The majority of people that visit your site are in a hurry. They quickly skim your page. If they do not immediately see something that jumps out at them, they move on to another site (i.e. your competitor’s site).
Do you really want to just hand your competitor more business and lose that sale for yourself? I doubt it!
Creating content that has substance is great. However, if you do not format it in a way that is visually appealing and easy to read, no one will read that mind-blowingly good content.
Your time is more valuable than that. Don’t waste it writing content that no one will read. To make your content more readable, apply these twelve tactics to the next piece you write:
1. Create a Strong Headline
Your headline must be clear and concise. It should grab your reader’s attention and make them want to read your post. Without a great headline, you will miss out on a lot of potential readers who will simply bypass your post because they think it won’t answer their pressing need or question.
2. Use Compelling Subheadings
Sprinkle subheadings throughout your pages. If you look back through my past blog posts, you will find that I ALWAYS use plenty of subheadings. In fact, I make it a rule to never write a blog post without using subheadings.
Subheadings break up your piece of copy into more manageable bites
Not only do subheadings make your copy more manageable to digest, but they give you a brief summary of the text under that subheading. For those readers scanning your page, your subheadings are the key to keeping their attention. Just like eating a piece of cake, these individual “bites” are so delicioius that they keep your reader going back for more.
3. Use Italics, Bold, and Colors
By using italics or bold text, you can draw your reader’s attention to a particular word, phrase, or entire thought. This can be done to emphasize your intended point or paint a beautiful picture for your reader.
In addition, by also using colored text in certain places, you can emphasize words even more.
Did you see what I just did there with the italics to emphasize “colored”? Did it draw your attention to that word? I hope so!
To use my own site as an example once again, I always use bold and colored text on the words that contain hyperlinks to internal pages or to other websites. I also use bold and colored text to highlight subheadings or thoughts that I want to emphasize. Either way, this use of varying text/color grabs your attention and breaks up the monotony of black text.
4. Allow White Space
Don’t fill your entire page with text. Leave white spaces between sections or even between lines. This gives your eyes a break from just viewing endless letters and symbols.
Using white space makes your page more scannable. This can make a long piece of copy less intimidating to the reader and negate the impression that it will take forever to read.
Look for opportunities to incorporate more white space into your next piece of content.
5. Select a Readable Font
The font you use plays a big part in a person’s ability to read your piece. Use fonts that are easy to read online, such as Verdana or Georgia. In addition, make sure you are using a big enough font size to allow for easy skimming as well. Your minimum size should be 10 point; however, 12 point and larger is preferred.
Not only does the font itself matter, but your font color is also extremely important.
Select font colors that stand out from your background.
High contrast color combinations, such as black on white, are easier on your eyes. When you choose colors such as a yellow font on a white or grey background, it makes your reader have to strain to read your text. This can quickly tire their eyes.
Can you read what this image says? Probably not! I wrote it, and I can barely figure out what it says!
If you use fonts and colors like the above example, your readers will struggle to understand your message. Why cause your readers to work harder and make it more difficult to understand your content?
6. Use Bulleted and Numbered Lists
- Lists are easy to read and grab your attention.
- Just like subheadings, bullets and numbered lists break up your copy into little bites of information.
- Typically, your lists will have extra white space around them.
- This sets them apart from the rest of your piece.
- Conveying your message through lists allows you to be more concise with large amounts of information.
- This is easier for your reader to scan and quickly apply to their situation.
7. Add Images and Charts
Pictures can be game-changers. They actually show your reader what you trying to tell them and provide a memorable reinforcement of your intended point. Furthermore, for those readers who do quickly scan your page, an image provides a great pause for their eyes.
In addition to pictures, graphs or charts also allow you to share information in a concise way that is visually appealing. Using these types of visuals allows you to prove your point much easier than just using words alone.
8. Write Short Sentences
Shorter sentences are more readable. They grab your attention! In general, keep it to one thought per sentence. If one of your sentences seems too long, break it into two separate, complete sentences.
However, as a caveat to this, if you use all 5-to-8-word sentences, your writing can appear choppy and too elementary.
This can be off-putting to your reader. It is a good idea to try to use a good balance of short to mid-length sentences in your piece of copy.
9. Write Short Paragraphs
Along with short sentences, use short paragraphs to make your content more readable. Readers tend to skip long paragraphs. Just as I mentioned at the beginning of this article, most people will skim your work. If they find a paragraph with over six sentences, typically they will just skip over it.
Try to keep your paragraphs at two to four sentences in length. By keeping each paragraph focused on one key point, your content will be more concise and easier to understand.
10. Add Usable Links
Add internal links to keep readers on your site. You can link to other helpful articles about the topic, to a product or service page, to your contact form, and more.
Using links to outside sources can also add credibility to your writing. However, it is imperative that you only using proven, legitimate, credible sources.
For example, when I write content for medical clients, I include links to other reliable medical sites. While individual blogs might have accurate content, they are not seen as scientific, research-backed sources. So, I choose not to link to those types of sites but stick to well-known sources, such as Mayo Clinic.
As a side note, when you add links, make sure that the links are correct and actually go to a current page. You don’t want to send your readers to unavailable or inaccurate pages.
11. Proofread Your Content
As an editor, I would be lax if I did not mention how important this step is! Do not forget to proofread your content. Read every word prior to publishing it!
In fact, it is always a good idea to have an outside source proofread your copy as well. Grammatical errors or misspelled words can be easily overlooked when you are reading your own writing. Our minds remember what we meant to say and can easily gloss over errors.
12. Check Your Mobile Version
Finally, last but not least, before sharing your content with the world, check your site on your mobile device. More and more people are using their mobile phones almost exclusively for internet usage. This means that your pages need to look good on a computer, a tablet, and a phone.
Check your pages for formatting issues, such as headline size, font color and size, pictures, and proper text wrapping. Make adjusts as needed for each type of device.
Do You Need Help to Make Your Content More Readable?
By using all of the above tactics, you’ll make your copy stand out from the crowd. However, just like most people, you probably do not have time to add all of these extra steps to your writing process. You are busy enough with your current tasks.
Fortunately, you do not have to do this on your own. Here at The Inspired Copy, I do this for clients on a daily basis. Why not join the ranks of happy clients who have lightened their own workloads, and let me handle these meticulous little details for you?
Send me a message, and we’ll set up a time to discuss how I can help you make your content more readable and, in turn, get more readers (which is always the ultimate goal, right?).
