Skip to main content
Global Reach

We are celebrating 30 years of business in 2025! To show our appreciation to the community, we are giving away SIX FREE WEBSITES to Iowa-based organizations. Click here to apply.

×

Improve Your Website Copy Right Now

More in this section

Animated hand writing in ink pen created by Global Reach, one of the best website developers in Iowa and the midwest.

Posted on 04/04/2016 at 10:00 AM

You don't need to be a professional writer to craft engaging website copy. If you're looking to present your business in a straight-forward, clear and professional manner, a few basic changes can make all the difference.

Read on for some simple things professional copywriters are looking out for: 

Remove Extra 'That's'

A great way to clean up copy is to remove unimportant words. If you can get rid of a word and the sentence still makes sense, do it!

'That' has many functions in English, one of which is the relative pronoun. Most of the time, you don't need it.

Example:

SiteViz has all the content management features that businesses are looking for.

It's a solid sentence: direct and to the point. But it still makes sense and reads easier when 'that' is removed.

SiteViz has all the content management features businesses are looking for.

Don't Contradict Yourself

Conjunctions are words that can connect two related ideas in a sentence; like and, but, and or. But all conjunctions aren't the same – different conjunctions convey different relationships between the related clauses.

Two commonly misused conjunctions are 'but' and 'however.' These conjunctions indicate that the second idea contradicts the first, but we don't always use them in a way that makes sense.

Example: 

Responsive web design replaces multiple sites for mobile and desktop but allows visitors to view your website on nearly any device.

It can be a subtle difference, but changing 'but' to 'and' (or restructuring a sentence entirely) can more accurately reflect the idea.

Per the example, responsive website design has both of these characteristics. Using 'and' simplifies the sentence and makes it read easier.

Responsive web design replaces multiple sites for mobile and desktop and allows visitors to view your website on nearly any device.

Put away the Thesaurus

There are certainly times when we can find a synonym that more accurately describes what we're talking about, but peppering your copy with too many unusual words can become cumbersome for readers. Avoid going to the thesaurus (both literally and figuratively) just for the sake of sounding cooler. 

But what if your writing is getting too repetitive? Think about changing things up with more direct sentence structures and not repeating yourself unnecessarily. 

Example:

Global Reach has architected a content management solution that makes managing a website a breeze.

Let's clean out the fluff and get to the point!

The SiteViz Content Management Solution by Global Reach makes managing a website a breeze.

The revised sentence uses clearer language and the focus of the sentence is now SiteViz instead of Global Reach, which is what we wanted to talk about in the first place!

Just Keep it Simple!

When writing website copy, just keep it simple! Read it out loud to yourself instead of skimming, and have someone else look it over for you. You're sure to find places where a little change will make all the difference.

If you need help or have any questions about how to create an effective content for marketing, contact us today!

Copyright © 1995-2024 Global Reach Internet Productions, LLC. All rights reserved.