Are you wondering, ‘How do I write website copy that converts?’
You’re in the right place. As a specialist SEO website copywriter, this topic is my jam. Having tailored, conversion-focused website copy helps you build your business as you’re more likely to get enquiries from the right people who truly ‘get’ you.
In this blog post, I’m sharing 9 tips for writing website copy that will improve conversion rates and get that all-important connection with your ideal customers.
Things to know before you write website copy that converts
Writing website copy is more like assembling words than creative writing. It might sound strange, but once you’ve carried out customer research, conducted customer interviews, and written out your key messaging statements, your job is to stitch it together.
Before you write website copy that converts, you need to:
- Define your website goals
- Have a clear idea of your ideal clients
- Understand your main messaging points
- Work out the best website structure (information architecture)
- Make sure people can find your website (consider SEO)
If you know all of this, you’re ready to start the actual writing process—woop!
If not, check out these essential things to know before you start writing website copy first.
Use copywriting formulas to get started
The worst thing you can do is go into the ‘writing’ process with a blank page.
One thing I teach in my group web copywriting programme, Sculpt, is to use one of the many copywriting formulas as a jumping off point for writing website copy that converts.
What do I mean by ‘copywriting formulas’?
Ther’re proven formats to structure your copy with prompts for different sections, tried and tested by copywriters all over the world.
I don’t need these in my own writing practice anymore (I did when I first started!), but they’re a great starting point for forming your messaging if you aren’t used to writing website copy. Once you have a format that works, repeat, personalise, and adapt it.
Some of my favourite copywriting formulas include:
Before, After, Bridge (BAB)
- Before – Here’s your world… [problem, emotions]
- After – Imagine what having [problem] solved is like [tease after emotions]
- Bridge – Here’s how to get there [positive solution]
Problem, Agitate, Solution (PAS)
- Problem – Here’s what your problem is [problem]
- Agitate – Highlight how much harder your life is due to the problem [negative emotions]
- Solution – Here’s how to get there [solution]
Qualify, Understand, Educate, Stimulate, Transition (QUEST)
- Qualify – Ask questions identifying who they are and what they need
- Understand – What are the reader’s needs, goals, and current pain points? Show you understand them
- Educate – What are the benefits of the product or service you are offering?
- Stimulate – Get the reader’s interest by highlighting the features and benefits of your product or service.
- Transition – Encourage action by providing a clear call to action.
It’s good to try a few different formulas, as each has its own prompts, leading to different results.
Once you’ve played around with some general writing to get you into the swing of things, here are 9 best practices to apply to your website copy:
1. Speak directly to your customers
Your customers are self-centred. It’s a fact. So, you want to say ‘you’ more than ‘I’ and ‘we’ to address them directly (or another way I like to say it is, stop weeing on your customers).
When you address your ideal clients using ‘you’, they connect to your messaging far more than if you don’t. Keep this in mind when writing website copy.
If you struggle with this, imagine you’re writing to one person you know well. Picture them – whoever they are – and write as if you’re sending them a letter or an email. This little trick allows you to be more direct and naturally conversational.
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2. Focus on the transformation you provide
For website copy that converts, always focus on benefits over features in your website copy.
For example, don’t sell the coaching calls you offer, sell the life-changing perspectives and proven methods of success you provide clients. If you find it tricky to know your customer transformations, you should interview and ask them.
Or, another way is for each ‘benefit’ you provide, ask yourself if that’s the end result your ideal clients care about. The ‘so what?’ test is great for this one…
Let’s say you’re a social media manager, and you tell potential clients: “I create engaging content and schedule your posts.”
So what? Why does that matter to your client?
👉🏻 “So you stay consistent on social media without spending hours on it.”
So what?
👉🏻 “So you build brand awareness and attract more leads without the stress.”
So what?
👉🏻 “So you can focus on growing your business while knowing your social media presence is actively bringing in the right potential clients.”
The real benefit isn’t just content creation—it’s business growth and peace of mind. This process helps uncover what truly resonates with your audience.
You might start out saying one thing, and after asking why your customers really care, you realise you’re actually focusing on the wrong thing.
3. Use language your customers relate to
Simple, clear language benefits every reader, so this is something you should always aim for. However, the actual phrasing and language you use should also be relevant to your ideal customer.
For example, if you have a predominantly Gen-Z audience, you won’t want to reference Millenial or Boomer TV shows or ads. And the ‘slang’ that will resonate will be entirely different. (‘That slaps’ is a good thing to Gen Z, and ‘Salty’ isn’t referencing your favourite snack.)
What methods can you use to research and define your target audience?
