluttered content experience a decrease in conversions.

#3: Use the Inverted Pyramid Principle

The inverted pyramid principle has been used in journalism for a long time. The idea is this: share the important stuff first. Since your audience has limited time and attention, you need to put out the critical information first.

Consider that people spend an average of 37 seconds on reading an article. That is a short amount of time. Some website writers leave the best bits for the last. They believe that people will wait it out.

The strategy of delaying important information leads to failure. Your visitors are going to abandon your site because they can’t quickly find the information. This will hurt your website’s stats and business.

#4: Refrain from Keyword Stuffing

Keyword stuffing partially worked in the late 2000s. But the algorithm development caught on. You will minimize your search engine ranking success if you stuff your website content with keywords.

General audiences have gotten better at distinguishing between genuine and sub-standard content. Content heavily stuffed with some keywords will see swift abandonment by users.

The use of keywords needs to provide value. Cramming in tons of these phrases leads to the opposite. Include relevant keywords only when they naturally fit into the text.

#5: Upload Only Original Content

Plagiarization brews big trouble. You want to have only original content on your website. Otherwise, you face penalties from search engines. Their algorithms identify plagiarized content and ensure it gets sent to the bottom of the results pages.

There are further risks in copying texts from elsewhere. Depending on your jurisdiction, copyright laws may have costly consequences. You don’t want to get charged with breaching other authors’ rights.

Several great tools allow you to check your site’s copy for plagiarism. There are many free alternatives to expensive and popular services. Choose a reliable plagiarism-detecting tool, and you won’t have to worry about these issues anymore.

#6: Analyze Your Competitors

Your website’s copy doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Competitors’ websites and their content are readily available for anyone online. That’s why it’s important to learn what the others are doing and take notes.

Here are the top reasons for checking your competition:

• You can gain valuable insights and inspiration for future pieces. A host of topics could be available that you have given no thought about yet.
• Understand what exactly your competitors are offering to the visitors. Check what’s missing and then fill the gap.
• Seeing what others have written helps to identify trends. You can base your long-term content strategies on the key trends you spot.

#7: Always Credit Your Sources

Whenever you reference someone’s content, appropriately credit the website. This is an important principle. While you may feel that you are giving traffic away, it’s still the right thing to do.

If you are concerned about giving traffic away, you can pick the option that opens the hyperlink in a new tab. People can check the source and read the content without completely abandoning your website.

Sometimes, hyperlinking to someone’s site helps you get backlinks. The person or team behind the credited site may discover that you send traffic to them. They will probably return the favor.

#8: Cut Excess Jargon

Many companies use a lot of jargon in their website content. They feel that this shows more knowledge and authority. Actually, it’s off-putting and won’t help readers enjoy the copy.

Only use jargon when it’s the only way you can communicate a certain concept. Otherwise, avoid industry slang and explain things to people in simple terms. The cliché about explaining something to your grandma fits here perfectly. Your site visitors will thank you.

It’s very common for people in an industry to be blind to excess use of insider terms. Ask a friend or anyone else, who is not in the same business as you, to read the content. Tell them to point out anything that they had a hard time understanding.

#9: Structure Your Website’s Content

Make finding information as simple as possible for your site visitors by managing your website structure. A website’s design is important, but you also need to pay attention to the structure of each content unit. A structured copy converts better and keeps more visitors. Here are some tips:

• Have enough white space around your paragraphs and images. Some beginners believe that this unused space goes to waste. Instead, it’s a crucial element. Your visitors will have an easier and more enjoyable reading experience.

• Make use of bulleted lists. Using bullets helps to break up heavy paragraphs and make your copy easily readable. Numerical lists are great for breaking instructions into smaller steps.

• Add sub-headers. The content becomes considerably more navigable if you use proper sub-headers. It’s essential from the SEO side of things. Use (H1) Heading at the top of the page. (H2) Headings should indicate major sub-headings. (H3) is for minor sub-headings.

#10: Refresh Your Content

Web content appreciates over time. Your initial investment may grow as its Google ranking improves and more social media accounts share it. As with any other investment, you need to provide ongoing care for it.

This means that you should check your top-performing content from time to time. Make sure that everything is up to date. You may have found new information. Add it to the original blog post or article.

When you see your content as an investment, new opportunities spring up. Successful but old content getting a revamp may raise its value even further. Keep a close eye on any developments and act quickly.

#11: Edit as Much as You Can

Editing and proofreading are important prerequisites to great content. Instead of self-editing, get a professional editor. These services are worth the investment. Your editor will find mistakes that you wouldn’t discover by yourself.

If you absolutely need to self-edit, then allow enough time between the writing and editing processes. Sleep on it. Check your content again in the morning. This time is critical. You are much more likely to spot errors.

Remember that editing isn’t only about correcting grammar and typos. The general style and flow benefit from the editing process. Your website content won’t reach its full potential without comprehensive edits.

In a Nutshell: How to Write Website Content

Great website content informs, sells, and fosters relationships with your readers. It’s the backbone of your online presence.

Focus on whom you are writing to. Depending on your target group, use specific language and references.

But always keep it clear. Fantastic online content gets to the point immediately. Rambling copy makes your readers lose interest and close the tab.

Author’s bio: Alexander Hassoulas is a digital marketing consultant and co-founder of Upkeep Media Inc. Upkeep Media specializes in working with the real estate industry to improve their online presence through SEO, Paid Ads, Content Marketing, Website Development, and Reputation Management.