How to write great website copy … when you’re not a professional writer

POV: You’re an entrepreneur who wants to write great website copy that converts your visitors to paying clients, but . . . 

You don’t write for a living. Sure, you aced 11th grade English class, but writing a website? Psh, what does that even mean?

No need to fret! We’ve compiled a DIY guide filled with website copywriting tips so you can leverage your site to generate more leads and make more money in your business. 

Why your website copy matters 

Your website is at the center of your marketing – so of course, you want to make it stand out! Prospects, customers, and people seeking information will visit your site and make a snap decision in a matter of (milli) seconds. 

Clear messaging 

While a clean design and branded aesthetic are vital to making your website stand out, your copy must deliver clear messaging toward your offers and services.

Ex: If you’re a mindset coach who helps her clients break through their limiting beliefs around their business so they can reach $10K months, compelling website copy will highlight specifics of that, making the visitors on your site want to throw their cash money at you! 

Building connection 

Now that visitors have a crystal clear view of HOW you can help them, you want to prove that you’re the one to do so through the power of connection. After all, a ginormous piece of closing a sale is likeability.

Would you invest in a service provider or coach if you didn’t know a thing about them as a person? Probably not! Leverage your website copy so your audience can get to know you. 

This will allow you to prove to potential leads that: 

1. You’re an authentic and genuine human.
2. You have the experience to get them the results they’re looking for.
3. They can connect to you on a personal level.

Once they know that you, too, are a rescue dog mom or enjoy long evening soaks in the hot tub with a glass of rosé, they’ll be more likely to seal the deal because you’re likable to them! 

(p.s. if that’s you, we should definitely be friends.)

Saving time and Benjamins on lead generation

Solid website copywriting will bring you leads on autopilot. When your copy provides clarity and connection to your visitors, they will have all the information they need to decide to work with you. This will save you massive amounts of time and money chasing ideal leads, so you can focus on other revenue-building activities in your business. 

Key points to include as you write website copy 

Your website copy needs to include specific details if you want to drive those visitors into your onboarding process (hands-free!) So here are some super important things to consider when DIYing your web copywriting. 

Your ‘About’ content

Who you are matters! Take the time to share it with them. Take the opportunity to showcase:

• what your brand stands for (a.k.a. your mission)
• why you’re the one they should work with
• why your solution is the best fit for them
• how your approach yields tangible client results

Your differentiator

Express what makes you stand out from the rest! What do you do differently than your peers that make you so ‘wow’?This can be a tricky component to create, so think back to what your clients and customers repeatedly tell you are awesome about you and share that! 

Tip: Be sure your differentiator is front and center in your web layout, so leads don’t miss it. 

Your social proof

Don’t be shy! Share testimonials, reviews, case studies, screenshots, and other social proof you can conjure up. Anyone can speak on how trustworthy they are and how effective their own programs/offers are, but the real gold is having others experience speak for you.

Your contact info

Congrats! All your hard work on website copywriting has them invested and ready to chat with you. Make sure you have a clear way for them to get in touch with you or move on to your next steps. Here are a few effective call to actions (CTAs) you can use: 

1. Get in touch by submitting this contact form.
2. Schedule a consultation call through my booking calendar. 
3. Email me @youremailaddress.com
4. Give me a call at 123-456-7890

Whatever route you choose, make sure it’s easy and direct for them. 

Your offer  

Whether you sell physical products or you’re a service provider, your offer (and its specifics) should be splayed across your website for all to hear about!

Don’t forget to include information about: 

1. How you work with people
2. Who you work with
3. What your process is
4. What results they can expect to get out of their work with you 

Common pitfalls to avoid when you write website copy 

Now that you’ve got solid website copywriting tips on what you WANT to include, there are a few things that can work against you to actually break your copy (and all the hard work you put into it.) 

Keep your eyes open for these pitfalls to avoid them while you make the most of your efforts. 

Write with your reader in mind (H3) 

Identify what they want from you, and give it to them! Make your reader feel like the center of attention by shifting from “we” to “you” language. 

Example: 

“We” language: We will build you a social media strategy.

“You” language: You will attract more leads in your business with a social media strategy tailored to fit your business. 

The difference is absolutely astounding! 

Avoid too much copy

Any professional copywriter will tell you your copy should only be as long as it needs to be to accomplish its goal. And that’s true…But more often than not, if you’re NOT a trained writer, you’ll find your copy turning into lengthy paragraphs that are hard to decipher. 

Instead of writing paragraphs for days, you should: 

• Opt for clarity over length.

  Use your headers as your main idea – think ‘thesis statement.’ 

            Try to cut out half your words in any section and narrow in as much as possible while 

            sticking to your main idea.

• Keep text scannable. 

            Remember, there are many different types of readers and buyers. Some people will  

            hang on to every last word while others scan your pages for 5 seconds before they

            decide if they like you. Then, be sure to give the people what they need! 

Be consistent  

Make sure the ‘vibe’ you set on Instagram, in the DMs, and across the rest of your marketing matches what you have on your site. It’s very disorienting to fall in love with someone’s social content only to discover a stiffer, more formal website. So keep your language and voice consistent on all channels to keep the love going. 

Make your site people-friendly

Test your website’s display and readability across device types and web browsers. Just because it looks great on the desktop doesn’t mean it will be compatible with mobile devices (major ick!)

Keep your navigation straightforward, so information is easy to find, and when in doubt, use a Marie Kondo approach to your pages. Less is always more! 

Make your site robot-friendly (H3) 

Take a few minutes to write meta descriptions for each page describing your content. Then, make the most of any dead pages you no longer use by using a 301 redirect (humans will appreciate this, too), and keep your site fast and easy to use!

Focus on benefits rather than features  

People invest in offers for the end result rather than the process that gets them there. 

Here’s a great way to test this. Take any product or service feature and add “so you can….” 

What you use to fill in the “so you can” blank is your benefit. For example, your readers can invest in a website copywriting package so you can convert more web visitors to paying customers. That’s the benefit you should focus on! 

You can use that benefit for your headline or statement so that it quickly grabs the attention of your reader and leads them to read more like this: 

Headline: “Convert more leads into paying customers.” 

Tagline:    “Website copywriting that grows your business.”

Test your copy  

Once your copy goes live, you’ll need some benchmarking to see if your hard work is yielding results. You can study heatmaps, set up analytics to track engagement and exit rates, and continue to play with your messaging hierarchy (what information goes in what order) to see how it improves your conversion over time. 

If you’re unhappy with your results, you can always tweak your copy based on what your tools tell you until you achieve your desired high conversion rates. 

Now go grab a cup of joe and go write some great website copy! With confidence.