magnt

Most web copy sucks. We’re so afraid of offending or turning someone away that we play it safe and write copy that sounds like other ‘professional’ websites. This means we rarely offend but also rarely engage. Here’s a quote from a random small business website.

“As a leading distributor of IT solutions in more than 30 countries, Technology Solutions improves how technology products and services are defined and delivered to businesses worldwide. From our place at the center of the channel, we enable solution providers to grow faster with less investment by helping them understand customers’ unique business requirements and industry-specific needs.”

I hate this for two reasons. First, it tells me absolutely nothing about the company. I want to march right up to the committee that wrote this and ask, “What the heck are you talking about? I have no idea what you just said.” Second, the tone of the copy is so cold it feels almost robotic. My guess is this is a really great company that cares about it’s customers and has some super unique aspects to it. However, you would never guess that from the paragraph above.

A little known side effect of copy like this is that it makes people want to kick themselves in the face. Before you sit down to write or update the copy on your website don’t ask the question, “What does the copy on our competitor’s website say?” Trust me it’s terrible. Instead ask, “How do our favorite customers describe us?” It’s my hunch that they might use words like personal, engaging, creative, and maybe even, fun. Make sure your copy reflects that.

Photo Credit: tourist_on_earth