Your website copy has one job: to help the right people understand what you offer, and take the next step. It’s part art – choosing words that connect – and part science – structuring pages so visitors find what they need and search engines understand them. Here are the eight principles I use on every website project.
1. Be clear and concise
Most people scan web pages rather than read them word for word. Make it easy for them:
- Use plain language: if a 12-year-old wouldn’t understand it, rewrite it.
- Cut the jargon: your customers don’t use your internal terms, so neither should your website.
- Break it up: short paragraphs, descriptive subheadings and bullet points help people find what matters to them.
2. Write for your audience
Great copy starts with knowing who you’re talking to. Build simple customer personas, then write in your customers’ language, about their needs and problems. A quick test: count how often you say ‘we’ compared with ‘you’. Your copy should be about them, not you.
3. Lead with strong headlines
Your headline is your first impression, and often your only one. It should tell people instantly what you do and why it matters to them. That’s much easier when you’ve defined your value proposition and key messages – your headlines can then be built on them.
4. Tell stories
Stories make brands human and claims believable. Case studies, client quotes and real examples show what you do far more powerfully than a list of features. Wherever you make a claim, look for a story that proves it.
5. Build in SEO naturally
Search engine optimisation helps the right people find your pages in the first place. Give each page a main keyword or topic, and use it naturally in:
- the page title and meta description
- the main heading and at least one subheading
- the opening paragraph
- image file names and alt text
Write for people first. Copy stuffed with keywords reads badly – and search engines are very good at spotting it.
6. End every page with a next step
Every page should have a clear call to action: book a call, download a guide, sign up, buy now. Make it specific, visible and focused on the benefit to the reader. For campaigns, a dedicated landing page with one message and one action will usually convert best.
7. Write for mobile
Many of your visitors will read your website on a phone. Front-load your key points, keep sentences and paragraphs short, and check every important page on a small screen before it goes live.
8. Test and refine
Good copy is never finished. Try different headlines and calls to action, ideally with A/B (split) testing, and look at what your analytics and Google Search Console tell you about how people find and use each page. Then keep what works and improve what doesn’t.
A quick checklist
Before any page goes live, ask:
- Is it obvious who this page is for, and what it offers them?
- Could someone understand the key message in five seconds?
- Is it written in my customers’ language, not mine?
- Is there proof – a story, a statistic or a quote?
- Is there one clear next step?
- Does it read well on a phone?
Bringing it together
Website copywriting combines creativity with strategy. Clear, customer-focused copy doesn’t just inform – it persuades, turning casual visitors into enquiries and customers. Writing website copy is one of my favourite parts of marketing, and it’s often where a small change makes the biggest difference.
Need your website copy to work harder? I write website copy and content that connects with the right people and drives action. Get in touch to find out more.