These days, if you’re not on the web you don’t exist – in business terms, at least. Whether you’re marketing a new property development, have professional services to offer or just want to create a bit of extra income from your holiday home, the chances are the first place your potential customers will look for info is the internet.

So, how do you ensure that your web site will keep your target customers interested and, more importantly, make them choose you over your immediate rivals? Well, there are no magic bullets – but there are things you can do to make your site work harder.

In particular, it’s worth paying close attention to the written content. The words you use will convey as much, if not more, information about your company or sales proposition as the pictures and design, so it’s essential that the text is well-written, engaging and, above all, free of errors.

Of course, not everyone can afford to bring in a specialist writer. But if you follow these 10 steps you can avoid some of the most common copywriting pitfalls and make sure your words work for your business rather than against it.

1 Do your research

Before you write a word you should check out your rivals' web sites and see how they are selling themselves. The aim is not to imitate but to find out what you think works and what doesn't – and why.
 
2 Understand your company…

The next step is positioning. Make a list of your unique selling points or market differentiators, along with key words and messages that describe your strengths, values and  approach. These ideas need to be conveyed in your written content so readers get a strong sense of who you are.

3 …And your customers

You also need to consider who your customers are and what they'll want from your site. This is possibly the single most important part of the process because it defines everything, from how your site looks to what you need to say and how you should be saying it. The more precise you are about who you’re aiming at, the more effective your site will be.

4 Find your voice

Next think about the tone of voice of your words. Generally, the safest and most effective approach is friendly but businesslike. Try to talk personally to the reader but don’t be tempted to make jokes or include anything else that could be misunderstood or cause offence. The same goes for jargon – using technobabble is a sure way to turn readers off, even the ones who understand it.

5 Be consistent

Whatever approach you take, it needs to be consistent. So, as well as sticking to your tone of voice, make sure you are using the same spellings and grammatical style throughout the site. Be especially careful with apostrophes and capital letters. It doesn’t matter how good your content is, if it’s full of mistakes and inconsistencies you’ll appear slapdash and unprofessional.

6 The need for clarity

It’s no good having lots of fascinating info on your web site if people can’t find it – so it’s essential that everything is clearly sign-posted. This not only applies to how users navigate the site but also to what you put on your home page, which should always explain succinctly who you are and what you do.
 
7 Step into your readers' shoes

To create good marketing text, you need to be able to look at your business proposition from the outside in – that is, see things from the customer’s perspective. Unfortunately, this is not as easy as it sounds. The trick is to find out what interests and concerns your customers and focus your content on these issues.
 
8 Get a response

A web site is no substitute for a human being, so it’s important that you encourage your readers to take the next step, which is to contact you. This means providing a clearly visible contact button on every page. Your text can also contain specific calls to action, such as ring us for a quote, for greater emphasis.

9 Less is more

If your navigation bars are endless and your pages scroll on forever, you are more likely to drive people away than win them over. Focus on your key selling points and the information you know customers will be looking for – if they want more, they’ll contact you.

10  Check it – and check again

Finally, make sure your site has been proof read from top to bottom by at least two people – it’s amazing what a fresh pair of eyes can spot. And if there are any glitches, however small, get them fixed. It's not just a typing error or broken link at stake, it’s your whole online identity.