Effective Website Copywriting Techniques
Your website is one of your most powerful outlets for communicating your message. Professional websites help large corporations and small family businesses alike connect with their audiences.
So, why do business owners get hung up on creating a website?
People are intimidated by the thought of writing website copy, so they put off creating a website. But, website copy is NOTHING to be afraid of! Here’s why:
Website copy is easy to adjust. It’s not like sending a brochure to print and having your words etched in CMYK for all eternity. If you find that your website copy just isn’t resonating, you can simply pop into your content management system and swap it out.
Website copy is a lot like sales conversations, or conversations in general. Most website copy isn’t a research paper, case study, or white paper. It’s conversational. It’s quick. It’s persuasive. And it’s not filled with jargon. In short, you can write your website copy as if you’re talking to your customer.
Website Copywriting Best Practices
When writing the copy for your website, it’s helpful to have your website wireframe in hand. This way, you know exactly how the user will move through the website. The wireframe will inform where, how much, and what kind of copy you need to hook, and then convince, users.
Once you know what you need, following the guide below to ensure that you create effective website copy.
Ask Yourself What You Want from Your Website Visitors
Nail down the goal for people who land on your website. Is it to:
Contact you for a consultation?
Make a purchase?
Learn more about your services?
Book now?
Make a reservation?
Schedule a tour?
Add to cart?
Subscribe for updates?
Force yourself to decide what you want people to do when they hit your website. If you can’t quickly state what you want users to do, how in the world will your users be able to figure it out when they land on your website? Pick a primary goal and go from there.
Make Yourself Nail Down Your Value Proposition
Now that you know what you want your website visitors to do, why should they do it? The Internet is saturated with solutions and products. You’ve got to have good reasons for someone to spend time learning about your business.
What makes you better than the next?
What makes you different?
If you’re not offering a different product or service, what is it about the way you provide the product or service that sets you apart?
Do you have a proven process?
What are your brand promises?
Your brand promises and how they are communicated can take a commodity and turn it into a highly-sought-after product. Um, Boxed Water, anyone? So, if you’re selling something that almost anyone could make or provide, you’ve got to double down on branding and content marketing.
Grab Attention Immediately
You have about three seconds to grab someone’s attention when they land on your website. Within those three seconds, the viewer has to understand that they’ve got a problem (or opportunity) and you’re their match for providing the solution.
You don’t have to be (and can’t be!) everyone’s solution to everything in three seconds flat. This is why you’ve got to have a keen understanding of your customers and their needs and wants before starting to work on your website copy.
Create a website headline for above-the-fold that tells the viewer who you are, what you do, and why they should care. This statement has to be extremely concise and compelling. I’ve found that the shorter the copy, the longer it takes to get it right. So, expect to spend some time on your homepage header.
Here are some things that the human brain responds to:
Insecurities and fear of failure (use words like don’t, stop, avoid)
How to gain control over something / restore order (how to, tips for)
Stats that eliminate uncertainty (10% increase in, double your)
Unexpected pleasantness (entertain, elicit a smile or laugh)
Clarity (if you do this, this will happen)
Themselves (include the word you, speak directly to user)
Follow a Logical Structure
Your website copy should align with a person’s logical process for uncovering information and making decisions. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel here.
What are the user’s pain points?
Why do those pain points need to be addressed?
How you address them?
Why should they trust you to address them?
How can they sign up to get pain points addressed by you?
Place the Hooks
As you continue along the continuum of natural conversation, follow your homepage header copy with additional information that reinforces your header statement.
You’re likely to spend time and spin your wheels trying to come up with copy that’s practically perfect in every way. And you should. But, remember that the viewer will most likely scroll and scan. If your headlines are good enough, they will likely go back and read your glorious words in greater depth. So, don’t think of your headlines as an afterthought.
The headlines are your hooks.
As your website visitors scroll your site, your headlines are your only chance to reach out and grab them, stopping the scroll. Or at least communicating key messages along the way. Each headline should be written with an intent to get the reader to the next headline.
Tell Them What They Should Do
While you’re working away on your website copy, don’t forget the reason you have a website in the first place. Remember the goal you established for your website visitors, and lead them to that goal throughout the website.
Think about a face-to-face selling situation. As the salesperson works the sale, they quit the pitch as soon as they see that the person is sold. Similarly, your website has to close the deal as soon as the person is sold on your offer. So, provide ample opportunities for your viewer to take action. These “calls-to-action” might include statements on buttons like:
Call Now
Reserve Your Seat
Book Now
Let’s Talk
Add to Cart
Buy Now
If someone’s ready to buy, don’t slow them down by droning on. Give them an easily identifiable and actionable way to take themselves to the next level.
Make It Conversational
Good copywriting goes almost unnoticed. You shouldn’t have to pause when reading your website copy aloud to make sure that you pronounced a word correctly, or to stop and think about what a word means.
The copy should read like a knowledgeable friend explaining something in plain terms (in your brand voice, of course).
Don’t Make It About You
Wait, what?! Stay with me here.
Resist the urge to tout your features and overall amazingness throughout every element of your website copy. This is a tough one, because a business often sees its website as the place to put any and all information about their business.
But, people are sold on emotion, so overwhelming the reader with every little thing about your business clouds their decision-making ability and gives them too much to think about.
Keep the copy about your user and his or her pain points and desires. Once they call you for a consultation, you’ll have more time to tell them how great you are, if that’s the way you want to play it.
Features should come into the content strategically and closer to the bottom of the funnel, when someone is hooked and now comparing you to others with a serious intent to buy.
Include Proof and Address Concerns
Let’s assume that you’ve hooked the user and they’ve made it about 3/4 of the way through your website. They have made the decision to like you, or at least to be interested enough to want to know more.
But just like IRL, people doubt themselves. They want to know if other people like you, too. Luckily, this hurdle is relatively easy to hop. Simply include social proof to reassure your user that they are in good company. Here are some examples:
Testimonials
Pictures of your work
Online reviews
If the social proof can also address common concerns, that would be ideal. For example, people might be hesitant to hire a plumber because they think it will cost an arm and a leg.
A testimonial or review like this would be a great way to address concerns: “XYZ plumbing company was great! They were professional and courteous, and their pricing was fair. I would definitely hire XYZ again!”
Don’t Confuse People
Finally (and I feel like this should go without saying), don’t confuse people!
Overall, the most important tip for writing effective website copy is not to confuse the user at ANY POINT. Once you have your website copy drafted, go back through it to ensure that there is not one single confusing element anywhere.
Consider that while your website copy might make sense to you, it has got to be understood easily by the average Jane or Joe. As a quick test, have someone unrelated to your business review your website copy and ask them if there was anything that they had trouble understanding.
If there’s even one line that’s slightly confusing, rework it until it’s crystal clear.
You Can Do This
You can totally write your website copy. But, if you’d rather outsource it, send me a message. I’d love to help.
