It's a standard mistake.

Even experienced web writers make it.

When writing your online copy, who you think of?

Can you picture a potential customer reading your text? And you think about what makes him - or her - click?

That's what most web writers do.

They treat their web visitors like people who prefer to read. zalo web

They treat their web visitors just like readers of printed text.

But that's wrong. Completely wrong. Because web copy is totally different than print copy.

Web copy is scanned. Or glanced at. Not read.

Want to write better site content?

Your online visitors are trying to find information or products. They make quick decisions without thinking.

So how can you persuade web visitors to take action should they don't read your text?

I'd like to explain...

Below follow 9 tips to write persuasive copy for the web.

Ready?

1. Treat your online visitors like wild animals
Your website visitors behave like wild animals (source: Jakob Nielsen's Alertbox).

They're trying to find information or a product to get - being a hungry panther hunts for his next meal.

Each time a panther sniffs a scent trail he quickly decides: will the scent trail result in a good meal? And does it be a straightforward catch?

Your online visitors consider the exact same two things: Does your website offer what they're searching for? And would they find it easily?

A hungry panther doesn't like wasting time and energy to catch a meal. And your online visitors don't want to browse around your website for several long minutes to get the product they're after. They wish to find it quickly.

Just like the panther makes an easy decision whether to follow a scent trail or not, your online visitor decides quickly whether your website is advantageous or not. So if your website looks complicated with lots of options to select from, they click away to check out another website.

Web visitors quickly look into your web page before guessing whether they're in the best place or not. They don't need to find out for sure. They only want to create a quick decision.

If your online visitors only look into your website, how do you get your message across?

2. Put your most important information first
Writing for the web is wholly distinctive from writing an article or a paper.

An essay might go like this: First, explain what you're planning to discuss. Then, present an overview of the literature. Next, discuss; and finally draw your conclusion. The most important point you make is in the final outcome - at the end of one's essay!

On webpages you need to do the alternative: your most important points always come first.

An illustration: you're buying new red three-seater sofa. When you arrive at an internet site you intend to view it sells sofas. And secondly, you'll need a search box so you realize you are able to quickly uncover what the red three-seater sofas are like.

Or say you're buying copywriter for the website. Maybe you're searching for someone local, so you'll need to see a copywriter is located in Manchester that will be nearby. Or even your copywriter needs to comprehend medical terminology, so you want to see a headline like copywriting for the medical industry.

Information that's most important to your online visitors is usually a straightforward statement of what you do. If they understand what you do, they may want to know some important details. And then - maybe they'd like to understand some background information.

Journalists call this way of writing the inverted pyramid. In newspaper articles probably the most newsworthy information comes first before details and background information. Even though you only read the first paragraph of a newspaper story you still understand the big picture.

It's the exact same on your own website. Your visitors wish to know the big picture first. Basically: What can you do? Or exactly what do you do for them?

3. Don't try to be clever or creative
On the net it's rare a reader hangs onto every word you write. He doesn't have time. He's in a hurry when he could check out many scent trails - websites - as opposed to wasting time trying to determine what you do.