10 Ways to Influence a Buying Decision

Few business realise this, but the appearance of your website can have an effect on your sales.

The background colour, size and type of font, images and graphics will all affect the buying decision so it is vital you get it right. There is a lot more to website copywriting than just creating copy that will sell your product. What follows are 10 points that you should consider when creating your web copy.

1. Make it easy to read - Don't use a light coloured text like yellow on a white background or dark text on a dark background. Black on white is perfect, it works so use it.

2. Colour a mood - red for excitement, green for greed, blue for coolness...get the idea? Just don't go overboard, there is nothing more off putting than a site full of rainbow coloured text.

3. Grab their attention - headlines! Use H1 headers to make your headlines stand out. Use a different colour or font to offset the headline and pull your reader into the rest of your copy.

4. Highlight keywords - keywords and phrases that are important can be placed in a bold, underline them or use italics.

5. Font size - make sure your heading and sub headings are in a larger font than the rest of your text. But make sure your text is readable, go too small and your reader will hit the back browser to find a site they can read easily.

6. Don't over capitalise - if you use all capital letters it will look unprofessional and as though you are shouting at your readers.

7. Font matching - make sure you use a font that compliments your business or product.

8. Spacing - to make your text easy to read use plenty of white space. Break up your text with sub headings and paragraphs. There is nothing more off putting than a screen full of text.

9. Don't over-cook the colour - yes, colours are pretty but be sensible. Bright text on equally bright backgrounds will have your reader reaching for their sun glasses and the back browser button.

10. Make sure it's readable - simple rule: always check your spelling and grammar before going live. But don't be too picky - sometimes it is good to break a few grammar rules to make your sales copy punchy and effective.

Finally, the last thing to remember is ensure your website copy is always up to date and relevant.