Author: Bob McClain, Web Copywriting Expert

What not to do in website copywriting is just a as important, in fact, maybe more important than what to do. Because if you make certain unforgivable mistakes, no matter what else you do right, you’re going to lose visitors and that means losing business.

I was reminded of this by a client just this past week. In an attempt to get him first page in Google placement for his website page, I used the keyword phrase first in the page headline and the first sentence.

However, the keyword phrase for that page was very awkward. It was one of those “shortcut” phrases people will commonly use that are incorrect English but common for searches. The client refused to have his headline and first sentence open that way because he was afraid people would take one look at the bad phrasing and see his firm as amateurs. He was right.

So what are some of the other faux pas in website copywriting we don’t want to commit?

Forgetting your reader…

It’s often easy when you’re writing your own website copy to be thinking about what you want to tell visitors rather than what they want to know. Who are your readers? Are they engineers? Are they lawyers? Are they pimply-faced teenagers? Are they worried mothers with crying babies?

You not only need to think about what’s important to them but you also have to speak in a language that is comfortable to them. “Typically” you are told to write to an eighth grade level. However, I don’t recommend writing that way for an engineer or a lawyer.

You also want to keep in mind jargon. If you have a very targeted niche like networking technicians, you had better use some of their jargon and you better know the terms and equipment. And they will want details.

However, if you’re writing to C-level executives, keep the jargon to a minimum. They don’t care about details. They want a high-level overview and they want to know about results and return on investment. Always keep your reader in mind.

The Brain Dump Syndrome…

I have a new client this week who is a dentist. He wants me to search engine optimize his website and put together a linking campaign to promote his site. He proudly gave me his website URL and directed me to “check out his great website.”

His website, in a word, was hideous. The Home page was massive with tons of information, ads, links, videos and a huge laundry list of what he does. I had no idea where to start, what to read, and all I really wanted to do was leave.

Only put the pertinent information related to that page, on that page. The purpose of the Home page is to quickly get people deeper into the site. They should be able to quickly scan the page, find the information they want, and follow a link to a page devoted to that subject.

A page on general dentistry should only have information devoted to that subject, while keeping in mind that your visitor is probably either a person in pain and in a hurry to learn what you do and what it costs or a concerned parent wanting the same thing.

This is called “siloing” information. Devote a single page to one single subject. That way you can easily figure out the right keyword phrases for that page and Google can figure out exactly who to send to that page. Lastly…

Edit, edit, edit…and then edit again…

I used to be a draftsman in my previous life. One of my last jobs was with an engineering firm that designed and manufactured highway bridges. The owner was adamant that the writing on the blueprints be as perfect as the drawings and the calculations.

A young and foolish draftsman challenged him on it one day saying that the only thing that was important was that the drawings were right according to the engineer’s calculations and the state highway code. What difference did it make if there were a few spelling or grammar errors? We’re not writers.

The owner looked at him and said, “First of all, my name is on the building, the drawing title block and your paycheck. Mistakes are a reflection on me. But more importantly, if a county engineer or inspector sees spelling errors, the first thing that’s going to go through their mind is ‘what else did they get wrong?’ That could cost us the job. And that could cost you your job. Any questions?”

When it comes to website copywriting, there’s nothing worse or more annoying than spelling and grammar errors. They distract your visitors from your message and scream “amateur”. It says you either didn’t care enough to get it right or you were too cheap or too lazy to get your work properly edited. If like me, you lean to the creative side and are a little weak on the left-brained editing side, get your work professionally edited.