What Is A Web Copywriter?
I decided to write about the topic of web copywriting because I've noticed some misconceptions that some in the marketing world seem to have about what a web copywriter is and actually does.
I'd also like to address some of the key differences between web copywriting and writing copy for print advertising.
A web copywriter is someone who uses words to communicate a sales message on the web, just as a traditional copywriter accomplishes the same goal, but for print, radio, or TV advertising.
For the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on the differences between print and web copywriting.
OK, so why can't we just lump print and web copywriting in the same group? Well, there are several reasons why we shouldn't do that, and I will explain the 3 most important reasons.
1.
People don't read on the internet; they scan.
Have you ever randomly gone to a densely-worded website and actually read every single word? Chances are you haven't, unless it was a site that offered something that you really wanted.
Even then, the copy was likely written and structured in a way that was easy to read.
Well, a copywriter for the web is trained to write and break up large bits of copy you read on websites to make it easier on your eyes and brain.
They know what words to use and how to use them in a way that persuades you to keep reading without you wanting to exit the site.
More importantly, a web copywriter knows how to convince you to offer your name, email, and even credit card information before you click to another site.
Reading a well-written newspaper ad is quite a different experience.
When you pick up your paper, you can see a lot more text in the area advertisers call "above the fold", which is the text you can see on the front page before you unfold the newspaper to continue reading.
It's also easier to scan newspaper articles since you can cover a lot more area just by slightly moving your eyes.
To do this on a webpage however, you have to scroll down and further down often times to read all of the copy.
The key takeaway here is that it takes more work to read copy on the web, so a web copywriter's job is to make it as easy and desirable as possible to scan the copy.
2.
The most important element on a website is the first screen.
Just as most newspaper readership comes from the words you see "above the fold", most online readership occurs on the first screen.
The first screen is not to be confused with the first page or home page of a website.
The first screen is simply everything you can see on the first page you land on a website before scrolling.
The first screen is often all people see on a website before clicking away never to come back again.
So, a web copywriter makes the best use of a site's real estate so to speak.
In other words, a business website should not have anything on the first screen that stops or slows the sales process.
For example, company logos shouldn't be the most prominent feature on the first screen.
Why? Because people don't really care what your company logo is, but they do care about what they want to buy.
Instead, a web copywriter would use some of that space to place a benefit laden headline that speaks directly to the target market.
For instance, a web copywriter might use the following headline for an upscale dog grooming business's website.
"Have Your Furry Loved-One Neatly Trimmed, Bathed, and Driven Home In Just 2 Hours".
This way, someone coming to this website knows exactly what the business is about and what to expect from doing business with them in just a few seconds, instead of having to click around to find out what the site's purpose is.
3.
Web copywriters help readers scan by bolding and highlighting key-words.
Go to Google and type "sales page" in the search bar and you are likely to notice in those sales pages that certain words in the body copy are bolded or highlighted.
The reason for this is because doing so helps to guide scanners through the copy smoothly by subtly letting them know which words are most important and have the biggest sales impact.
Take a weight loss success story for example.
The sentence might start with "Discover how Mandy lost 40 pounds in 6 weeks.
" A web copywriter in most cases would bold the word discover because it induces the reader to read on to find out how a certain accomplishment was achieved, so they too could also achieve the same or a similar achievement; in this case how Mandy lost so much weight in so little time.
What you should know is that neither form of copywriting is better than the other.
The important thing is to recognize the best ways to reach your intended audience based on the medium you're using.
I'd also like to address some of the key differences between web copywriting and writing copy for print advertising.
A web copywriter is someone who uses words to communicate a sales message on the web, just as a traditional copywriter accomplishes the same goal, but for print, radio, or TV advertising.
For the purpose of this article, I'm going to focus on the differences between print and web copywriting.
OK, so why can't we just lump print and web copywriting in the same group? Well, there are several reasons why we shouldn't do that, and I will explain the 3 most important reasons.
1.
People don't read on the internet; they scan.
Have you ever randomly gone to a densely-worded website and actually read every single word? Chances are you haven't, unless it was a site that offered something that you really wanted.
Even then, the copy was likely written and structured in a way that was easy to read.
Well, a copywriter for the web is trained to write and break up large bits of copy you read on websites to make it easier on your eyes and brain.
They know what words to use and how to use them in a way that persuades you to keep reading without you wanting to exit the site.
More importantly, a web copywriter knows how to convince you to offer your name, email, and even credit card information before you click to another site.
Reading a well-written newspaper ad is quite a different experience.
When you pick up your paper, you can see a lot more text in the area advertisers call "above the fold", which is the text you can see on the front page before you unfold the newspaper to continue reading.
It's also easier to scan newspaper articles since you can cover a lot more area just by slightly moving your eyes.
To do this on a webpage however, you have to scroll down and further down often times to read all of the copy.
The key takeaway here is that it takes more work to read copy on the web, so a web copywriter's job is to make it as easy and desirable as possible to scan the copy.
2.
The most important element on a website is the first screen.
Just as most newspaper readership comes from the words you see "above the fold", most online readership occurs on the first screen.
The first screen is not to be confused with the first page or home page of a website.
The first screen is simply everything you can see on the first page you land on a website before scrolling.
The first screen is often all people see on a website before clicking away never to come back again.
So, a web copywriter makes the best use of a site's real estate so to speak.
In other words, a business website should not have anything on the first screen that stops or slows the sales process.
For example, company logos shouldn't be the most prominent feature on the first screen.
Why? Because people don't really care what your company logo is, but they do care about what they want to buy.
Instead, a web copywriter would use some of that space to place a benefit laden headline that speaks directly to the target market.
For instance, a web copywriter might use the following headline for an upscale dog grooming business's website.
"Have Your Furry Loved-One Neatly Trimmed, Bathed, and Driven Home In Just 2 Hours".
This way, someone coming to this website knows exactly what the business is about and what to expect from doing business with them in just a few seconds, instead of having to click around to find out what the site's purpose is.
3.
Web copywriters help readers scan by bolding and highlighting key-words.
Go to Google and type "sales page" in the search bar and you are likely to notice in those sales pages that certain words in the body copy are bolded or highlighted.
The reason for this is because doing so helps to guide scanners through the copy smoothly by subtly letting them know which words are most important and have the biggest sales impact.
Take a weight loss success story for example.
The sentence might start with "Discover how Mandy lost 40 pounds in 6 weeks.
" A web copywriter in most cases would bold the word discover because it induces the reader to read on to find out how a certain accomplishment was achieved, so they too could also achieve the same or a similar achievement; in this case how Mandy lost so much weight in so little time.
What you should know is that neither form of copywriting is better than the other.
The important thing is to recognize the best ways to reach your intended audience based on the medium you're using.
