Website copywriting: writing pages that explain and convert
Website copy has to be clear before it is clever. Use this approach to write pages that explain what you do and move visitors to act.
- Published
- Reading time
- 1 min read
Key takeaways
- Lead with what you do, for whom and why it matters.
- Write in your customers' words and answer their objections.
- Every page needs one clear next step.
Visitors decide quickly whether a website can help them. Clear copy tells them what you do, why it matters to them and what to do next, in that order.
Start with clarity
Your home page and service pages should answer three questions within seconds:
- What do you do? In plain words, not a slogan.
- Who is it for? The customers you serve best.
- Why should they choose you? The specific difference you make.
A clever tagline can come after clarity, never instead of it.
Use customers' language
Collect the words customers use in calls, emails, reviews and searches. If they say "my website is slow", don't write "we optimise performance metrics". Their words help them recognise themselves, and help search engines match your pages to their searches.
Lead with outcomes, support with features
Customers care about results: more enquiries, less admin, a site they can update themselves. Describe the outcome, then explain the features or process that deliver it.
Answer objections
Think about what stops someone from contacting you: price uncertainty, fear of a long process, doubts about quality, worry about commitment. Address each one on the page with facts, process descriptions, proof and FAQs.
Show proof
Back claims with evidence: case studies, client logos and testimonials used with permission, certifications, real numbers you can verify, and examples of work. Specific beats general.
Structure for scanning
Most visitors scan before they read:
- Descriptive headings that make sense on their own
- Short paragraphs and bullet points
- Important information early on each page
- Buttons with specific labels such as "Request a quote", not "Submit"
One page, one main action
Decide the single most important next step for each page and make it obvious. Secondary options, like reading a case study or browsing services, can exist without competing with it.
Edit ruthlessly
Remove filler words, vague claims and jargon. Read pages aloud; anything that sounds unnatural needs rewriting.
Our content and copywriting team writes website copy as part of website development projects or on its own.
Frequently asked questions
Should we write our website copy before or after design?
Ideally before or alongside it. Designing around real content produces better pages than fitting text into fixed boxes afterwards.
How formal should website copy be?
As formal as your customers expect. Most businesses benefit from plain, direct language, whatever their industry.
