When it comes to investing in a new website, many people choose to spend the budget on the website design and just throw some words together for the website content themselves.
But let’s be real. You want results from your online marketing – and that’s exactly what you want your website to achieve.
So, what should you invest in to get the best ROI? A great design or well-worded copy?
Think of the last time you were looking for a service and found a snazzy website with stunning imagery, the business had a swanky logo and everything looked A-OK – right up until you started reading…
Repeated content, confusing jargon, painful grammatical errors and you can’t find in plain English the how what and why’s of working with them… suddenly this business doesn’t look so legit after all. And it’s just straight-up frustrating!
So, what matters more? Can you become the top restaurant in Perth by having amazing food – served by sullen and unhelpful staff in a run-down shed? To be successful – you need both a great menu and a great venue. So, to get the most out of your website investment, good design needs to combine with great copy, then you’ll see your ROI.
A good design draws you in – good copy keeps you there and makes the sell.
This isn’t just for websites either, it goes for brochures, ads, flyers, blogs… anything you are using to market your business.
What does good copy do for your business?
- Makes a great first impression
You get one shot to grab someone’s attention nowadays and you have just seconds to do it. Your website will often be speaking to your customers before you do – so does it represent you well? Does it show your personality, showcase your Unique Selling Point and let them know why they should work with you? Is it clear and targeted? If you have invested in a website, investing in the content is the best way to make sure you get your ROI.
- Captures attention
A great headline can turn a scanner you would otherwise lose in seconds, into a reader who is intrigued enough to read on and convert into a buyer by the end of the page. You have to assume they have read a fair amount of websites by the time they find yours – will you stand out?
- Gives you credibility
There is nothing worse than a page littered with grammatical errors which looks like nobody in the business cared enough to do a simple spell check. I know that I have abandoned many a website for that very reason. I’m deciding whether to work with you. If you don’t care enough about your business’s online presentation, I don’t trust you to care much about me as a customer. Would you wear ripped jeans, an old shirt and come unprepared to a business meeting? Clear, quality content shows professionalism and builds trust.
- Helps you rank
Google checks bounce rate (the number of people who don’t stay long on your website/ don’t interact with your site – contact form, sign-up etc.) and then ranks you accordingly. If your design has drawn them in but they bounce because the copy is letting you down, Google sees that and your ranking will suffer. If people are staying, engaging and making it past the first page, your website gains authority. Google also checks for readability. If you have stuffed it with keywords* and have repeated, irrelevant content, that can also result in dropping in ranking.
*Example of keyword stuffing…
Hats Off Copywriting are copywriters in Perth for all your copywriting services and needs. Copywriting is an important business service and if you need content for your website, our copywriters in Perth can help.
Believe it or not, I have seen many websites written like this the entire way through – and the bounce rates are unbelievable. And it’s not just Google. Your visitors aren’t blind, they will see exactly what you are doing and not have a bar of it. It’s simply not readable.
If you are spending time and money on creating a website, printing and distributing a brochure or using other advertising materials – think about investing in some professional copywriting.
Good copywriting is like salt to a meal – brings out the flavour of your business so people want more!
Clearly, we are passionate about the benefits of good copy, but after seeing so many companies lose out on business because their website copy isn’t working for them – you would be too!
If you need some tips on creating great copy, keep reading through our blog – we share oodles of tips and tricks on all things copywriting. Or, if you think your website could use a copy refresh to get some of that sweet ROI, let’s have a chat!