Websites are flooded with AI-generated content or content that just does not hit the mark.
Have you ever clicked on a website and found the content to be totally irrelevant, confusing, or just overusing the word "elevated"?
What were your thoughts?
Did you understand exactly what the company was trying to convey, or did you leave the website feeling like you wasted your time?
To avoid customers feeling the same way about you and your website, you must write good, straightforward, and relevant copy.
In this post, we'll walk you through 5 easy steps for writing website copy that will attract, engage, and convert your target audience.
What Is Website Copywriting?
Before listing the 5 easy steps you need to follow, let's define website copywriting.
Copywriting is writing copy that persuades your target audience and motivates people to buy your products/services.
Website copywriting is writing copy specifically for websites, which is different in tone and style from other forms of writing, such as blog posts or articles. The ultimate aim of website copywriting is to capture the attention of readers and encourage them to take specific actions.
Actions on a website can include;
Scheduling a consultation or meeting
Signing up for newsletters
Filling in a "Contact Us form
Adding products to a cart
Making a purchase
Now that we have a clear understanding of website copywriting, let's explore the five easy steps to writing effective website copy.
How To Write Website Copy
After you've built your website or updated its current look, it's time to make sure the words on your website are doing their job - attracting and converting customers.
Follow these steps to ensure your website copy is effective.
1. Know Your Target Audience
The first step in writing effective website copy is knowing who you're writing for.
You can't sell beauty products if the words you use and the tone you convey speak to "uptight businessmen."
To truly know and understand your target audience, you need to create user personas.
A user persona is a visual representation of your ideal customer. It lists their age, interests, pain points, professions, and any other relevant information.
With this information, you can tailor your website copy to speak directly to them.
Get the data you need to create a user persona by analysing Google Analytics, Meta Insights, Surveys, conversations on Reddit, and even competitor research.
2. Grab Attention With Your Headlines
Your headline is the first thing readers will see when they land on your website, so it needs to be attention-grabbing and to the point.
Don't play around with words like a poet; get straight to the point and let your audience know what you do.
A great website headline that will convert readers contains these three elements:
- What your company sells.
- A benefit that makes you stand out from your competition.
- A promise to the reader.
In the subheadings and body paragraphs, you can start to explain more about who you are, what your products/services entail, and how they can benefit the reader.
Look at this example below:
The company sells yoga mats that last much longer than others available on the market.
Headline: "A Yoga Mat That Promises To Last"
Subject Line: "Say Goodbye to Constantly Replacing Your Yoga Mat - Our Durable Mats Are Here!"
In just one headline and subject line, the company has effectively communicated what they are selling (yoga mats), how it stands out from the competition (longevity), and a promise to the reader (no more constantly replacing their mat).
Make sure your headlines are clear, concise, and attention-grabbing to entice readers to continue reading.
3. Use Persuasive Language
What do you do when you really want something?
You persuade others to agree with you, and it's no different when it comes to writing for your website.
Use persuasive language to convince people that your services/products are exactly what they need.
Here are a few tips for incorporating persuasive language into your website content:
- Use strong action verbs to evoke emotion and urgency.
- Appeal to the reader's emotions by using words like "imagine" or "picture yourself."
- Make use of positive words like "new", "best", or "exclusive."
4. Be Consistent
Do not mess around with different writing styles or tones on your website.
It's important to establish a consistent brand voice and tone throughout your content, from the headlines to the body paragraphs to the call to action.
If you incorporate humour into your headlines, make sure to continue that humour in your body paragraphs.
If you use a more professional and serious tone throughout, stick with that for the entire website.
Consistency helps build trust with your readers and solidifies your brand's identity.
5. Focus On Structure
A big chunk of words without structure, without white space, and without any thought put into it won't attract a reader.
Make sure your website content is structured and easy to read by incorporating the following elements:
- Short paragraphs (2-3 sentences)
- One-liners
- Subheadings for each section
- Bullet points or numbered lists
- White space
- Imagery
People do not want to work while reading; they want it to be easy.
What About SEO Website Copywriting?
SEO copywriting is not mentioned in the 5 easy steps, as it's a separate skill to master.
However, it's important to keep SEO in mind while writing your website content.
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is the practice of optimising your website content so it appears higher on search engine results pages. The more visible your website is on search engines, the more traffic you will receive and, ultimately, the more potential customers.
To write effective SEO copy, you need to have a thorough understanding of keyword research and where and how much you can use those keywords in your content.
It is best to hire professional SEO website copywriters who can incorporate keywords into your content while maintaining its quality and readability.
What Should You Avoid?
If you're not a website copywriter, please read the following tips to avoid common mistakes:
Do not use big words or technical jargon that your audience may not understand.
Avoid using passive voice; it weakens your message and makes it less persuasive.
Do not overload your content with excessive keywords for SEO purposes; it will make your content sound unnatural and spammy.
Do You Need Help With Your Website's Content?
Writing website content, if you've never done it before and without ChatGPT 's help, can be a daunting task.
If you need assistance with your website copy, give us a call.
We have website copywriters who can write the copy that your website deserves. And not to mention, they are skilled in SEO too!
Don't waste your time with AI and generic content. Let our team of experts create unique and high-quality content.