Your website is your brand’s online home – it’s where potential customers go to learn more about what you do, and whether you can solve their problems. That’s why it’s so important to have website copy that engages your audience and convinces them to take action.

In this blog post, I’ll be sharing my top tips for writing website copy that works. Whether you’re starting from scratch or looking to improve your existing content, following these guidelines will help you create web copy that’s both effective and user-friendly.

1. Know your audience

One of the most important aspects of writing website copy is knowing your audience.

Who are you writing for? What do they want to know?

Answering these questions will help you determine the tone, style, and content you need to include in your copy. It will also make it easier to write copy that’s targeted and relevant to your audience.

For example, if you are writing for a tech-savvy audience, then you’ll want to use clear and concise language. However, if you are writing for a general audience, then you can afford to be a bit wordier.

In terms of content, it’s important to give your audience the information they are looking for. If you are selling products or services, then be sure to include detailed descriptions and pricing information.

If you are providing information about a company or organization, then be sure to include an overview of what they do.

2. Keep it concise and clear

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever to communicate clearly and concisely.

When you’re writing for the web, that means keeping your content focused and easy to read. That doesn’t mean you have to dumb things down – just make sure that each sentence serves a purpose and that your overall message is clear.

Think about sales funnels: they are always clear about what the user needs to do next.

The same principle applies to website copy – you want to make it easy for your audience to understand what you want them to do, whether that’s buying a product, signing up for a newsletter, or downloading a white paper.

If you try to pack too much information into one page or post, you risk overwhelming your readers and losing their attention.

So when it comes to web writing, remember: less is almost always more. Keep it concise and clear, and you’ll get your point across loud and clear.

3. Write conversationally

Whether you’re writing an email to a colleague or a blog post for your customers, It’s critical to convey things clearly and understandably. That means using language that your audience will be familiar with and avoid any industry jargon that they might not be familiar with.

For example, I followed a product launch campaign recently where the team used a lot of technical terms that I wasn’t familiar with. As a result, I had trouble understanding what they were trying to sell me and eventually lost interest in the product.

It was a software for managing server deployments, but instead of using terms like “infrastructure as code” they could have just said, “a system that lets you manage your server settings with code”. 

See the difference?

It can also be helpful to write conversationally as if you’re speaking to the reader directly. This makes your writing more engaging and accessible and ensures that your message is evident.

As an example, using the word “you” throughout your writing can help the reader feel as though you’re speaking to them directly.

For instance: “If you’re struggling to write copy that converts, then this guide is for you.”

This sentence makes it clear that the guide is meant for people who are having difficulty with their writing, and it’s much more engaging than saying “This guide is for people who want to improve their writing”.

4. Make it scannable

Breaking up your text can be a great way to make your writing more readable and engaging. By using headlines, subheadings, and bullet points, you can help readers to scan your text and find the information they are looking for.

This can be especially useful when you are writing long documents or articles. By making your text scannable, you can help readers to focus on the most important information and make it easier for them to find what they need.

According to a study by the Nielsen Norman Group, people only tend to read about 20% of the text on a web page.

So if you want people to read your writing, it’s important to make it as easy as possible for them to do so.

5. Use images, infographics, and videos

You know that content is key to driving traffic to your website and engaging potential customers. However, with so much content out there competing for attention, it can be difficult to know how to make your content stand out.

One way to do this is by using images, infographics, and videos.

People are more likely to engage with visually appealing content, so incorporating visuals into your content strategy can help you increase web traffic and conversions. In a study by Content Marketing Institute, they found that including visuals in your content can increase web traffic by up to 94%.

Not only that, but people are more inclined to recall information if it is delivered to them in a visual format, according to research.

In addition, using visual content can help you more effectively communicate your message and connect with your audience on an emotional level.

When it comes to driving results, visually appealing content is hard to beat.

6. Use calls to action

Calls to action are an important part of any piece of writing. By telling your readers what you want them to do next, you can help to guide them through the process of taking action.

This doesn’t only increase conversions and boost your bottom line, but also serves the customer by providing a clear path to follow.

But, It’s important to use calls to action sparingly and only when they are truly relevant. Otherwise, you run the risk of coming across as pushy or desperate.

If you want the website visitor to sign up for your newsletter, you might include a link to the sign-up page at the end of your article. Tell them why signing up will be beneficial for them, and make it easy for them to do so by including the link.

If you want them to buy a product, you might include a link to the product page or a coupon code. 

And if you want them to contact you for more information, you might include your contact information and a brief message.

By including a call to action, you can make it easy for your readers to take the next step.

7. Test and measure

A/B testing is a great way to see what works on your website and what doesn’t. By creating two versions of a page and showing them to different visitors, you can see which version performs better.

A/B testing can be used to test anything from the placement of a button to the color of a link.

However, it’s important to remember that A/B testing is only one tool that can be used to track engagement on your website.

Analytics is another great way to see how visitors are interacting with your site. By tracking things like page views, time on site, and bounce rate, you can get a better idea of what’s working and what isn’t.

If you’re not sure where to start, try running an A/B test on a landing page or an email sign-up form.

8. Keep it fresh 

Good website content is like a good cup of coffee – it should be fresh and hospitable. Old, stale content can turn off potential customers just as quickly as a bad cup of Joe.

One way to do this is to update your website regularly with new blog posts, articles, photos, and videos. This helps to ensure that your website visitors always have something new to enjoy.

Google also favors fresh content, so by keeping your site up-to-date, you can help to improve your search engine rankings.

So next time you’re thinking about skipping a website update, remember – fresher is better.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are several things that you can do to make your website content more engaging. By following these tips, you can help to ensure that your content is seen by more people and that those people are more likely to take action.

Copywriting isn’t always easy or fun, but it’s worth the effort. Making little tweaks to your website content can have a big impact on your business.

What are you waiting for?

Have a brainstorming session, break down that big project into smaller tasks, and start writing!

Oscar Rodriguez is a blogger  who loves writing about online businesses and software. He currently lives in Finland.  Oscar is passionate about investing and loves learning about new online businesses and  building online influence.

You can connect with him in LinkedIn and Instagram.