Of course you want your website to look great.

Striking aesthetics, displayed intelligently, are one of the main reasons why you’d hire a design agency. Most companies, however, need their websites to accomplish much more than that. It’s nice if visitors stop to gawk at a beautiful design, though it doesn’t mean much if it doesn’t lead to more business.
One key element separating excellent designers from mediocre ones: excellent designs are constructed with conversions in mind. You want visitors to contact you, sign up to your email list, and ultimately buy. Quality designers account for this.

Copy-writing will help you engage visitors in a compelling experience and make more sales. It’s also one of the most-neglected elements of the design world.
Keep reading to see why that’s a problem, and how a keen focus on copy-writing will ensure your website design succeeds:

MANY DESIGNERS OVERLOOK TEXT FOR VISUAL ELEMENTS
Designers are visual creatures. Naturally, they get enthusiastic about how your website will look. Unfortunately, most of them overlook the message their clients are trying to convey in favour of aesthetics.
Many designers focus exclusively on the layout and visual elements. They might slap on some “lorem ipsum” text (sample text) without ever truly considering their client’s goals for the design.
There’s a major issue with this approach, though. And that is this: an aesthetically-pleasing website doesn’t necessarily translate into an effective platform to communicate a message.
The vast majority of commercial websites aren’t just trying to get visitors’ jaws to drop at a beautiful design. They try to inspire action, deepening the relationship between visitors and the brand.
Many designers, with this extreme focus on visual elements, put the cart before the horse. Aesthetics, layout, and other visual elements should ultimately support the content or message. Not the other way around.

WHY MORE DESIGNERS SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO COPY-WRITING
Designers often neglect the importance of copy-writing, often slapping on some sample text or handing off the writing process to someone else.
Here are some of the most important reasons why they shouldn’t:

Presents Your Website Message in a Compelling Way
There are more videos online now than ever before, but for 99 per cent of website audiences, “browsing a website” are still ultimately a reading experience.
There’s no easier way to quickly sift through information and determine whether a website is worth exploring further. It doesn’t matter if you’re referring to news articles, blog posts, or eCommerce sites. We are always scanning headlines and examining bullet points… even if on a subconscious level.
Visual elements captivate and enhance the core messaging of a website, but they are no replacement for it. Text remains the most straightforward way to convey information that messaging. That explains why it is so important to accommodate this during the design process.

Makes It Easier for Customers to Find Clients’ Businesses via Search Engine Optimisation
Copy-writing helps designers make their clients’ businesses more lucrative. Savvy copy-writers understand how to weave keywords into the design in order to improve rankings for online search engines like Google.
When potential customers type in certain search terms, websites that incorporate those terms into page titles, headlines, and body copy in a compelling way are more likely to display at the top of the list of search results. The vast majority of web users click on the first few results, so cracking into those top rankings can make for a huge increase in free traffic and business. That is the incredible power of search engine optimisation (SEO).

Informs A Better Design Process
Paying attention to copy-writing doesn’t just add another task on the designer’s to-do list; it changes the design process at a fundamental level.
When your designer understands your conversion goals (which actions you want visitors to take after reading) for each page of your website, it’s easier for them to structure visual elements in a way that supports those goals. Instead of a beautiful, but jumbled website, you end up with a streamlined platform designed to guide visitors towards being customers – one step at a time.
Focusing on copy-writing early on also helps designers accurately estimate how a final design will look. With sample text, it’s difficult to gauge just how much screen space will be filled with text. But if your designer understands which copy will be used (and its length), its easier for them to maximise the space for the most impact. Finally, understanding copy-writing informs the design of visual elements. Because copy-written content is created to speak to a particular audience (in a specific tone and style), it’s easier for designers to include supportive visual elements.

Creates A Quality User Experience
Ultimately, attention to copy-writing results in a better user experience. The better users are able to understand your messaging and navigate your website, the more likely they are to trust you and eventually become customers. Even with the most visually-appealing website around, users will not stick around if the message presented is jumbled or confusing.
Here are some of the ways copy-writing can help you deliver a great experience:

•   Boosts credibility. Attention to copy-writing will actually help you establish yourself as an authority and someone to trust. We all know untrustworthy websites when we see them. We might not be able to explain why a particular website looks untrustworthy; it’s a complicated calculation made on a subconscious level – usually in the matter of seconds. Solid copy-writing will help you quickly introduce your business, whom you serve, and how you can help them.
•   Compelling call-to-actions. Copy-writing also incorporates “call-to-actions” (usually one per web page) in order to give interested visitors a simple next step to continue the relationship.
•   Injects personality into your website. Designers who don’t pay attention to copy-writing typically fill their clients’ web pages with boilerplate language or boring “corporate speak.” Copy-writing helps clarify your message and keep visitors engaged. It allows you to strike the right tone for your audience and separate yourself from competitors.
•   Makes your website easier to read. Copy-writing principles are concerned largely with making your content as easy to read as possible. This means short paragraphs, sentences, and plenty of white space. Attention to these will help you make a good impression on visitors without overwhelming them with walls of text.
•   Simplifies navigation. The structure of your website is one of the most important elements of successful design. Designers with copy-writing on their minds will understand how each page fits together, as well as how to funnel visitors through a logical progression as they find out more about your company.

YOUR TURN
The first step to a more effective design is to stop creating a mental barrier between visual communication and text communication. In the eyes of your website visitors, both of these aspects comprise just a single browsing experience.
That’s why it’s critical to choose a design partner willing to focus on copy-writing from the beginning. Understanding the exact message you intend to convey, as well as how you intend to convey it, is a recipe for the most effective design possible.
Websites can be beautiful while also expressing your message in a compelling way. Make sure to discuss this with potential designers to ensure they give copy-writing its fair due.

Tabasum parvin heads up ackosoft graphic design team. She is passionate about usability, branding and aligning things to grids.