Eye popping web copy that generates intrigue and persuades customers to click and find out more is no longer enough in the competitive world of online retail and marketing.

Just as online retail has revolutionized the way we shop, there has been a rewriting of the rules for web content and all online retailers need to take note if they want their sites to keep on selling.

Of course pages need to be search engine optimised to provide the best opportunity for potential customers to arrive at your website, but content also needs to be relevant to your target market as well as a specific conversational tone that has been shown to make customers immediately pay attention.

Content should be scannable but should not assault the viewer in the same way as an advertisement on a billboard. Bulleted lists are preferable to paragraphs and emotional language should be used rather than corporate jargon.

Achieving that fine balance of SEO rich content, grabbing your customers attention and delivering a conversational style of writing that creates desire and action is now what is required to turn a website into a selling machine.

Sheenagh Maguire of My Copywriter .