One of the biggest bugbears we come across when designing a website is the need for written copy to fit seamlessly into the design but without taking up too much space. Any online marketing specialist worth their salt will tell you that you need a degree at least of (optimised) copy on all core pages to help your website perform well for both users and search engines, but then how to integrate that need with a design that places importance on imagery and media rather than static content?
In our experience, there are 2 types of website copywriters out there – the slightly verbose ones, and those who go for shortened messages to promote their business. There are pros and cons to both, but we have seen an upturn recently in marketers opting for the shorter messaging style to put across their proposition, as this serves a dual purpose of fitting in better with streamlined and often minimalist website design, and also serves those “on-the-go” users who don’t have time to sit and read long paragraphs of copy.
With this shift in copy style, we have seen an increase in businesses, particularly those in the B2B sector, choosing to write bold headers and make their 2-3 line paragraphs the centre on their website, with longer copy then relegated to subpages or included on the website as downloadable media such as PDFs or Word documents. This again then works better for users who may want to save a document to read offline later and only need to see the highlights on first view. This in turn has also led to an increase in case studies being featured as these give extra credibility and allow for essential USPs to be highlighted in a different way to readers.
Case Study
Speaking of Case Studies, here’s one of our own website builds that utilises shortened messaging with the longer, necessary detail included as downloadable media.
Vectair Systems
This website utilises a minimalist design in black and white with bold primary colours emphasising the core product range, which then feature in a changing banner.
Scrolling down the page, users then experience a more traditional black on white design with one line header, strapline and 2 paragraphs and an image of the company’s product range, with one of their core USPs – global reach – highlighted underneath.
From here, users can access all subpage using the traditional top menu, and information about their services and products are included in more detail with downloadable tech product sheets available as PDF documents.
