How to write website copy: stop talking about yourself
Most sites explain who the company is; the visitor is looking for what's in it for them. Six rules for copy that sells.
The most common mistake in website copy is this: the business describes itself while the visitor looks for a solution to their problem. These are not the same thing.
1. Write "you", not "we"
Bad: "Our company has been operating with a commitment to quality service since 2015."
Good: "Your site goes live within a week — sooner if your content is ready."
The first is about you, the second about the reader. The reader cares about the second.
2. Say what you do in the first sentence
Within five seconds of landing, a visitor should be able to answer "am I in the right place?" A poetic opening line doesn't answer that.
Bad: "We turn your dreams into reality." Good: "We build fast, search-friendly websites for small businesses."
3. Write outcomes, not features
Feature: "Responsive design." Outcome: "Your site looks as good on a phone as it does on a desktop."
The customer may not understand the feature; they always understand the outcome.
4. Be concrete
"Fast delivery" is vague. "Five working days" is concrete. "Affordable" is vague. "Starting at 300 dollars" is concrete.
Concrete statements are more credible and they filter out wrong expectations up front.
5. Write short, then cut
Write the first draft, then delete one sentence from every paragraph. Usually nothing is lost and the text becomes readable.
Break up long sentences. Reading on screen is more tiring than reading on paper.
6. Give each page one goal
What does the page want the visitor to do? Request a quote, call, browse products? There should be one answer, and it should appear on the page as a single clear button.
Put three different calls to action on a page and the visitor does none of them.
A quick test
Open a page on your site and ask three questions:
- Is it clear on the first screen what I do?
- How many times does the page say "we" versus "you"?
- Is the step the visitor should take single and obvious?
If you can't comfortably answer yes to all three, the copy needs rewriting.
- #copywriting
- #content
- #conversion
