I finally took the plunge and invested in a company website in 2005. It was an exciting and much anticipated moment as the site was long overdue.

I sat down with my designer and programmer and discussed the brief. Together we decided on the site's architecture and its look and feel. I just needed to write the site's copy. Easy, right? After all, I am an online copywriter.

Establishing a voice

In my job I spend hours with clients defining their website's target audience and capturing their own company personality. I focus on the image the client wishes to project and use the right language to effectively communicate their messages. In a nutshell, I help them find their voice. But, suddenly, I couldn't find my own.

Why? Because I was too close to the project. I struggled to be objective and stumbled over sentences that didn't quite seem to say what they were meant to. I knew my business inside out but I was verbally paralysed. In the end an editor friend (who was professional enough to be honest) helped me interview myself, offered a fresh set of eyes and an unbiased approach that helped me define the right information. The words soon flowed again.

Selecting the right words

The language you use on your website and the information you choose to share tells an enormous amount about what your organisation and its people are really like. It's as strong an indicator as the quality of stationery you buy or your receptionist's phone manner. So if it doesn't meet the same standards you've set in your other business practices it's guaranteed to let you down.

What you say on your website should offer more than what you've already written in your brochures, or what you tell new clients at meetings. Many companies (even the biggest) make the common mistake of simply regurgitating what already exists in their printed marketing materials and then whacking it onto their site. This is a wasted opportunity because it fails to tell your audience anything new about your organisation. It also makes your company look unimaginative and afraid to break new ground.

Tackling copy in-house

If your budget limits you to developing your copy in-house, consider these tips:

• Before the site goes live ask someone whose opinion you really respect to read what you've written. Quiz them for honest feedback and take on board any grey areas that they identify.
• Write it, re-write it, then write it again.
• Include a section on your site that offers value to the user and establishes your area of expertise. For example, on my own site I included tips about writing for the Web. This automatically becomes a resource for anyone who might be looking for this information, plus it reinforces my knowledge base.
• Get your copy proofread and then, as I'm currently doing, add new copy in a few months time. Like any information resource, your website copy needs to grow as your business does.
• Make sure your copy adheres to online writing principles. If you don't know what these are, it may be worthwhile calling in a professional.

Putting your site to work

If your website is well designed, well written and functionally sound it can be one of your most powerful business tools. It arms your team with the chance to impress potential clients, it makes old clients glad they know you and intimidates competitors. It can also help you attract the right employees, invite appropriate suppliers and draw in like-minded people who might be able to help your business in a way you've never imagined. At the end of the day, it's worth getting your site 'write'.

Libby Varcoe is an online copywriter and website editorial consultant. She is also the principal of write-minded, a business that specialises in providing creative marketing content for websites. For further information please call Libby on (02) 8399 2220, email her at: libby@writeminded.com.au or visit www.writeminded.com.au .