Getting people to read key information

On your web pages you want to connect with your reader - but did you know that people don’t read web pages?  If you’re wondering what the point of writing killer copy if people aren’t going to read it, then here are some tips to make the words connect as much as possible.

1. Know what your visitor is looking for and make sure the first thing they say addresses that need.  That will be your big, bold headline!  If you don’t know what people appreciate about what you do then ask a few satisfied clients what your biggest advantages are and sell your services with those benefits in mind.
2. Don’t go on and on and on.  Most web pages can say what is needed in 200-300 words.  If you can get it all onto one screen, so much the better.  Your visitor won’t have to work to get your message; no scrolling required!
3. People scan the screen in an ‘F’ shape (yes, it’s been researched with eye sensors), so you know that they’ll pick up the beginning of paragraphs.  Make sure each paragraph starts with something that connects with them.
4. Put key words in bold.  Not capitals, just bold - they’ll stand out from the rest and attract the eye.  Don’t fall into the trap of doing this to too many words and peppering your page with bold words, or you’ll lose the effect.  One or two per paragraph is usually plenty.
5. If you have a key piece of information that you want people to read, turn it into a bullet point list.  We read lists where we won’t bother to read a paragraph.  You can turn three sentences into three bullet points with a little creativity.
6. Put a call to action at the end and make the words into a hyperlink.  The hand tends to follow the eye and people respond to hyperlinks that give instructions without realising it.  For example:  Not ‘Click here to find out more’, but ‘explore our service pages to find out how your company will benefit’.

Following these simple rules will help you to get your visitor to stay and find out more about what you can do for them.