Want to Improve Your Nonprofit’s Website Copy? Then Follow These 7 Tips.

Some nonprofits give their websites short shrift. Their attitude is that “good enough” is good enough. Or, they think their website is just another expense among many.

That’s the wrong attitude.

Your website is the face of your nonprofit. It’s the window into the metaphorical soul of your organization.

Therefore, “good enough” isn’t good enough, and your website is an investment, not an expense.

So, what makes for a great website? A lot of things, such as aesthetics, easy navigation, proper use of images, videos, fonts and more. But perhaps the most important aspect of a website is the written word.

Here are 7 tips on how to write great copy for your nonprofit’s website.

Know your audience

Before you write—and this rule should be applied to all types of writing—make sure you know your audience. If you don’t know your audience, you won’t be able to communicate with them in a meaningful way.

The best way to determine your audience is to develop their persona(s). (Click here to learn more about how to develop your nonprofit’s audience persona(s.)

Short paragraphs

When writing for magazines or other types of publications, writers are constrained by space; there’s only so much room on a page to fit copy. As a result, writers use large paragraphs to conserve space.

This isn’t an issue when writing for the Web.

Although you may be constrained by a word count, you can still use short paragraphs (four sentence max).

What’s more, your readers are likely skimming. Short paragraphs make skimming easier. You can also create more dramatic effect, thus pulling the reader to the next paragraph.

Finally, short paragraphs create more white space, which makes your copy seem less cluttered in the minds of your readers.

Short sentences

Use short sentences, no more than about 15 words. Succinctness is key in all forms of writing; therefore, avoid unnecessary words. Your words must do as much work as possible. Succinct writing isn’t easy, which is why a thesaurus should be your best friend.

Avoid jargon

Do not utilize jargon. Case in point: Why say utilize when you can say use? Words like utilize sound pretentious.

Furthermore, readers may not be familiar with the terminology being used in your field of expertise.

For example, if you work at an aquarium that has a seal and sea lion show, don’t call it a pinniped show. It might make you feel smart, but it could make your patrons feel stupid, confused, or annoyed. Or all three.

Rule of thumb: Write it so grandma can understand.

 Passive voice

Whenever you write, you should be trying to avoid using passive language.

As you may have noticed, that last sentence was an example of a passive voice. Here’s how it sounds when written in an active voice: Whenever you write, avoid passive language.

Active is better than passive because fewer words are required to express an idea. This also harkens back to the rule that succinctness is key.

Avoid repetition

It’s very easy to repeat an idea, albeit in different words in a different part of your website. Reread your copy to avoid this common pitfall.

Hey You!

Address your web visitors directly. Use the word “you.” According to Kissmetrics, “you” has hypnotic power because it represents your name. It can also boost conversion rates.

Conclusion

Writing is a never-ending craft that is developed over a lifetime. However, if you follow these 7 rules, you’ll be on the road to improving your website’s written content.

Tags: Ally360, Content Strategy, Digital Marketing, marketing, web