Establishing a website for your business is a big step toward gaining more visibility. But way too many entrepreneurs focus on the design of their new website, letting their website copy fall to the wayside. And that’s a big mistake!
Why? Because your website copy is basically your conversions’ gatekeepers! Given the fact that people only read roughly 20% of the content on a page, bad website copy could stop them in their tracks. They could exit out of your website before they learn more, which isn’t just a missed opportunity but a loss in your investment.
But strategic website copy (aka the best website copy!) can captivate them from the beginning and keep them invested until they ultimately take action. It can also help build things like brand awareness, SEO traffic, and more.
So what is web copy? What exactly qualifies as web page copy, and what are some website copy best practices that can help you optimize your ROI? We’re glad you asked because we’re telling you all that and more in this blog post!
What Is Website Copy?
Okay, let’s backtrack. What is website copy?
In its simplest form, website copy is the words you see on any website you visit (or the words you put on your own). In a much larger sense, website copy is the words you use to create a connection with your audience and take them on a journey that ultimately leads to them converting – into a booked call or a paid customer.
The core pages that help accomplish that objective are typically:
- Home: This page gives a broad overview of your business and its function.
- About: This page offers viewers insight into your vision/mission (aka your WHY).
- Services/Products: This page highlights how you serve your audience.
- Blogs: This page provides free educational resources for your audience.
- Contact Us: This page shares how your audience can get in touch with you.
Together, these pages are the ones your viewers are most likely to look at or search for. By putting care into writing these sections, you can make sure you’ve taken every opportunity to connect with your audience where it matters most!
The Importance of Strategic Website Copy
Good website design is critical. We can’t even lie! But there’s a reason your web copy is just as important.
Your website is usually someone’s first impression of how you present your business, and bad website copy can completely ruin that.
For example, web copy that’s thrown together or not created strategically is usually prone to errors – errors that reportedly cause 59% of consumers to avoid buying from you! With this in mind (and remembering that people only read 20% of your content), bad website copy puts your business at a disadvantage.
But good website copy or strategic website copy is what turns all of that around.
When you use strategic web copy, you’re not just giving your words the attention they deserve; you’re also showing up for your audience in a more purpose-driven way.
Strategic copy can:
➡ Help your audience get to know your brand more intimately by sharing the story behind what you do and the values that drive it.
➡ Provide clear action steps toward working with you or buying from you, so your audience knows how to move forward.
➡ Help your audience CONNECT with your brand by speaking to their pain points and highlighting their transformation.
➡ Establish you as the authority in your industry and build trust with your audience.
Writing web copy that’s strategic is all about putting the needs of your audience at the forefront. It might sound daunting, but it’s more doable than you think, and the rewards are totally worth it.
Ready to find out how to write for a website so an audience sticks around?
How to Create Good Website Copy That Connects and Converts
Now that you know why you need strategic website copy, let’s dive into the logistics and teach you how to write website copy!
But not just any website copy. We want to teach you how to write copy for a website that converts! So let’s get to it.
Solidify Your Brand
A boring website is a bad website. So before you focus on how to write copy for a website, consider what branded copy you need. You’ll probably want to solidify your brand and narrow in on the qualities and values you want reflected in everything you say and the mediums you use to say it.
Optimize Your Brand Voice
Are you taking a fun approach? A sarcastic one? No matter what your brand voice is, make sure it sounds engaging and authentic. Conversational is always best; don’t be afraid to show off your personality! It doesn’t have to be an overload of euphemisms and slang, but don’t shy away from clever references here and there. Consider incorporating them into your headlines (because, on average, 80% of readers never make it past the headline!), but make sure they don’t detract from the headline’s message.
Establish Your Authority
Another thing you’ll want to focus on while writing website copy and solidifying your brand is building trust and establishing your authority. A few great ways to do that in your copy include referencing stats, using quotes, and weaving in client proof.
Understand Your Audience
Next step in learning how to write copy for a website? Understanding your audience! Before you write a single word, you should know them as well as you know your brand – and that means having a clear understanding of their why. Know their pain points and the transformations they’re looking for.
And, more than anything, make sure you’re absolutely clear on why you or your product is the solution to their problems.
Speak With and to Your Audience
Another piece of advice we always give our community about writing web copy is to make sure you’re not only speaking to your audience but speaking with them.
It’s easy to default to a “me, me, me” approach when you’re talking about your business, but the truth is, no one’s as invested in YOU as they are in themselves. So try to eliminate “I,” “we,” and “us” as much as possible and stick to “you” and “your.”
So now you’re probably wondering how to write “about us” in website copy so it converts. Here are a few website copy examples that show you how to do this!
https://magicspoon.com/pages/us-vs-them
https://www.vidyard.com/about/
What these businesses have in common is that they put the audience at the forefront of their vision and mission! Even though the about page is technically focused on them, they manage to tell their story while still putting the reader front and center.
Gain and Give Clarity
Besides advising you to write strategic copy so it brings out your audience’s emotions, some of our other suggestions are more on the technical side! The first one’s not only gaining clarity but giving it to your audience.
To do this, consider creating a site map for your website. Ask yourself what pages you want to include and what other pages should route to so that your viewer always follows the bread crumbs toward your bigger picture.
(Which, by the way, is learning more about you and connecting with you so they ultimately make a purchase!)
After that, set clear primary and secondary goals for every page of your website. For example, if your home page is a broad overview of your business, great, but what message should they take away from that page? How will you present it to them, and what should pique their interest next?
Finally, as you chart each page, don’t forget your CTAs! Once you know where to lead people, invite them more than once. The more CTAs, the better for conversions. So identify the areas on each page that are perfect for a CTA and get creative.
Follow the Rules
Our last suggestion for writing good website copy is to follow the rules of website copy best practices.
Namely SEO and keywords!
Investing in your website is a big deal, and you’ll want to do everything you can to make sure you show up in the search results. Especially after you put so much effort into your website copy! And to do that, you have to follow the rules:
- Find the best keywords! Focus on one main keyword for your homepage and two to three more specific ones for your other core pages.
- Pay attention to your meta descriptions! Search engines are looking at those just as much as your keywords.
- Be aware of your URLs. SEO isn’t just on the page but in the URL, so incorporate keywords there when you can!
SEO comes in all shapes and sizes. And it’s a long game, so don’t overwhelm yourself with knocking it out of the park on the first try! Consistent SEO-building actions will help you get great results over time.
Keep Them in Your Web!
Your website’s prime objective is to keep people in your web! You want them to feel excited and interested in your company, so they explore every corner of your website.
And strategic website copy is the best way to do that! Make sure you’re following the website copy best practices we shared above and writing purpose-driven copy. To us, good copy is purpose-driven copy!
If you’re still confused and overwhelmed, wondering how to write website copy that converts, reach out to our team for help! Our website copywriting services are perfect for anyone who doesn’t have the expertise or time (or patience!) to write it themselves.
