There’s no denying that websites and web apps continue to increase their power and capabilities. As a result, users have a better experience, conversion rates increase, more time is spent on sites, and more sales are generated.

But despite all of these benefits, there is a huge element that isn’t getting enough attention: Website Copy! Your website copy may be the single most important element of your online presence. After all, a good third of conversion rates rely directly on good quality website copy to help prospects understand what they need.

The internet is constantly changing, and SEO is ever-evolving. If you want to remain competitive in five years, you must regularly update your website and content.

So, here are ten copy issues on your site that will be common in 2022 (and beyond) and how you can fix them.

1.  Engaging Readers with Visuals

According to a recent survey, posts with visuals receive up to 650 percent higher engagement. Visuals are much more interesting to readers than dense blocks of text. If you have eye-catching photos and diagrams, embed them in your posts. They help break up chunks of information and make your writing more fun to read.

Additionally, adding images helps you with SEO, allowing you to explain concepts better visually. You can find free-to-use photos from sites like Flickr, Pixel,  Unsplash or use a service like Canva (free for basic designs).

A good rule is to use a photograph or illustration for every 250 words you write since visuals help increase reader retention. Just be sure not to go overboard; too many visuals can overwhelm your message.

2.  Use Click-Worthy Headlines

Headlines play a vital role in improving your click-through rate and search engine ranking. If you want to get clicks, you need to focus on catchy and concise headlines. A boring headline may get lost in social media feeds or might not fit well with search engines’ requirements.

Your best bet is to keep it short, interesting and use relevant keywords if possible. While there’s no magic number in length, research suggests around 65 characters can increase readership by up to 35%.

The more intriguing your title, the more likely someone will be interested to read further. It ultimately leads to more traffic for your site—and in some cases even increased sales from those who make purchases online. So be sure to craft a compelling headline using relevant keyword phrases and one that drives emotion.

3.  Use Short Sentences

Long sentences are hard to process, especially if they’re filled with industry jargon or complicated concepts. It’s easier to read and understand shorter sentences that use everyday language. Short sentences also keep readers engaged and moving quickly through your copy, which keeps them on your website longer.

Research suggests that readers understand up to 90% of what they read if the sentences are not more than 14 words. Comparatively, only 10% of people comprehend 43-word sentences. Shorter words mean less reading time—which means more chance to pique their interest long enough to make a purchase.

As such, cut down on big-worded bloat whenever possible. Instead of using many buzzwords and long phrases, opt for simple words and clear concepts, so customers don’t have trouble understanding what you’re selling them.

4.  Present Solutions Not Features

Whenever you describe your product, focus on how it solves problems instead of how cool its features are. It’s easy to fall into advertising mode and try to sell your product by listing every awesome property one by one. But since features aren’t inherently valuable, no one cares about them until they understand what value they can get from them.

To give people that value, talk about why solving a problem is important and how much easier life will be when a problem is solved.

For example: Don’t say Increase visibility with A/B testing. Instead, say You won’t believe which button converts better! Test different versions of your homepage buttons with our easy A/B testing tool.

With this type of copy, visitors have context and an idea of what they should expect next. They also have a sense of urgency because knowing which button works better makes readers want to take action right away.

5.  Consider Tone & Voice

The tone is one of those things that can be incredibly difficult to define but important for making your content engaging. Depending on who you are and what you’re writing about, your tone should be light-hearted, humorous, intelligent or conversational.

When writing website copy, think about your audience. Think of how you would speak to a customer over a sales call. Would you be direct and to the point? Or more conversational and casual?

The right wording also shouldn’t feel like a robot wrote it. Rather, the tone should match what one expects from the brand as a whole.

But no matter what approach you choose, keep your goal in mind (to provide value) and know that you’ll need to tweak things as time goes on. For example, you can try using text analysis tools to see if people respond better to jokes versus informative graphs—or whatever other variables might be relevant.

6.  Include Personality

Many startups fail because they’re not aware of how important it is to build a brand around their website. The truth is, consumers are drawn to personality. Studies show that companies with likable characters got more website visitors than their competitors.

Readers want to feel like they know you on a personal level, even if that means just through your writing. It helps form a bond between your business and its customers by giving them an insight into who is behind it all, which leads to greater trust and, ultimately, sales.

One way to do so is by telling stories. It doesn’t matter if it’s personal experiences or ones you learn about while researching. Stories are one of the best ways to keep readers engaged with your brand. So don’t hesitate when creating content—make it fun!

7.  Consider SEO Implications

We’ve all heard that content is king. But even as we go to great lengths to produce unique content, it won’t do much good if nobody can find it. According to Moz, 44 percent of people who search online click on a search engine result page (SERP) one or more times during their session.

Consequently, one should use SEO best practices when writing a website copy. After all, making your target audience happy requires doing what it takes to get your content ranked highly by search engines.

For example, use keyword research tools like Ubersuggest to identify existing keywords related to your business. Also, keep track of organic traffic sources using Google Analytics, so you know where most of your readers are coming from. Finally, use Google Search Console (formerly known as Webmaster Tools) to see how well each page ranks.

Closing Thoughts

The modern web is all about providing your users with engaging content, and a good copy is a vital part of that.

As you create more high-quality content on your website, remember to take time to think about how it will connect with your audience. Who are you trying to reach? What kind of topics are they interested in? And how can you communicate those topics effectively?

Test out different types of copy to see what resonates best—and never be afraid to experiment! You’ll always be improving as long as you keep an open mind. With any luck, in five years, we’ll have much better websites thanks to these strategies.