Skip links

The Secret to Good Web Copy

Yes, I am going to reveal my secret for writing effective web copy. It is the single most important thing you can do for your web site, whether you’re looking at it from an objective point of view as a consultant, from an SEO point of view, or if you are approaching a web site from the customer’s point of view. And the secret is so obvious, it is hard to believe that so many sites fail to take it into account. The secret is passion.

PASSION.

That’s it. That’s the key. Many people are passionate about what they do. They care about their customers. They care about the quality of product or service they provide. They care about following up, providing excellent customer service, and ensuring they charge a fair price. And yet, so often, when you look at their web sites there is no passion.

Just words. Maybe a few details, a contact form. Some images or a video if you’re lucky. But not passion. No mention of why they do what they do, why they do it better. If I’m looking for a product or service, I need to be convinced that you’re the best at what you do. And if you aren’t the best, convince me about why you’re passionate about what you do.

I was at a networking meeting last week and a presentation was given by a man who owned a custom paint and collision repair company. He was passionate about what he did — making cars safe for parents and families, creating a quality product that a person would be proud to ride around in. I don’t know much about cars and I know even less about car repairs, but hearing him talk convinced me that he was honest, fair, and knowledgeable. I know if I were in an accident, I would bring my car to him without hesitation. But his website and internet presence didn’t convey any of that passion.  None of it. There were a few words and an address and that was it. I want to see that passion — through images of the work he’s done, content that shows he’s knowledgeable and hard-working, through testimonials from happy customers, through information about which insurance companies he works with so I know that I’ll be covered, etc. I want that passion.

If you need to bring that special spark back into your website, find a good writer to help you with your content. You don’t necessarily need to find an agency, but if you do, talk to them at length. Show them your passion so they can bring that excitement, that spark, that caring, into the copy you present to the internet world. It might just be the most effective change you make to your internet strategy.