A good way to check whether your language is relatable to your audience is by doing some research:
- Voice of customer research – by asking customer interview questions, you can learn what your customers are saying about their situation, transformation, and experience of working with your company. You can use this directly in your copy.
- Digging into forums, competitor reviews, and social media – find out what people are asking and commenting about your topic. Look at this as a general view rather than just your brand.
Grab a copy of my free customer research exercise here to access these prompts and more in an easy-to-use Google Doc template.
4. Showcase your personality in your website copy
You want people to click with you online, then meet you (in person or on Zoom) and feel like you’re the same person.
Imagine if people think you’re going to be an eccentric character because you use superlative language with ‘out-there’ references, only to find that you’re actually shy… It’s jarring, and it won’t help you convert ideal customers.
Whereas, if you properly showcase who you are, what you care about, and your vibe through your website copy, it’s going to attract the right people. So let who you are as a person shine through in your writing.
- What ‘weird’ quirks do you have?
- How can you show your sense of humour?
- What personal stories about your past experiences can you share?
- Do you have big, ambitious dreams?
- What ‘faults’ can you own up to unapologetically?
Think about ways to make your writing more ‘you’. It doesn’t have to be anything too dramatic—but website copy that converts does have to feel real.
5. Encourage action
Don’t get scared to tell people what you want them to do. Weak, vague calls-to-action (CTAs) help nobody – including your ideal clients.
Always tell readers what they should do next, and add ethical urgency by painting a pciture of what they get if they take that next step (and in turn, what they’re missing out on).
You don’t want people to have to search for the next step, so make it easy by filtering plenty of CTAs throughout your website copy, either through regular buttons or by adding links to your copy—or both!
6. Make your website copy easy to read
Most online users won’t read all your website copy – as much as that sucks! You’d love to imagine people reading every single word carefully, but that’s simply not the reality.
So, to make your copy land with impact, you need to make it scannable. Do this by using:
- Headers that get your key messages across – so if they don’t read the body copy, people still get enough information
- Bullet points – wherever appropriate, split chunky paragraphs into bullet points
- White space around your copy – let the words breathe, so your copy stands out on the page and makes it easier for people to read (even if they’re scanning)
The design of your website is important for getting your message across, too. Work with a website designer for the best results, but if you need to do it yourself, avoid cramming copy into small boxes, having misaligned words or tiny text.
And writing your website copy before designing your website makes this whole process easier and more effective.
7. Consider SEO
So people find you in the first place, you should consider your target keywords and apply on-page SEO best practices.
For SEO website copy that converts, each page on your website should be optimised for a specific focus keyword that matches your ideal customers’ intent. This is the main term or phrase you want the page to rank for in search engine results.
Alongside this, include semantic keywords – variations or related terms – that provide context and improve search engine understanding of your content.
A useful tip here is to write your copy first, optimise for SEO afterwards. This means you’re focusing on getting your point across clearly rather than getting tied up in knots about keywords.
Important: Don’t keyword stuff!! This negatively impacts your ranking potential. Always focus on readability and clarity for your users.
8. Use social proof
To back up your transformation claims (from point no. 2), you should use social proof. This includes:
- Customer reviews/testimonials – both written and video
- Links to more detailed case studies – discussing your process and results
- Logos of clients you’ve worked with – this works well if they’re well-known names
Social proof boosts your audience’s trust, as they can verify that you know what you’re talking about! Use as many forms as you have. If you don’t have any recent reviews, this is your reminder to ask clients for them!
Avoid only having testimonials on a single page – it’s much more effective if you place testimonials on each page and filter them throughout your website.
Even better if you’re strategic about it! For example, if you have a review that highlights a key selling point for one of your services, use that on the service page. If another one talka about your approach and values, share it on your about page.
9. Don’t be scared to repeat yourself
Although it would be great if they did, users don’t usually visit (or read) every page of your website. That’s why repeating yourself on your website is a good thing. Obviously, you don’t want to say the exact same thing on each page, or else what’s the point of the new page?
To give people a better chance of ‘getting’ what you’re about, it’s important to repeat your key messages. Think about how you can say a similar thing slightly differently… the more ways you present an idea, the more likely your ideal customers will understand.
For example, if you have a main heading on your home page, how can you carry that idea across all your other pages? A similar version of copy might be used for a final CTA, for a subheading, or even within the body copy.
Get customer-focused website copy that converts
Apply all these tips and you’ll be well on your way to writing website copy that appeals to ideal clients – which is what you want, right?
If you need help writing website copy, I can support you through my group copywriting programme, Sculpt. I take you through the exact steps I go through to write customer-focused website copy for my clients.
Or, if you want me to take the whole process off your hands, choose my done-for-you SEO website copywriting service. All you need to do is meet with me online to answer my questions—I’ll do the rest.
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