The Content Conundrum: Four Reasons Websites Are Not Ads
A Traditional Copywriter's Transition into Web Writing
When I was a traditional copywriter, there was one phrase that I heard over and over: “no one reads copy.” And it’s true. When a reader is tearing through the pages of a magazine, or they’re flipping through the channels at warp-speed for something to watch, you need to catch their attention with just a few powerful words and dazzling images that make them want to stop. Trust me, it’s harder than it sounds.
So, when I started writing content for websites, I approached it with the same mindset. I also followed the seemingly fail-safe rules of web writing: keep the copy short, get rid of big words and get to the point. That’s all there is to it, right?
Wrong.
It’s not that those rules shouldn’t be followed – they’re great. Several studies have shown, along with an excellent post about writing for the web from BrandingBrand.com, that web readers scan the page for information, tend to read at a 25% slower pace and stray away from large chunks of text. But, the rules should be used as guidelines, not unbreakable laws. There’s no heart, no soul, no love with copy shaved down to just bullet points. No time to establish an emotional connection with stripped, barebones pages. That’s when it dawned on me: even though websites are designed to promote, they are not ads. And they shouldn’t be treated like them, either. Here’s why:
1. It’s all about content – Believe it or not, consumers actually want content. Think about a site that you visit daily. Why do you visit? Because there’s substance. There is something about it that you love, identify with and keep coming back for. And it doesn’t matter if there are any bullet points. That’s why it’s all about content. Without substantial, meaningful content, there’s no reason for someone to stay longer, dig deeper, learn more or visit on a regular basis.
2. It's not about looks – Websites can do amazing things and are incredibly fun to play with. I love them, you love them. We forward them to coworkers and family members to look at. But, the problem with super-flashy, design-rich sites is sometimes it’s like eating cotton candy for dinner — it looks great, tastes great, but it’s really not very filling or satisfying for the long-term. Content and design should always hold equal weight and work together toward a happy union.
3. Kill the fluff – Web readers want information, not a sales pitch. But, that doesn’t mean kill the passion or strip the writing of emotion. I compare it to a friend selling me on how great a product is because she genuinely loves it, as opposed to an infomercial guaranteeing how much I’m going to love it with just three easy payments (plus shipping and handling).
4. Quality, not quantity – Just because a website has a lot of content, doesn’t mean that it’s a good thing. It takes time and a lot of thought when creating and determining what quality content is for a site. As my colleague Sara Wachter-Boettcher says, “Without that thoughtfulness, content gets messy. It gets overwhelming. It turns into an episode of “Hoarders” waiting to happen.”
Words to Write by: The Body Can Never Replace a Missing Heart
When it comes down to it, content is good. And ads are good, too. Without ads there wouldn’t be a way to demand an audience’s attention and drive people to the content in the first place. Amber Simmons, a writer and former web developer, wrote an article called “Reviving Anorexic Web Writing,” which perfectly sums up why I’m on my little content soapbox:
“Content is the heart of a brilliant user experience. From the body content to the alt text to the footer, the words that shape the page lie at the very center of an engaging visit. If the words aren’t beautiful and meaningful, the sleekest design in the world won’t compensate for it. The body can never replace a missing heart.”
I couldn’t have said it better.
About the Author: Anna Hrach
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1 comment so far
Larson Bennett says:
Ultimately, it's about two things: telling a story and selling something. It drives me a bit batty when content on a web site is reduced to small blocks of print just because it pleases the designer...or because other designers will think it's cool. It seems to me that selling something trumps design...ALWAYS.