You can have the most beautifully designed website on the internet, but if the words on the page do not connect with your visitors and compel them to take action, it is not doing its job. Website copy is the bridge between a visitor landing on your page and becoming a paying customer. Getting it right is one of the most important investments you can make in your online presence.
Write for Your Customer, Not Yourself
The most common mistake in website copy is making it all about you. Visitors do not care about your company history or your mission statement, at least not right away. They care about solving a problem or fulfilling a need. Your copy should speak directly to the visitor, addressing their pain points and showing how you can help.
Use the word "you" far more than you use the word "we." Instead of writing "We provide expert plumbing services," try "You get a reliable plumber who turns up on time and fixes the problem first time." This subtle shift puts the focus on the customer's experience and makes your copy far more engaging.
Lead With Benefits, Not Features
Features describe what your product or service does. Benefits describe what it does for the customer. People buy benefits. A feature might be "24-hour emergency callout," but the benefit is "peace of mind knowing help is just a phone call away, day or night." Always lead with the benefit and follow with the feature as supporting evidence.
For every feature you want to mention, ask yourself "so what?" from the customer's perspective. Keep asking until you arrive at the genuine benefit. That is what should be front and centre in your copy.
Keep It Clear and Simple
Web visitors scan rather than read. They glance at headings, skim bullet points, and look for the information most relevant to them. Your copy needs to accommodate this behaviour by being clear, concise, and well-structured.
Use Short Sentences and Paragraphs
Long, dense paragraphs are intimidating on screen. Break your content into short paragraphs of two to three sentences. Use subheadings to organise your content into scannable sections. Employ bullet points and numbered lists to present information efficiently.
Avoid Jargon
Write in plain language that your customers will understand. Industry jargon might make you sound knowledgeable to your peers, but it can confuse and alienate your actual customers. If a twelve-year-old cannot understand your copy, it is probably too complicated.
Create Strong Calls to Action
Every page on your website should guide the visitor toward a specific action. Whether it is calling you, filling out a form, requesting a quote, or making a purchase, your call to action should be clear, specific, and compelling.
Vague calls to action like "Learn More" or "Submit" do not inspire action. Instead, use language that reinforces the benefit. "Get Your Free Quote," "Book Your Appointment," or "Start Saving Today" all give the visitor a clear reason to click.
Use Social Proof
Testimonials, reviews, case studies, and client logos all serve as social proof that reinforces your credibility. When a potential customer reads about someone else's positive experience with your business, it reduces their perceived risk and makes them more likely to take the next step.
Scatter social proof throughout your site, not just on a dedicated testimonials page. A short quote from a happy customer near a call to action can significantly boost conversion rates.
Write Compelling Headlines
Your headlines are the most-read elements on your page. If a headline does not grab attention and communicate value, most visitors will not bother reading the content beneath it. Spend time crafting headlines that are specific, benefit-driven, and relevant to what your visitors are looking for.
Edit Ruthlessly
Good copy is concise copy. After writing your initial draft, go through it and cut everything that does not serve the reader. Remove filler words, redundant phrases, and anything that does not move the visitor closer to taking action. The tighter your copy, the more powerful it becomes.