I have been hearing the same complaint for a long time now: people don’t ready anymore.

As a professional writer, I found this information more than a little alarming. So I did a little research and found out what I suspected all along – people do read, but only if they want to. So how do you make them want to?

Understanding how people read web copy

The truth is people DO read web copy. And marketing brochures, and even white papers (12 whole PAGES!?!?!?!?), and they do so eagerly if you make it worth their while. They just don’t read them the same way they read – say – Wuthering Heights, the newspaper, or Tweetdeck.

News flash! When someone lays eyes on your website, they know you are trying to sell them something. The question they immediately try to answer is: Do I want to buy it? Your copy needs to help them answer “maybe” as quickly as possible. (“Yes” comes a bit later.)

If you make it hard for readers to instantly see what’s in it for them to read further – guess what? They won’t.

So what’s the secret to web copy that gets read?

Your website is only the first step in the sales cycle. Try to think of it as getting a date with an attractive stranger you meet at a cocktail party. Try to be something you’re not and they will see right through you. Talk too much and you turn them off. Propose marriage and they run away screaming.

The purpose of the website is to grab their attention, pique their interest, and let them know how to get more if they want it. (You do have links to case studies, press releases, solution briefs, and white paper registration – right?)

Make your heads and subheads work for you – Leave clever word play for journalists, and the suspense-building for novelists. Titles and subtitles are the first things web cruisers read, and they use this information to make a snap decision about whether to read more. Your title needs to lay it all on the line; don’t be subtle. Subheads need to clearly point readers to places in your copy where they will want to stop and stay awhile.

Be clear – PLEASE, I am begging you, do not start out your conversation with your customers by saying “we are dedicated to achieving maximum effectiveness by providing state of the art implementation of IT with leading-edge technology that enables businesses to achieve faster ROI.” What do you do and why do you do it? Tell them.

Keep it short  –  Web copy should be 3-4 short paragraphs. Fewer on the home page. If they want more they will keep digging. Just make sure you have more available (case studies, white papers, solution briefs) when they want it.

For an example, try the following:

Kiss IT downtime goodbye

Stop downtime before it scares off your customers

Today’s customers and employees expect 24/7 access to apps and data. That means you need to avoid downtime at all costs.

Acme IT guarantees 99.999% uptime with widgets and wingnuts that are easy to manage, inexpensive to operate, and do what they’re supposed to do…99.999% of the time.

Ready to learn more?

Find out how great .0001% downtime feels for one of our clients or contact us for a free consultation.

Contact me to discuss your upcoming project.