You’ve probably heard about content that “works for a living,” but may not be entirely sure what that means. In truth, web copy is largely written by people who are not truly writers, don’t have sufficient time and under circumstances which are far from ideal. Considering the financial state of our nation, this is not a trend that is likely to improve any time soon. What we can do is insist that anyone who touches our cop—whether it is the writer, the proofreader, the editor or the owner of the website—makes sure that every chunk of text is actually doing something concrete. All copy should have a specific goal in reaching the targeted visitor.

Most of us have typed in a search query and somehow landed on a page that appears to have absolutely nothing to do with what we were looking for. Other times we encounter copy which is baffling enough or poorly written enough to send us hitting the “back” button as fast as we can. Users encounter jargon, buzzwords and fluff in overwhelming amounts with meaning which is apparently hidden so deeply as to be unrecognizable. Don’t do this to your own web visitors, rather make absolutely certain that your copy both has a goal and is consistently meeting that goal.

Look at Your Site, Then Answer These Questions

If you can answer the following questions in a meaningful way for each and every page on your legal website, you will have reached the level of excellence you were striving for—if not, never fear, there is help available. First, who is the product or service for, and can that targeted group clearly see that you are speaking directly to them. Can people who are not within the targeted audience tell that you are not speaking to them quickly and easily? What exactly is your product or service? This sounds like a no-brainer, but have you clearly spelled out—in simple language—exactly what your firm is and what you do?

Remember that your nouns should be as concrete as you can possibly make them. What does your particular service actually do for your target client? If you can’t answer this question from looking at a specific web page, then your user won’t be able to either. If your service’s primary features and benefits are laid out clearly and concretely, then it will be readily apparent what you will do for a potential client. Finally, does each page tell your user why your service is better than the vast array of available alternatives? Do you have evidence to back up your claims, and have you presented that evidence in a clear, professional manner?

Using Your Title Tag

The title tag is meant to build your visitor’s expectations, giving them an honest peek into the content located on your pages. The primary reasons website visitors leave a page is because the title tag misled them into thinking they would find what they were looking for, yet leaving them disappointed. Be as descriptive as possible in creating a title tag so as to eliminate any guesswork on the part of your visitors.

Further Thoughts on Content

Next, the content on your pages must fill a specific need, must be a practical solution to a serious problem and must give your reader an idea of how you can help them. In addition to all that, your content must also be interesting and capture the attention of your reader, coaxing them to spend more time on your website and, ultimately, to return. Your content must not only be unique, it must be organized in such a way that your users can easily scan through the pages, finding what they need. Finally, consider the fact that people like clicking on buttons and getting the desired result because it is a form of communication and it gives them quick results. Use this fact to create interactive content related to the subjects on each page and you may just be able to hold the web user’s attention long enough to garner a conversion.

Writing captivating website content is likely much less a product of incredible imagination and skill and a bit more tied to perseverance and a thorough understanding of the best practices for web content writing. While print writing allows the author to slowly build up to the crux of the story, web content dictates you get your main idea out there right off the bat. Web readers have little time to spend on a specific page and almost always have a goal of locating specific, high-quality information in the most expedient manner possible. Writers must be aware of the “formula” and follow it consistently in order to hold their reader’s attention. In part one we discussed the importance of thoroughly researching your target audience then spending the necessary time and effort writing those oh-so-crucial headlines and subheads. Now it’s time to actually write the body of your content. With your headlines and subheads in place, you should have a solid idea of what each paragraph will contain.

The Crucial Hook

After your headline, your immediate hook is likely the most important part of your content, requiring your very best writing. The hook isn’t required to be more than four to six sentences, and if you follow the most widely accepted guidelines, creating the hook can be a straightforward process. In short, your hook is created by artfully describing the symptoms of the issue you plan to solve with your writing. Rather than starting out talking about the actual issue or the subject of your content, seek to describe in great detail the current experience of your intended reader. At the end of your hook, hint that you have a solution to what ails by saying “You don’t have to put up with this…” or something similar. Once you’ve mapped out awesome headings and your initial hook, it’s time to move on to the actual body of your content.

The Primary Sections of Captivating Copy

You’ve hooked your reader with your headlines and the actual hook, now it’s time to detail the actual problem or issue which causes the symptoms you just explained in your opener. Next, you will give more detail about the particular issue and why it might keep cropping up then it is time to offer a solution. At this point you are likely less than halfway into your total word count. While in a print book the actual “solution” to the problem would likely come much further into the book, remember this is the web, and web readers want quick solutions, so now is the time to ante up the resolution. The remainder of your content will be dedicated to telling your web reader how they can turn your ideas into result or how to apply what you’ve just taught them. When you have faithfully followed the above formula you should have solid, persuasive, high quality content which will be highly optimized for search engines, resulting in increased highly targeted traffic.

Summing It Up

In order to write web content which captivates remember to focus on your target audience constantly asking yourself how they can benefit from what you are about to write. Stress the benefits of the information you are offering and make sure you are consistently using action verbs and active sentences. Spend the necessary time on your keywords and headlines rather than adding them as a slapped-on afterthought. Add images when appropriate, but use them judiciously and only add an image when it will both grab the reader’s attention and add another dimension to your writing. Finally, remember why you are a writer, and enjoy what you do for a living.