Creating Great Website Content: Write Like You Speak

Writing Good Content Usually Means Keeping It “Real”

More often than not, I must coach new clients to help them get their website content whipped into shape. This just happened with one of my clients whom I’ll call “Sue”. Though Sue is a pretty good writer I could see many areas where, with a few tweaks and improvements, she’d do a much better job at “talking to” and really relating to the visitors that will land on her website.

In many instances, I found her content rather stiff and boring. It didn’t get me too excited about her really great products. Since I so often see this mistake in my client’s website content, I thought I’d touch upon it in today’s post.

Project Your Unique Speaking Style Into Your Written Words!

If you were standing face-to-face with a customer, you would certainly know how to talk to them; how to explain the benefits of your products or services; why, you’d even be able to answer any objections or concerns they’d raise, right? Sure you would.

Well then, since the content on our sites is really our only way to communicate to a potential client … do you understand how to effectively translate the spoken words (your conversation) into great written words? Is your content written in very much of the same tone and demeanor as it would be if you were actually speaking face-to-face with the person? I highly suggest that it should be.

You know, I often am complimented on the way I write. Whether on my hobbyist websites, business websites, or right here on my blog, I tend to use the same tone and attitude with the written words that I would be using if we were chatting. I do my darndest to impart “Claudia” into all aspects of my written words.

I receive compliments because there is genuineness to what I write. I’m not stiff in the way I say things. Think about this … don’t you find it easier to read content where the person writing it seems to be letting the words flow from their mouths, rather than stiffly from their “heads”?

Loosen Up and Keep It Real

I just want to remind you today to loosen up a bit when you write content. Try to pretend you are in the room with your visitor, having a friendly conversation.

As example, if you knew me personally you’d probably say that I use lots of hand gestures, facial expressions and voice inflections when I communicate. We’d call that “demonstrative”. I don’t think anyone would accuse me of being “dry”. But that’s OK, that’s me.

Thusly, I use a lot of punctuation and italics and such that perhaps you don’t normally see in other people’s online content. But I do this for a reason … I’m trying to get my verbal style of speaking and communicating across to the person reading my posts or articles.

Remember … I did tell you my readers really like my style. So for me, my approach works.

And along with this, I try very hard to type those words out as close as I can to the way I’d be verbalizing it. Yes, this often can be hard, and yes it may take those of you heeding this advice some extra time, but I guarantee if you try the “natural” approach to your writing, you will get the hang of it in not too much time.

Sue caught on quickly, and when she sent me back her tweaked content, it was dramatically improved. I was able to tell her that now she sounded like she was writing in a style and language that I knew her prospective customers would truly relate to!

So, as I said in the beginning of this post … as much as it makes sense and is possible … write it just like you’d say it!