People read differently on the Internet, because they want and expect different things from websites than they do from newspapers or printed corporate literature. For a start, it's 25% harder to read on a screen than it is on paper, (1) and Web readers are also a notoriously fickle bunch, scan reading your pages at best, and ready to leave your site at the click of a mouse.

I'm not usually a fan of generalized ?catch all' rules, but there is a handy way of structuring your Web copy to attract and retain fickle readers. The rule is encompassed in a simple acronym - ?AIDA' - that is, ?Attention, Interest, Desire and Action'. Although this rule is not foolproof, if you make use of the AIDA principle in your Web writing you'll instantly improve your chances of keeping those all important readers. Let's look at each stage a bit more closely.

Attention

Put simply, this is the punchy, emotive title that draws your reader into your body copy. You can use a sub-header too if needed. Both should talk directly to the target reader, and include a benefit that shows the value for them in continuing to read your content. Our headline above is a good example - ?How to Write Web Content that Sells Your Company'. This shows you exactly what you'll get if you keep reading, and what precise benefit you'll get out of the content as a result. As a further example, a sub-header to this could be - ?One simple rule to instantly improve your online copywriting'. Headlines are crucial, if people are scan reading your website and the information they want is not immediately evident, perhaps it will be on your competitor's site.

Interest

This is the section where you briefly outline the main selling points of exactly what you're offering, in order to stir the reader's interest. Details here should be punchy and to the point, using short sentences and paragraphs to outline the main features and benefits of your product or service. Let's look at a quick example, complete with title:

?The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'

Since 1995, ACME's ?Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ?Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.

Desire

This is where you make the reader really want what you're selling, where you use emotive ?benefits' based reasoning to create real ?desire' for your product or service. This section is all about solving your reader's problems, giving them examples of how the features of your product or service can provide tangible benefits to them in their daily life. At this point it's a good idea to get into the mindset of your target reader, and imagine a situation where your product or service could help them. You can then write this as a ?mini-story'. Let's consider an example, put together with the other text above:

?The Amazing Widget that Saves Water in Your Home'

Since 1995, ACME's ?Water Widget' has been saving water in homes across the UK. Easily fitted to your water tank, our award-winning device cuts bills by over 25%. Sold with a 10-year guarantee, the ?Water Widget' is the country's leading water management system.

Despite leaking mains and hosepipe bans, water companies just keep raising bills. But your family still needs showers and baths. You have to water the garden and wash the car. It's easy to resent rising prices.

There is a solution. By simply fitting the ?Water Widget' to your existing water tank, you can maintain your current level of water usage while saving money.

Our unique patented system means your water usage is constantly monitored, efficiently managing flow rates based on what you need. And with proven cost savings of over 25% a year, this is good news for your bills and bad news for the water company.

(Certainly not Shakespeare, but you get the idea).

Action

The final stage of this Web writing process is to get your reader to act on the information you've given them. The last thing you want after all your hard work is to lose them at the end. If you don't give people a strong direction on what to do next - a ?call to action' - they will simply say to themselves ?that's nice, what do they expect me to do about it?' - and leave your website. So create a sense of urgency for your reader, and tell them clearly what to do with the information you've presented to them. Here's an example:

?For further details on the ?Water Widget' phone ACME now on 0845 123456, or email waterwidget@acme.com. Alternatively, visit our online store to order your Water Widget now.' (The italic text would obviously be links on a real site).

Try using the ?AIDA' rule on all your web pages, you'll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Sources

1&2 - Gerry McGovern and Rob Norton, ?Content Critical', Financial Times Prentice Hall, 2002