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10 Tips for Writing Clearly and Concisely
By Matthew Ambrose of The Copywriters's Crucible
There are a lot of badly written websites out there. After all, why pay a copywriter to do something you were taught at school? But having clear, concise copy on your website can be a big advantage. It makes it easier for visitors to understand what it is you do and why buying your product is the smart thing to do. However, writing clearly can be difficult if it’s not something you do regularly. So here are 10 tips to help you improve the copywriting on your website: 1. Keep your sentences and paragraphs short. 15-20 words per sentence and 2-3 lines per paragraph is a sensible aim.
2. Focus on 1 idea or point per sentence. If you need to expand, you can use connecting words like ‘but’, ‘so’ and ‘because’ to link it to the next sentence.
3. Cut out unnecessary words. Brevity is the basis of clear writing
4. Avoid using long words when a shorter word will do. This makes your sentences quicker and easier to read, and avoids readers having to hunt for their dictionary.
5. Vary your sentences between long and short to give your writing a rhythmic flow that’s enjoyable to read
6. Write in the active voice where the subject comes before the verb e.g. ‘The boy threw the ball’ rather than ‘The ball was thrown by the boy’
7. Avoid using technical jargon and gobbledegook, unless you’re writing for a technical audience that will understand what you mean.
8. Use positive inspiring language with words such as ‘will’ and ‘can’ rather than ‘can’t’ or ‘won’t’
9. Split up long passages of copy with subheadings, bullet points and summaries to aid skim readers
10. After you’ve finished writing, read your copy out loud. It’s a great way of getting an impression of how it sounds in a reader’s head and whether it needs a bit more fine tuning. -----------------------------------
For more copywriting tips and marketing advice visit http//www.copywriterscrucible.com
Matt Ambrose is a freelance copywriter who provides punchy, persuasive copywriting and marketing expertise to startups, SMEs and international brands.
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Great job on your first intel Matt. Thanks for sharing these great tips. Gina
Hi Matt Congrats on your first intel. Thanks for the reminder - I need these. I am one who usually forget about this things so it is good for me. Cheers
Joey
 |  | Joey Dec 8, 2010 20:58 | |
Had not heard of skin readers before, so I googled it. fascinating, you want us to add headings for people who can tell colour differences and tread with their skin? I am sure you meant skimmers not readers, but then again, why would a copywriter need some help from someone who learned it at school. Proof reading is really important no?
Thank you for sharing this information, Matt.
I've enjoyed writing here and I'm sure that your intels will benefit a lot of people.
Keep up the good work.
Best wishes.
Frederick
Excellent article Matthew - you've made very good points that everyone should follow. Looking forward to reading more.
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