Writing For The Web – The Key Element We Should Never Forget

Many years ago, while I was still a teenager, my mother asked me if I would check a letter she had drafted to our local town council. It was an important piece of correspondence and she wanted to get it right.
After a quick review of what she had written, I decided I could do better and set to work on it.
I started by editing out some inconsistencies in her style. Then I went through the text line by line changing her words to make the tone more businesslike and remove some of the quirkier aspects of her writing.
Express train
Finally, I sat back to review my handiwork and compare it to the original. That was when it hit me like an express train.
My version was businesslike and consistent, and made all the right points. But for all my efforts it wasn’t a patch on my mother’s. Hers won hands down because it was warm and personal. In editing out all the individual touches from my mother’s writing I had destroyed the very aspects of her letter that would have charmed anyone reading it.
Her version read like it had been written by a real human being. Mine read like it had been generated by a soulless bureaucrat.
Valuable lesson
That day I learned a valuable lesson. When we try to communicate through the written word, we should never lose sight of the human dimension. The fact is people relate better to something that reads as if it has been written by a flesh and blood human.
Nowhere is this more true than on the web. No matter what business you are in, try to ensure your humanity comes across in your website. Let your visitors see that your company is run by human beings for human beings.
This is a wise move. It will not only engage your readers but give you an edge on your competitors, because the chances are many of them are failing to do this on the web.
So how do you humanise a website? There are dozens of ways. Include pictures of real people on the site rather than stock photos of models, and mention members of staff by name. When you ask people to get in touch with your company, give them a real name of someone to contact.
Which one gets your vote?
Who are you more likely to phone or write to: enquiries or Marie Jones? I know which one gets my vote.
When you describe your products and services, explain how they impact on the lives of real people. Include case studies in which your customers talk about their experience of doing business with your company. Also take the opportunity to add testimonials from named customers.
The more personal and human you make your site, the more likely it is that people will be drawn to it.
In an era when so many business services are being automated and the human element is being squeezed out of everyday life, visitors to your site will find it refreshing that your business still retains a personal and human touch.