As covered in a previous article “How to choose a web design agency”, we mentioned that design is only one part of the bigger picture, with conversion rate optimisation being another.

The third element is the importance of copywriting in web design.

One of the 7 principles of Online Sales Psychology is the 3 second rule – What a visitor thinks, see’s and does next within 3 seconds – And one way of capturing your visitors attention in those 3 seconds is through the use of copywriting.

By giving your reader bitesize chunks of information and drawing them to a call to action through the use of compelling headlines, copywriting is an important element when it comes to getting your visitors excited and to click.

Designers often overlook copywriting and tend to look for creative graphical elements, icons and the such, often instead of approaching website design with conveying a clear message and call to action rather than creating something visually complicated.

One important key factor to keep in mind is, not only does a visually pleasing website not guarantee conversions, a visually pleasing website does also not guarantee to translate into a platform that conveys your message clear and concisely.

Why copywriting is important

If you have read our article on Online Sales Psychology, you will know about the “F” shape pattern that we read in.

This means that we look for big bold headlines and scan down the page for keywords that grab our attention. This pattern is often neglected in web design and is important to use as a guideline when thinking about where your text should go.

Copywriting conveys emotion – As widespread as videos are, we still read text – especially when impatient. Copywriting can be used to tell a story and sell a product if implemented into the website correctly.

Copywriting helps with Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – When content is inserted into your website correctly it gets picked up by search engines. As your copy will contain your keywords it will help Google better understand what your website is about and rank you for those keywords.

Copywriting doesn’t just span to your actual webpages, it is also important to use in your meta tags – The copy used in your title tags and descriptions can make the difference between someone clicking on your search result in Google or clicking one that is more compelling.

When you write your content for humans and not search engines it improves the user experience.

Copywriting can be used to:

Improve call to actions – Make your users feel like they must click/take action or miss out

Creates personality – When written by a professional copywriter your websites content can convey the personality of your brand and business. Generic corporate speak does little good.

Gives Authority & credibility – When used correctly, copywriting can help you come across as an authority and boost our credibility. The subtle words used give a subconscious boost and help you sell yourself or your business with complete ease.

Hopefully you now understand the importance of copywriting in website design and web development. Copywriting in web design is well worth the investment and when part of a high converting website, you can reap the rewards and profits that it brings.

Try it out… have a professional copywriter re-write your homepage and monitor the responses you get, you may find that people are qualifying you and when approaching you will use phrases such as “you seem” or “we think that after reading”… It will turn your business around 180 degrees!

To discuss your web design needs, call ALT Agency on 0121 663 0202

For 2019 we are recommending clients focus their copywriting effort snot just on their website but to also spend as much time on their title and description tags.

With Google now taking into account Click Thru Rates as an SEO metric, it’s more important than ever that you have strong title tags and descriptions for your webpages – Which are often neglected.

Your SEO agency will be able to brief you on the exact specifics that your website requires, but here’s a few tips for writing great title & description tags:

  • Include your keyword once
  • Write them like an advert headline
  • Make them as natural and descriptive as possible and…
  • Write for humans not Google

Check your Google Webmaster tools to manage your Click thru rates. Webmaster Tools allows you to view your click thru rate over a period of time, it’s best to monitor your reporting on a monthly basis and make minor tweaks to words/keywords to see how your click thru rate changes.

If your click thru rate drops, don’t panic unless it drops significantly – Aim for around a 2-3% click thru rate and you will be on the right tracks.