Writing is hard work. If you would like to put a little extra shine on your writing before hitting publish, here are 5 easy ways to make your website copy easy to read.
1. Use subheadings.
Readers understand you.
When I see a subheading, I can easily understand that you are moving from one topic to the next, or from idea to the next. Don’t make me think.
The text is organized.
It’s easier to read what you have to say when I can see an outline, or a framework, leading me through your narration. Subheadings help me stay with you.
Skimmers stay interested.
People don’t read everything on the internet. They skim. They jump down to the next… what? Section? photo? heading?
Exactly. Do you have that section break, or heading, or photo there?
Use headings to grab interest, and to help readers find information they are interested in reading about.
2. Use smaller paragraphs.
On the web, it can be hard to follow the thread of your article’s information and digest the meaning of your content. Sometimes it may be necessary to explain what you are talking about, which makes the paragraphs long, and sometimes even the sentences become long and drawn out, like this one. If you have 2 large paragraphs next to each other, the strain on the brain can turn readers away.
Did you skip that and read this?
Why?
Because it was tiring. Because it was long. Because was hard.
Not all your paragraphs need to be short. Not all your sentences need to be short.
Like this one.
But if you have a long sentence, add short sentences before or after it. And if you have a long paragraph, try to have a short paragraph after it (1-2 sentences).
Break up your paragraphs if they are long. About 4-5 sentences is a good rule of thumb for online writing.
3. Use bullets.
Whenever you can, make a list somewhere in your article. Display them as a bulleted list or a numbered list (1,2,3). Use bullets or numbered lists to:
- give a quick overview of your content.
- compare options in a quick, easy way.
- share benefits of a product or service.
- list action items or steps of a process.
4. Write more simply.
It has been said that it takes more experience to write more simply. Use words and phrases that are familiar to your audience. Include shorter sentences that digest better.
5. End with a call to action.
Invite the reader to do something at the end. Here are a few ideas:
For a blog article:
- write a comment
- write a comment — share a similar experience
- write a comment — share info that was missed
- subscribe to blog updates
- read related article
- download content / article / prayer list
- print article / prayer list
- click to Like the article
- click to Share the article on social media
Other ideas:
- schedule a consultation
- call for more information
- purchase related service / product
- request something
- sign up for something
Next Steps
How good is your website copy? To gain experience, contact me for a strategy call to make your website copy and writing better.
[…] You can also get your content ready ahead of time. Here is the content checklist I use for my clients. Here is an easy checklist for how to make your website content easy to read. […]