We all know that we should be writing good web content to improve your SEO and website engagement, but did you know that you can actually do it wrong?

One thing you need to understand is that websites are scanned. Or glanced at.

Not read.

Basically, visitors to your site are hunting for information or products and they tend to make quick decisions about where to go next.

So how can you persuade users to take action if they don’t read your text?

First of all, put your most important information first.

Writing for the web is completely different from writing an essay. The first thing you need to put out there is what you do, preferably in a short sentence or with the aid of a photo. Once the user understands what you do, or what you can do for them, they might want to know more details and spend more time on your site.

One of the most important points is - keep it short and simple.

Write as if you’re writing for a 12-year old because that makes your copy easy-to-follow and easy to understand.

Research suggests that only 16% of people read web pages word-for-word. So make your sentences short and use bullet points to break up long paragraphs.

Keep your tone persuasive, your words familiar and avoid passive language and abbreviations that people may not understand. Don't try to sound fancy.

Remember to make it personal and write for YOUR audience.

One of the words that people respond to very well is the word YOU. Make the user feel like you’ve directed the website to them. How can you help THEM?

When you have finished writing, ask someone outside your sector to read it. This will help you gauge whether you are being as inclusive as you want to be.

Keep your design in mind when writing your content.

Try replacing text with images when you can and play around with font sizes, CAPS or italics. Make sure to give your site plenty of white space to reduce noise and use titles to break up long bits of text. Also, make keywords stand out.

Many people forget that users can arrive anywhere on your website, not just the homepage.

Therefore there are a few things to keep in mind:

- Each page should be easy to scan;
- Each page should clarify to people where they are and what your site is about;
- And each page should have a call to action telling people where to go next – whether its to read another blog post, or to view a product.

So to summarise:

Above all: Be helpful. And by putting all of these tips together you’ll be sure to have yourself a great piece of readable content.

However, this is a lot of stuff to think about. If you want some peace of mind, you could also consider hiring professional content writers who know all the tips and tricks for optimising your website. Here at Bravr Digital Marketing, we have a team of dedicated individuals who can produce anything from web content to personalised blogs. For more information, get in touch with us today and find out just how easy it is to get started!