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TOPIC: Copywriting
The biggest difference is style. You need to be even more creative to capture people's attention among the quintillions of Internet sites and draw them further into your own. Your tone can be a lot less formal, though you still need to remain true to your brand's personality. If you're E.F. Hutton you can't start sounding like Taco Bell.
Secondly, presentation. People read differently online. They're looking for information and they want it fast, so they skim– they don't read every word. They jump from headline to photo captions to bulleted lists. They pay attention to bold text, underlined links, paragraph headings and visuals. So:
- Make your product/service benefit clear in the headlines.
- Break your copy into smaller, easier to skim chunks.
- And make friends with your designer.
For the same reason, clarity is an absolute must – dust off your Strunk & White. Unclear language, vague promises and misleading copy will send readers clicking elsewhere. And work in your SEO key words wisely so they make sense.
Lastly, length. Just because you need bite–size chunks of copy doesn't mean you can't present a lot of information – if you have something valuable to say and do it in an organized way. With a brochure, you have a finite amount of space. With a web site, you can keep adding pages for new topics.