Opening the virtual doorway:
Writing web pages that welcome

Writing web pages that are "punchy" and "sticky" can be much harder than writing a formal letter. Web content needs to sound energetic, personal, and current. Those of us who grew up doing business or personal writing in a pre-web world often have trouble achieving the right tone and level of detail.

If you have a business, however, the most important thing about writing for the web is that you do it! Your customers expect to be able to find information about your products and services on the web. In today's round-the-clock, global economy, people will visit Amazon or eBay if you're not "open" at midnight when they are ready to shop.

As you prepare to write web content, think of your web site as a "virtual doorway" into your business. Write a friendly introduction that lets visitors get to know you. Describe your value proposition early on. Let people know what there is to do on your site (buy something, find information, connect with others like themselves).

The catch, of course, is that you do it succinctly! No one likes to read tons of copy online. Your web site is an introduction to you and your business, not your full brochure or product catalog.

Learn more about writing web pages: