Simplify – and watch your conversions multiply

Are you one of those people who uses twenty words when two will do?

Verbosity can be a great asset on the shop floor. However, if you are the one responsible for writing the copy for your business’ website, you may find that you’re not getting as many leads as you’d like. Chatting away to your customers in real life can give them a warm, cared-for feeling, but when it comes to websites, less is more.

It’s a peculiar fact that the majority of people read websites at a cracking pace. Something about the infinite number of possible links to click on, perhaps, gives us a sense of urgency. In the early days, marketers simply took the copy from their print brochures and put it online, but they soon discovered that what works on paper simply isn’t as effective on-screen.

Website users want you to cut the waffle. They’d like to be told what to do, and in as few words as possible. In theory, that’s simple, but just you try it: it’s a real art. Go through your text and cut out any repetitions you find. Labyrinthine figures of speech should go. Sentences with multiple clauses should be shown the door. Often, it pays to cut out the first paragraph or two altogether.

The trouble is, folk get attached to their own prose. It’s hard to see it dispassionately. The answer, then, maybe to hire a professional copywriter – and not just any copywriter: an online specialist. They are adept at saying exactly what needs to be said, in as few words as possible.

And now, I’m off to edit this post to half its length.