The terms web copy and web content are often used interchangeably. In reality, there are some subtle yet significant distinctions between the two terms. These are distinctions that anyone in the world of digital marketing and website design should be aware of.
What is Web Copy?
Let’s define the terms one at a time, beginning with web copy.
This term is applied to any piece of writing that appears on your website, with the intent of convincing visitors to take a desired action. In other words, web copy refers to any writing that is meant to motivate the reader to purchase a product, call to set an appointment, or sign up for an email newsletter (to name just three possible actions).
Basically, there’s something you want to accomplish through your website, some business goal you hope to meet. It’s your copy’s job to accomplish that.
Web copy is always specific to your individual business, and your web copy assets may differ from those of a peer or competitor. Some of the most common examples of web copy include:
- Landing pages
- Social media ads
- Product descriptions
- Email newsletters
A final note: Web copy doesn’t fit any specific blueprint or formula, but as a rule of thumb, web copy is fairly succinct. You don’t want your copy to be so long-winded that the reader gets bored before they fulfill the desired action.
What is Web Content?
Now let’s turn to web content, which is an altogether broader and more inclusive category. Web content refers to any text or media that’s found on your website. The purpose of web content isn’t necessarily to sell, or to prompt a specific action, so much as to provide your website visitors with a meaningful experience. So, web content can inform, educate, or entertain. It may also provide crucial context for your more sales-oriented web copy.
While web content may be less directly action-driven, it can still play a valuable role in helping you accomplish your business goals. For example, high-quality web content can promote customer loyalty, giving your buyers a reason to return to your website over and over again. It can also promote your thought leadership, giving you an asset that may be shared even with non-customers in order to develop your reputation.
Again, web content varies from business to business, but a few of the most common examples include:
- Blog posts
- Articles
- E-books
- Videos
- Infographics
While good content will usually include a reference to your business, or at least to your industry, that should never be the sole focus. If you write something and it’s mostly about how great your product or service is, that’s probably more in line with web copy than web content.
Does it Matter?
With all of that said, what’s the practical import of this distinction?
Simply put, web copy and web content speak to readers at different points in the sales funnel. And that makes both of them valuable, especially when they are used in harmony with one another.
So, when developing a digital marketing plan, it’s prudent to think about your needs for sales-oriented copy and for informative, enriching content. In talking with your copywriting team, specifying your needs here is an important way to promote your marketing goals.
Here at Woland Web, we appreciate the role that both web copy and web content can play within a broader digital strategy. And, we keep both types of assets in mind as we develop websites for our clients.
We’d love to tell you more, or to answer any questions you may have. Reach out to Woland Web at your convenience.
