How do I write the best web copy?

30/05/2022

Hoe scrhijf ik beste webtekest

Several studies have found that people absorb more information and focus better when reading from paper, rather than from a screen. This is because when reading from a screen you usually scroll through content and scan through information faster, which brings you to go through more text in a shorter time. This can often lead readers to have shorter attention spans and not finish the text they are reading, before already switching to the next piece of content. So how can you write a good web copy that keeps readers glued to your page?

There are a few ways to encourage readers to stay on your page. Precisely because people read less mindfully from a screen, it is necessary to make your text as attractive as possible to the reader. Below you will find our helpful tips to write an effective web copy that will keep readers interested.

Clear headings

Use headings to maintain a good structure in your text. You can do this by making the headings larger than the actual text, bold or giving them a different color. It is also possible to combine these points with each other, to make them stand out even more. Additionally, subheadings are also useful to grab the attention of a scanning reader.

As mentioned earlier, visitors usually scan a text when reading from a screen and by creating clear and informative headings for the reader, you ensure to catch their interest and that they will actually read through the paragraph rather than just the title.

Number of lines per paragraph

Having to read large chunks of text from a screen is unpleasant. Chances are, the reader is going to scan through your text looking for the information they need. However, there is also a chance that the reader will not read your text at all, a big miss when it comes to a text about your new product or service!

By writing short paragraphs of 2 – 4 lines, you make the reader feel more comfortable, as they will not consider reading your text as a challenging task, but on the contrary a light and informative read.

Ideal line length

The ideal line length is between 65-85 characters, including spaces. This is according to the research of online marketer Jim Connolly. From 95 characters or more, texts are perceived as unpleasant. This is because the eye muscles constantly have to stretch to read the entire line.

For the study, the font Arial was used with font size 15 pixels. Therefore, if you choose a different font or size, be sure to keep the reader’s eye strain in mind.

Font type and size

There are many different theories and test results about the correct font to use on a display screen. A person’s unconscious brain processes each font differently. A difficult reading task will be associated with a difficult exercise. This unconscious process is called processing fluency.

Processing fluency is the scientific term to describe how easily the brain processes information. If information can be processed easily and quickly, it is referred to as being fluent. Research shows that people are more positive about texts that are quick and easy for the brain to process.

The brain can process fonts that are non-serif more easily than those that are serif. A serif font has brackets on the letters (as in the example below). You can see that the sans serif font is much easier to read. Keep this in mind when choosing a font for your website, newsletter or email marketing.

webtekst

The most commonly used “Web safe fonts” fonts are Verdana, Trebuchet and Arial. These are standard fonts that everyone has on their computer. Having all these fonts on your PC used to be necessary to read them, but nowadays your computer can read a font even if it is not on it.

Today, Google Fonts are the most widely used fonts on the web. These are easy to add to your website by using a simple script in the header. Some examples are Lato, Roboto and Open Sans.

Over the years, it has become common to use larger fonts. A few years ago it was perfectly normal to use 14 pixels, now 16 or even 18 pixels are recommended for your website. Font size also depends on your font thickness (font-weight). Usually 300 is good for any font, but this can vary by browser. In Chrome, for example, the letters often appear slightly thinner, so be sure to keep this in mind!

Font color

A number of important points emerged from several studies conducted into the use of the most effective font color to use on a website.

The colors that work best are those where there is a lot of contrast, so dark and bright colors. The best contrast is a light background with the text in a dark color. It was also found that a gray shade is better than a black color on a white background. The black color is often too bright, making the reader’s eyes more likely to tire.

Interlineation

Interlines refer to the amount of white space between lines, that is, how much (white) space there is between lines. Interlineation provides the reader with extra ease of reading.

The standard HTML interline is too small for proper readability. There are several articles on the Internet indicating that 140%, compared to the standard HTML interline, has the best effect. So, an interline of 140% improves the readability of the text for the reader.

In conclusion...

With these helpful tips, anyone can get started with writing a web copy. Always remember that you need the reader’s attention for a profitable website. Basically, you can think of your website as a physical store for your customers, where you want them to feel welcome and at ease as much as possible. Without a good web copy, this becomes a difficult task.

Want to know more?

Do you need help with web copywriting? Then feel free to contact us without obligation. You can call contact us through the button below or send us an email to info@leadgate.eu.

Norman Vincent Peale

Dr. Norman Vincent Peale (1898–1993) was a minister and author (most notably of The Power of Positive Thinking) and a progenitor of the theory of “positive thinking”.

Schedule a call

Marketing strategy helps you with:

Reid Hoffman

Reid Garrett Hoffman is an American internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, podcaster, and author. Hoffman was the co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, a business-oriented social network used primarily for professional networking.

Eddy Huang

Edwyn Charles Huang (born March 1, 1982) is an American film director, author, chef, restaurateur, food personality, producer, and attorney. He was a co-owner of BaoHaus, a gua bao restaurant in the East Village of Lower Manhattan.

Mother Theresa

Moeder Teresa, geboren als Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu (Skopje, 26 augustus 1910 – Calcutta, 5 september 1997), was een katholieke zuster, stichteres van de Missionarissen van Naastenliefde en Nobelprijswinnares voor de vrede. … In 2003 werd ze zalig verklaard en op 4 september 2016 volgde de heiligverklaring.

Warren Buffett

Warren Edward Buffett (Omaha (Nebraska), 30 augustus 1930) is een Amerikaans zakenman en investeerder. Hij is directeur en met een belang van 38% grootaandeelhouder van Berkshire Hathaway. Buffett staat al enkele decennia op de lijst van rijkste mensen ter wereld met in 2021 een geschat vermogen van 109 miljard dollar.