The rapid growth of the internet and online businesses in the last decade has meant that copywriters the world over have had to rethink and renovate their writing skills.
Today, being able to write content that's suitable for the web is an important skill set, one that potential employers value highly when seeking a new addition to their copywriting team.
If you're a traditional writer hoping to expand your experience into the online world, it's important to remember that writing for the web is not fundamentally any different to writing for print.
However, there are certain basic points to bear in mind if you want to ensure that your copy is ideally suited to online audiences.
If you've never written online content before, the most important thing to know is to keep your copy concise and to the point.
Remember, you're competing for the reader's attention with thousands of other websites, so you need to hook them in quickly.
Long and unwieldy sentences will deter users, most of whom want to find the information they need as quickly and conveniently as possible.
Second, always consider the goal of the content you're writing.
For example, if you're writing web pages for a retailer, the ultimate goal of your copy is to persuade visitors to that website to buy something.
In order to do this, you'll need to succinctly describe the products or services on offer and make it as easy as possible for potential consumers to purchase them.
On the other hand, if your task is to write a page that is authoritative and informative - for example, content on how to tackle debt or other financial problems - your copy should be longer in length and as detailed as possible.
Ideally, it should also provide further contact details or point users towards other useful sources of information.
Once you've adopted your writing style to the requirements of the online world, it's time to start thinking about the technical aspects, the most important being search engine optimisation or SEO.
SEO aims to boost a website's prominence on search engine results pages - particularly on Google, which is the market leading search engine in the US and the UK.
Essentially, the easier a business is to find on the internet, the greater chance it has of online success.
Most companies handle their SEO activities through individual managers or search engine marketing agencies, but copywriters also have an important role to play.
While it's crucial for writers to ensure that they always target their content to human readers rather than Google algorithms, it's also important to include relevant keywords.
For example, a designer dress store should ensure that its online content actually uses the phrase "designer dresses".
It may sound obvious but many online content writers forget even these simple rules.
Including links is another SEO strategy to which the online writer should become accustomed.
Placing links to related pages within web copy is not only good SEO practice but it also helps users find information across a website quickly and conveniently.
It's clear, then, that writing for online audiences is simple if the basic rules are always considered.
If you're a traditional writer hoping to gain experience in writing web copy, rest assured that you don't have to wait for the right job opening in order to do so.
Starting a blog will give you a taste of writing for the web, no matter what topic you choose to write on.
You should also stay abreast of developments in the online world by reading relevant news articles and blogs from SEO gurus.
It might also be a good idea to learn basic HTML, through books, online or evening classes, in order to boost your technical knowledge.
Cumulatively, taking these small steps may bolster your chances of becoming a successful online content master, as well a more employable copywriter in today's multi-media job market.
Today, being able to write content that's suitable for the web is an important skill set, one that potential employers value highly when seeking a new addition to their copywriting team.
If you're a traditional writer hoping to expand your experience into the online world, it's important to remember that writing for the web is not fundamentally any different to writing for print.
However, there are certain basic points to bear in mind if you want to ensure that your copy is ideally suited to online audiences.
If you've never written online content before, the most important thing to know is to keep your copy concise and to the point.
Remember, you're competing for the reader's attention with thousands of other websites, so you need to hook them in quickly.
Long and unwieldy sentences will deter users, most of whom want to find the information they need as quickly and conveniently as possible.
Second, always consider the goal of the content you're writing.
For example, if you're writing web pages for a retailer, the ultimate goal of your copy is to persuade visitors to that website to buy something.
In order to do this, you'll need to succinctly describe the products or services on offer and make it as easy as possible for potential consumers to purchase them.
On the other hand, if your task is to write a page that is authoritative and informative - for example, content on how to tackle debt or other financial problems - your copy should be longer in length and as detailed as possible.
Ideally, it should also provide further contact details or point users towards other useful sources of information.
Once you've adopted your writing style to the requirements of the online world, it's time to start thinking about the technical aspects, the most important being search engine optimisation or SEO.
SEO aims to boost a website's prominence on search engine results pages - particularly on Google, which is the market leading search engine in the US and the UK.
Essentially, the easier a business is to find on the internet, the greater chance it has of online success.
Most companies handle their SEO activities through individual managers or search engine marketing agencies, but copywriters also have an important role to play.
While it's crucial for writers to ensure that they always target their content to human readers rather than Google algorithms, it's also important to include relevant keywords.
For example, a designer dress store should ensure that its online content actually uses the phrase "designer dresses".
It may sound obvious but many online content writers forget even these simple rules.
Including links is another SEO strategy to which the online writer should become accustomed.
Placing links to related pages within web copy is not only good SEO practice but it also helps users find information across a website quickly and conveniently.
It's clear, then, that writing for online audiences is simple if the basic rules are always considered.
If you're a traditional writer hoping to gain experience in writing web copy, rest assured that you don't have to wait for the right job opening in order to do so.
Starting a blog will give you a taste of writing for the web, no matter what topic you choose to write on.
You should also stay abreast of developments in the online world by reading relevant news articles and blogs from SEO gurus.
It might also be a good idea to learn basic HTML, through books, online or evening classes, in order to boost your technical knowledge.
Cumulatively, taking these small steps may bolster your chances of becoming a successful online content master, as well a more employable copywriter in today's multi-media job market.
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