You need a website, and you’ve hired a web designer to create it. You’re all set to begin attracting customers and making sales. Well, not quite yet. Writing compelling website copy is a key step in establishing your online presence.
Without quality website copy that describes who you are and what you have to offer, all your customers will see is a pretty website that doesn’t have anything to say. Plus, providing detailed website copy to your web designer will help them make design choices that compliment your brand voice.
Below are seven steps that will help you write compelling website copy, so you can highlight your brand, convert customers, and build a successful business.
The Anatomy of a Basic Website
Most basic websites include some or all of the following pages.
The Home page should be simple and to the point. It must explain exactly what your business does. What is your offering? What makes you different? How can someone learn more?
The About page shares a little bit more about your business. This could elaborate on how your company got started, who you are, or what differentiates you from your competitors. An About page may also include a personal bio or highlight your company’s team members.
The Services or Product page will vary depending on your industry and the type of offering you provide. You can use this page to describe your services, product, or offering in more detail. This is where you might include pricing plans or details on the specific needs your business fulfills.
The Contact page should provide everything someone needs to know in order to contact you. List your business address, phone number, email, etc., on this page. Make sure to be very clear on how someone should contact you so you don’t miss out on any potential customers.
How to Write Compelling Website Copy
1. Invest In Your Copy
Your website copy shouldn’t be an afterthought. The best-designed website in the world still needs quality copy in order to wow potential customers. Failing to invest in the words on your website and how you describe your business is a huge mistake, and it’s one that many businesses make.
The words you choose to describe yourself, your business, and your offering can make all the difference when it comes to converting a customer. A web designer can only do so much if there’s not quality copy to fill the pages of your site.
It is vital that you invest in your website copy—either with the significant time it will take to write it yourself or by hiring a professional writer to do it for you.
2. Consider Your Brand Voice
It’s essential that your website copy speaks with your brand voice.
If you have a brand or style guide, consult it. What is your brand voice? Remember to be specific, especially if you plan to hire a professional to write your website copy. If you don’t have a style guide yet, think of the characteristics you would use to describe your brand to an investor or customer. Is your brand funny, professional, quirky, modern, progressive, or nostalgic?
As you write your website copy, do it from the perspective of your brand. Keep a consistent tone and continue to use that voice in marketing materials, social media, and interactions with customers.
3. Think About Your Target Audience
Who are you writing the website copy for? Who do you expect to read your website? What impression do you want to leave your audience with?
If you don’t already have customer personas, now is a good time to create them. Describe your ideal customer, and don’t skimp on the details. You need to know your prospective customer’s wants, needs, and interests in order to properly cater to them.
- What are their likes and dislikes?
- How old are they?
- What type of job do they have?
- Where do they live?
- What are their buying habits?
- What type of home do they live in?
- What are their communication preferences?
The age of your audience could determine how formally you write, such as whether or not you use emojis in your copy. 😀 Understanding the buying habits of your customers will help you create a tailored CTA and a pricing model that’s within their budget. Learning more about their communication preferences will help you craft a Contact Page that makes your ideal customer feel comfortable.
Gaining a deep understanding of your audience and customers will help you tailor your website copy, your CTAs, and your offering to meet their unique needs.
4. Avoid Industry Jargon
Jargon and industry-specific language confuse customers. There’s a good chance your potential customers don’t know as much about your offering, industry, or speciality as you do. And that’s a good thing—your expertise is exactly why they need you.
When you write your website copy, remember that your customers are not as embedded in your industry as you are. Avoid industry jargon and acronyms that aren’t commonly known to the everyday person. If you’re unsure of how much your customer would understand, consider your ideal customer and customer personas.
Ask someone outside of your industry to read your website copy and look for any words or sentences they don’t understand. Simplify these areas to ensure your customers know exactly what you’re talking about. You should sound like the expert, but everyone should be able to fully comprehend your website copy.
5. Be Concise
When it comes to website copy, less is always more. Don’t overwhelm your audience with too much text. Stick to a few key points and keep it concise.
Make sure you say your most important point first. You can elaborate on it further down the page. If someone only reads one or two sentences on your website, what would you want them to know? Ensure this messaging is front and center.
Keep paragraphs to 1-4 sentences, so your audience isn’t overwhelmed with long blocks of copy. On pages where more copy is needed, use headings to help guide the reader through.
Use tools like The Hemingway App to help simplify complex sentences. Every word on your website should serve a purpose.
6. Include an Enticing Call to Action
Your Call to Action (CTA) helps convert potential customers. Take careful care in crafting CTAs that interest and entice your audience. Once again, consider your target audience and personas. What language would encourage them to buy or learn more about your offering?
To get the conversation started, think about what you can offer them in return. Could you provide helpful resources, create a free tool, or offer a free consultation? What can you offer that will attract customers and keep them coming back for more?
Make sure you have a Call to Action on each page of your website to direct them from one page to the next.
7. Edit, Edit, Edit
Carefully editing your copy is a crucial step. Spelling errors and grammatical mistakes could be the difference between making a sale or losing a potential customer. Read your work over and continue to edit it until you don’t find a single mistake.
Tools like Grammarly can help, but don’t rely solely on robots to catch all of your mistakes. Editing algorithms can easily miss things, and they may not understand the full context of what you’re trying to say. Always have your website copy read through by at least one other person. Ask family, friends, or business acquaintances to help you edit and refine your copy.
Let them know it’s okay to be harsh so that no one holds back. It’s better to be criticized now than lose a sale over a simple mistake in the future. Is there anything they didn’t understand? Is there anything that needs more clarification? Did any part of the website bore them?
Do you need help writing compelling website copy?
At webpi, we work with a team of high-quality website copyrighters. Let us help you wow your website visitors with compelling website copy. Or maybe you need a brand new website? We can help with that too.