Do you know how to write a website copy?

As a freelance writer, I used to create, design, and work on several websites for sofa. So since I've spent so much time with them, I think it would be interesting to write something on sofa's blog.

I believe everyone thinks the most annoying thing when surfing the internet is to see the pages that are packed with words and the ones that need endless clicks----------more clicks, and then we can find what we're looking for.

So I think the copy on the Web page should be clear, so that readers can quickly and easily scan the browsing. And like the Web site interface, good copywriting should also conform to the reader's intuition. And to do that, here are 10 rules I follow:

Know what you want to write

"Our product function is very powerful!" On many websites, you often see such sentences. I've always felt that these people might not have been able to figure out what their products were doing to write such empty sentences.

Before starting a formal job, it is best to use a few words to describe the product to be done. Don't talk about competitors and what you don't do, just write it down with the simplest plain words.

Two. Find out what the problem is

We buy new products or software because it satisfies some of our needs, whether it is real or imagined. A deep understanding of the product's corresponding needs or problems to be solved is the key to writing good copy.

Three. List points

You know what the product is and what it can do. Now make a list of all the things you want to introduce about this product.

Which function do you want to emphasize? How can users use this product? I'll make an outline that contains these points first. In the final finished product, they will become a small column of text.

Doing so is not only useful to the writer, but also a great help to the readers. For example, this is the outline I used in one of the most recent online services projects:

Brief description of issues addressed by products and products

Concise but more in-depth product function observation

Functions or features that make this product stand out from competitors

List of other cool features

Who will use this product and what benefits will they get?

Can it work with other programs? Can users export their own data?

How does this company secure users ' online data?

How does this company guarantee user privacy?

Four. Finish the first draft as soon as possible

Now, you should start writing the first draft, the faster you finish the better. Do not worry about grammar, typos or anything, even if the meaning is fluent, and then spend a lot of time to modify the polishing, and now only need to put the idea in your mind as soon as possible into the computer.

Five. Constantly rewriting

This sentence seems to be old fashioned, but it is right.

Rewrite it over and over again is the most important reason why a professional writer has become a "professional".

Most text-editing software can count words, take advantage of this feature, keep all copy fields in the same height, and add or remove some text if necessary.

When you're done, print out what you've written, read it in your hand, and don't read it on the screen so you can mark the place you want to change at any time.

Find all the places that are not satisfactory, continue to modify them on your computer, and then print them again to read.

Keep repeating the process until you go home to bed at night and continue the next morning.

Six. Love the designers, they will love you

When you feel like the written copy is almost what you want, start talking to the guy who is designing the page.

In sofa, I often sit with joy-vincent and discuss how to design the page. I told him how many fields I needed and what the subject of each column was, and he would let me know what visual effects he wanted to use. We worked together to make a plan, and we cooperated with each other.

Seven. Do not proofread yourself

Now, you should have read these words over and over again. Don't ask your designer to do this, grab a person who has nothing to do with the project, and if they don't understand, you know you're not finished.

Eight. Let customers also participate in

Ask your client to read your copy, preferably on a page that already has a basic framework. The copy written for the website can only be seen on the website.

When discussing with customers, bring pen and paper and keep track of their opinions. Sometimes the ideas they put forward do not agree with you, but they are more important to remember, and they are likely to know more about their product and target audience than you do.

If you really disagree with their opinions, politely explain why you do so, but always be better prepared to revise.

Nine. Did I say I love designers?

If the customer is satisfied with your work, you should let the designer to finish the finishing touches, as far as possible to participate in the process, in the design of the production to see more, and then make the necessary changes. The better the page does, the better your text will look.

10. Enough to do

To the final stage of the project, in order to complete on schedule, usually accompanied by crazy night work overtime, at this time must avoid big changes.

You have been staring at your words for too long, probably just because of aesthetic fatigue and want to change. No, no! This is a time when any mistakes can lead to serious consequences, try to make only minor changes, and then, when you're on a great website, enjoy the copy you've created.

English Original: Writing for the Web