Brick-and-mortar stores can use décor, music, layout, lighting, and even fragrances to make a tactile impression that tells your brand story. Online stores, lacking a physical presence, must rely on elements like text and visuals to turn visitors into customers. Compelling text, or copy, is crucial, because it’s one of the few ways to engage the emotions of your website visitors.
Here’s what website copy is and why it’s important, plus eight tips for writing web copy that converts browsers into buyers.
What is website copy?
Website copy is the written content on your website’s pages, such as your homepage, About page, and product or service pages. It includes headlines, sub-headers, body copy, calls to action (CTAs), FAQs, and navigational text.
Note that website copy and website content are related, but distinct. Web copy is text-based and goal-oriented. It’s concise and tailored to drive immediate actions like purchases, newsletter sign-ups, or contacting your business. It’s typically found on top-level website pages (those not within a section or category).
Web content includes all written and visual elements on your page, created to inform, educate, and provide long-term value. It can include blog posts and other content marketing, like reports and case studies. Website copy is a subset of website content.
Why is good website copy important?
Good website copy can mean the difference between securing a sale and losing a visitor. Here are four ways it enhances website performance:
Brand identity and trust
Website copy is one of the best ways to define and reinforce your brand voice and identity. Whether it’s serious and professional or cheeky and irreverent, well-crafted copy captures your reader’s attention and conveys your ethos. This builds trust with your ideal customer and helps keep your brand top of mind.
Conversions
Effective copy compels visitors to act, whether it’s making a purchase, signing up for a newsletter, or requesting a quote. Even with a well-designed site, customers may not understand why or how to take action without persuasive copy
Engagement
Great web page copy piques a visitor’s interest, compelling them to explore further. Flyest’s homepage, featuring hip-hop-inspired teas, says, “Drink tea like an adult.”
This bold, surprising message may prompt visitors to ask, “What makes this tea for adults?” and tries to encourage herbal wellness and music enthusiasts to learn more about the brand and product.
Search engine optimization (SEO)
Great web copy engages and converts visitors—but they need to be able to find your site first. Website copy should not only be entertaining and persuasive, it needs to be optimized for search engines to index and display your content in search results. This includes doing keyword research before writing and incorporating target keywords into your copy. Higher search rankings increase organic traffic, expanding your reach.
Essential sections to include on a website
These web pages are the main ways users interact with your business, so it’s essential to craft web copy that shines.
Homepage
Your homepage is the first that most website visitors see, and your copy here must immediately grab attention and tell your brand story and value proposition.
The key to homepage copy is to deliver relevant information in just a few words. Use language that projects your brand’s voice and your customers find relatable.
A great homepage answers:
- What. A brief overview of your website or business.
- Why. A unique value proposition that succinctly highlights your distinct benefit to customers.
- Where. Clear call to action (CTA) and navigation to other pages.
About page
The About page is your chance to showcase your brand’s story and mission. Connect with visitors by sharing why you started your business, the issues you’re addressing, and your personal commitment to its mission.
Rhode Skin’s About page highlights the brand’s mission to make intentional skin care accessible to all. It features a personal note from founder Hailey Bieber, details on Rhode Skin’s advisory board, and information on the key ingredients in their products.
Product and service pages
Product and services pages are your site’s money makers, where you showcase your offerings and persuade customers to buy. Your copy should include clear product descriptions, pricing, and benefits-driven information. Be honest, but don’t be afraid to highlight your product’s strengths.
This sometimes means educating yourself before you can educate customers. “I thought I’d have to tell people about brew times. But now I’m realizing that I had to teach people about the benefits of drinking loose tea as opposed to bagged tea,” Flyest founder Shanae Jone says on an episode of Shopify Masters.
Tips for writing web copy
- Know your audience
- Define your brand voice
- Use benefits-driven language
- Speak in the customer’s voice
- Make your copy skimmable
- Incorporate keywords
- Include clear CTAs
Here’s how to create compelling web copy that engages and converts:
Know your audience
Before you start writing, understand your target audience: their interests, concerns, and motivations. Are they driven by price, quality, authenticity, or rebellion? Deep understanding helps you find language and terms that resonate with your audience.
For example, fashion brand and activism hub The Outrage caters to those passionate about social impact. Its CTAs, like “Support our work” and “Rep your values,” speak directly to this audience.
Define your brand voice
Two wedding invitation stores can have vastly different voices. One might be elevated, the other whimsical. Your brand voice can range from playful to refined, edgy, or professional. Whichever you choose, make it sound conversational and authentic. Customers want to know they’re engaging with a brand that they can connect with. Once defined, create a style guide to maintain consistency across all channels and writers.
Use benefits-driven language
Some businesses fall into the trap of simply describing their product instead of describing its benefits to the customer. In other words, benefits-driven copy emphasizes how features translate into real-world value for the customer.
For example, Bruvi’s homepage copy includes the following language: “Your favorite coffee house drinks, now in your house.” Their product landing page emphasizes the key benefit of coffee-shop-quality coffee at home before listing features and tech specs at the bottom for those interested in more details.
Speak in the customer’s voice
Voice of the customer (VoC) refers to the specific language your customers use to communicate their hopes, likes, and dislikes. Collect VoC data from customer calls, emails, social media comments, reviews, and surveys. Then, analyze this feedback to create copy that reflects VoC insights, ensuring your content meets customer needs and expectations.
Make your copy skimmable
Users only read about 20% of the words on a webpage, and they tend to skim for important concepts and information. Here’s how to write for skimmers:
- Keep paragraphs short (two to four sentences).
- Break up text with large punchy headings and subheadings.
- Use bullet points and lists to quickly convey information.
Incorporate keywords
Try to include one main target keyword (the primary term you want your page to rank for) and one or two secondary keywords (related or adjacent terms) depending on the page’s content.
Do keyword research using SEO tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to find relevant keywords before writing web copy so you can naturally include them without compromising your brand voice.
Then, optimize the page’s meta title, description, and URL structure to help search engines better understand what the page is about.
Include clear CTAs
Persuasive copy needs a clear CTA. This guides visitors on what to do and highlights the value of taking action.
Keep the following tips in mind when writing CTAs:
- Be clear and specific.
- Keep it short—between two to four words.
- Continuously test and optimize.
Website copy FAQ
What makes effective website copy?
Effective website copy is clear, concise, and focused on your target audience’s needs and desires. It uses simple, benefits-driven language and compelling calls to action.
How long should website copy be?
Website copy has no set length because it depends on your business and offerings. Your website copy should be as long as necessary to convey your message clearly and effectively, but avoid unnecessary details that could overwhelm or bore your audience.
Are there tools to help write website copy?
Yes. You can work with tools like Shopify Magic, Grammarly, Hemingway Editor, and Copy.ai when writing website copy.
