8 Formatting Tips For Your Blog That Can Help Maximize Your Conversions

When writing blog posts or copy content for websites, the rules of engagement are quite often very different to those for print or other media.

Due to the electronic and visual nature of how web content is delivered, there are certain factors regarding web writing and formatting which make it unique amongst the other mediums.

For instance things like the screen size and resolution can differ greatly for people reading the exact same content, especially now that there are so many smart devices and tablets.

Also there has never been a phenomenon like the Internet which is able to provide on-demand content anytime of the day to virtually anyone.

Therefore if you’d like to increase your chances of converting or achieving your intended goal, your site’s content needs to hold people’s attention and deliver your message in an efficient and effective way.

The highest conversion rates often come from content which is easily readable & digestible

The way you format and write your copy or blog articles can have a tremendous impact on how your readers react to what they’re reading.

Studies about human online reading patterns reveal that most people don’t read every word on a web page – but instead they scan the page in an “F” pattern.

Therefore, copy content that is easily scanned by the human eye is much more likely to efficiently get the point across and is less tiresome to read.

When your readers can find what they’re looking for more easily they will also most probably click the appropriate call-to-action such as signing up to your mailing list or perhaps purchasing your product.

Below are some handy formatting tips you can apply to the pages on your site which will help to make your content easier to read and yield better conversions:

1) Write shorter chunks of copy or content of no more than about 4 or 5 lines at a time.

There are no strict rules on the Internet when it comes to paragraphs so feel free to separate long sentences if you find they take up many lines.

Splitting up your writing like this will increase scan-ability and decrease the chances of your message being lost somewhere in a sea of words. A good practice is to group sentences into chunks of no more than 4 or 5 lines.

Note: Even though there are many orthodox literary conventions that you can afford to break on the Internet, there is one which you should not violate – and that is, always ensure you have the proper spelling.

2) Use a larger and easily readable font

Typography is quickly becoming a valuable skill for Internet marketers and bloggers because using an optimum font and line spacing can be one of the key things which determine how long readers stay on your site.

This is because the more easily and less wearisome your site is to read, the better the experience your visitors will have. Therefore it is a good idea to use a large an easy-to-read font if possible.

3) Use grouping & visuals to organize content

Grouping is where you clearly segment sections of your content using columns and concise headings and messages, together with some visuals such as icons or images.

This type of delivery makes it very reader-friendly and allows your visitors to access the information they need without having to scour your site for it.

The example below represents a perfect case of grouping used by Apple on their iPad page. As a matter of fact you’ll notice that the Apple site contains many examples of grouping in action.

A lot of WordPress themes now give you the ability to create columns and tables which can help you achieve the above format.

4) Use numerals, ampersands & other symbols to shorten headings (or sub-headings)

This is a simple yet effective way to deliver your message concisely. For instance take the following example:

Without using symbols and abbreviation:
“Earn hundreds of points and get exclusive access to our member specials”

With symbols and abbreviations:
“Earn 100s of points & get exclusive access to our member specials”

5) Use bolding to highlight what you want your readers to see

The simple act of making a word or words bold can make a message stand out. As long as you don’t overdo it this is a great way to facilitate easy scanning of your pages.

6) Use bullet lists of no more than 5 or 6 items

• Bullet lists are great for breaking the monotony of reams of text and a handy way to link related points together.
• A bullet list should be no more than 5 or so items so as to ensure that your readers are not overwhelmed with content.
• You don’t have to use bullets or dots. Icons and other images are sometimes the most effective if you can keep them relevant to your message.
• Your second-best bullet point should be placed last so that someone scanning your list will be surprised and impressed to read it because people usually expect the least useful point to be the last!

7) Use icons and images to enhance your message delivery

The placement of relevant images or icons around copy text can serve a useful purpose of drawing your readers eyes to your message. The key is not to overdo it.

Below is an example of how GoDaddy utilizes icons to get their messages across:

8 ) Ensure your text links are easily recognizable

When you place a link on your page, you usually do so because you want your readers to click it. Therefore, if a piece of text looks like a link then people will more than likely click it.

Most WordPress themes already have an inbuilt ability to colorize and/or underline text links. Sometimes you can add your own touch by crafting your links to look the way you would like them to.

For instance I once saw a successful affiliate site which had its text links formatted as follows:

<== Click Here To See Today’s Specials ==>

The above simple technique is quite effective but might not be for everyone. The point is that you are not limited in how you highlight your text links – as long as you do somehow.

In summary, the above tips are just a hand-full of the things you can do to optimize the readability and convert-ability of your web pages.

The Internet is an amazing communication medium unlike any other in our history but it also contains many distractions which you will have to compete against to win your readers’ attention.

I hope the above tips will at least give you something to help keep your visitors long enough to get your message across.