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Five Objectives of Website Copy

Many businesses put a great deal of emphasis on website graphics and on creating a visually interesting site, but their sites often don't have enough text. Informative text is reassuring to visitors and it gives search engines something to crawl. So, where should you start? Let's look at five things you can accomplish with text.

Establish your points of difference.

Why would a customer choose to buy from you rather than from one of the many other businesses just like yours? If you bristle at the idea that any business could be "just like yours", you've found something important to communicate on your site.

You don't need to disparage your competition - this isn't necessary, or in most cases, even advisable. Instead, tell visitors about what makes your approach to the business unique. If you specialize in a certain area or approach, tell them how - and why. Establishing your points of difference helps your visitors become more informed buyers of the services or products you offer.
Satisfy their need to know.

Studies have shown that searchers often use the web to do basic research first, only later going back to convert on the site or look up your business. To the extent that you anticipate and answer research questions, you give your visitors exactly what they are looking for and begin to earn their trust and loyalty.

To create this content, ask yourself, "What would I need to know if I were in the market for this product or service"? Then, think of different ways to present the information. To help your visitors see how your service could benefit them, consider adding one or more case studies to your site, each of which describes how a customer was able to solve a problem and overcome challenges with the help of your service or product. You might also add a "Frequently Asked Questions" page. Such an FAQ page can be a powerful marketing tool that raises the questions that you think customers ought to ask.

Sometimes, just by raising an issue and providing information, you will be able to establish a point of difference. As visitors research other sites, they may look for more information on issues, benefits, and features that that they learned about on your site. If a competitor's site doesn't adequately address something that they have become interested in, you will have gained a little bit of an edge.
Teach.

You may not consider yourself an expert in your field, but you probably know a great deal more than you give yourself credit for. Chances are that visitors will appreciate any advice you care to give. Writing articles related to your business and publishing them on your site can put you in the enviable situation of being perceived as an authority.

Consider asking visitors for their email address in return for access to your articles. You'll build a targeted contact list that allows you to create an ongoing relationship with qualified prospects, send special offers, and continue to provide useful information.
Increase your visibility.

To a search engine, the best sites consist of many HTML files, each one text rich. If one of your articles mentions a topic for which you have more information, embed links to the extra information like this: "Learn about painting with oil-based paint." Then, on the page with the extra information, make sure that you have a