Good web texts for websites or webshops: it all seems so simple, but there’s more to it than you think. Good web texts make your website or webshop a success, or a flop. That’s why we provide: 5 tips to boost your online texts.
Different platforms require different ways to write texts. Writing a ‘normal’ text varies from web texts, of course. Texts on social media, for example, have their own way of writing and advertising texts also require their own approach.
So even web texts have their own way of being written. There are several things you need to take into account to create the perfect web text. We list 5 tips that will put you on the right track to the convincing web text your website or webshop needs.
1. Know why and for whom you write
Before you start writing your own texts, it is best to ask yourself the following questions
- Who will read my texts?
- Why do I make these texts?
- What does my target group already know about what I write?
- What’s the key message?
In other words: know your target group and put yourself in the place of your target group. Not unimportantly, it is the group of people who will actually buy your products and/or services.
What are they looking for? Are there any particular problems they are experiencing? What is your solution to these problems? How do you organize your customer journey? These are all questions that lead to 1 important term: target group research. Try to answer as many questions as possible about your ideal target group and, if necessary, have a dialogue with your target group. In this way you will eventually arrive at your ideal persona (or personas).
2. Choose the right tone of voice
You have your target group in mind by now, but how is it best to communicate with them? Again: place yourself in your own persona. How would you like to be addressed as a client? That is the atmosphere you want to convey.
- What corporate image do you want to project?
- What language will you communicate in?
- What atmosphere do you want to produce?
- What is your ultimate goal?
- What feeling do you want your target group to get when reading the texts?
The ideal tone of voice touches your target group in the right place. Whether it’s in informing, inspiring, converting, you name it. Your textx respond to this.
Do you want to be personal or professional? Creative? Maybe a little out of the box? Make sure you treat your texts uniformly and that you end up with an ideal tone of voice.
3. Provide original content
Intrigue your readers. Make sure the first words are enough to make the readers feel like: “I HAVE to read this”. In other words, be original. Don’t just copy something from other websites or webshops. No, create your own creative content.
To copy paste from other websites is also punishable. In addition, it gives a feeling of laxity and your readers will soon realize this.
But… don’t be too creative. Also make sure you have a well organized website with the necessary structure. Bullet points, for example. Bullet points work ideally in texts (not just on the web).
- It’s easy to read
- it’s easy to follow
- Your webpage will be easier to scan for relevant information
- It attracts attention
- It provides structure
- …
4. The F-shape: put the most important info on top
Readers of your web page do not ‘read’ your texts. They scan. That’s what makes it so important to put all the most important information in places that are most often ‘scanned’ by the visitors of your website/webshop.
But where do you put all the interesting information? There is a clear pattern in the reading (scan) behaviour of people: the F-shape.
Concretely: put the most important information at the top. That way you’ll always be right. A strong title, inspiring text and an activating call to action. Make sure these things are nicely placed in the F-shape, because remember: the further the readers scroll down, the less they will read. But don’t let that stop you from writing longer texts! Interested readers will certainly appreciate the valuable information.
5. Don't forget your call to actions!
The ultimate goal of your website or webshop is to generate leads or to sell instant products. What you want is action! You do this by means of call to actions.
The offer is broad: request quotes, request more information about products/services, demand to contact us, view your realized projects, download something, book an appointment, we can go on for quite some time. What counts is that the call to action lets the visitors of the website/webshop do what you want.
A tip: speak to your visitors personally. Leave ‘us’ for what it is, choose ‘you’.
Also be active in your writing style. Don’t choose “You can order now”, but opt for the direct approach: “Order now!”.