Fact: creating effective website copy isn’t easy. While certain people believe that stringing together a few words is something we’ve all been doing since childhood, the simple fact is that producing website copy that sells is exceptionally challenging. In fact, creating effective copy demands significant investment in time, consideration and research. There is also a need to invest heavily in preparation. One of the first steps to the creation of compelling website copy comes through establishing customer personas.
Identify your audience
If, like many businesses, your desire is to reach as broad a base of customers as possible, you need to be aware of the detrimental effect this can have on your content. Your audience is made up of flesh and blood humans, with their own likes and dislikes; what connects with one may isolate another. There is no tone of voice that will reach to every sector of your audience, so you will need to focus attention onto each market area separately.
Begin by carrying out some market research into your customer base, your industry, your existing website. Age, sex, occupation, location, interests, etc. will help you see exactly who you are talking to. Collating this information means you can establish a customer persona that is representative of your audience. You will know the type of person with which to communicate, the type of content it needs and likes, and where to reach them. Once you have all this information, you can create website copy to suit your target.
Put yourself in their shoes
With your customer persona created, you should look to put yourself in its shoes. By relating to its interests and turn offs, you can establish a tone of voice that connects, and identify the type of content it wants to see.
For example, if your customer persona is a male aged between 19-24 using an iPhone for web browsing, you can discount the need to prepare ten pages of articles in excess of 500 words; instead, bite-size pieces of information and imagery that prompts a response (be it sharing, downloading, demand for more, etc.) will prove far more effective. Only through knowing who you are talking to can you create effective website copy that they will want to see.
Keep it simple
Too often, brands and businesses try to convey myriad messages when one should suffice. Knowing your audience and identifying your goal are essential for the creation of website copy. Keep the message you’re sending simple and pointing towards your target; there’s no harm in leaving your audience wanting more, so long as you can provide it to them a step later.
The importance of establishing a customer persona cannot be overstated. Making sure you know your audience and its interests and needs will prove essential to your website’s success.
