Writing website copy is an art which weaves together information with a conversation.
Just as when we meet others first impressions are the most important, so with websites the copy must engage the reader quickly or they will leave. Typically people decide whether to stay or leave a website within 8 seconds of landing.
There is a lot that can be done to increase the likelihood of someone staying and browsing. But even that is not enough. It may be that the content of that page is not really relevant to that client at that time. So web pages are best designed so people are quickly directed to those which do interest them on your site.
Each page should have a clear objective, and all the writing and illustrations should draw readers to the desired action.
Here is a page from the website hullpianoschool.co.uk which was designed specifically to answer the questions that parents may have about starting lessons for their child. To view the page in full click here.
The invitation on the page is more often than not one to start a dialogue.
Few people buy on first meeting. So offers to start the relationship and offers of free gifts which have genuine value to the clients can smooth the road to gaining an eventual customer. It can take time to build confidence but once the client confidence in a supplier, it can lead not only to years of business, but also a willingness to pay for a premium service.
The first step is to view the site from a clients perspective.
When writing copy for Hull Piano School (click here to view the site) Christine reviewed a lot of sites of other music teachers. Some were focussed on answering the questions of the clients. Others were clearly written from the teacher’s perspective giving details of who they studied under which would mean little to many prospective clients and not answering the questions which they had.
The best sites answer the clients questions clearly and show the value of the teacher. This does involve mentioning their qualifications, but also showing how they deliver value in the lessons.