5 Website Copywriting Tips to Woo Visitors (including examples)

If you're running a business, you know that having a well-designed website is essential for attracting and retaining customers. But what about the words on your website? Your website copy is just as important as your design when it comes to making a good impression and driving sales.

Here are 5 website copywriting tips that will help you to boost your brand and boost your sales:

Know your audience 🎓

Before you start writing, take the time to understand who your target audience is. What are their pain points? What are they looking for? What are their objections? By understanding your audience, you can tailor your website copy to speak directly to them, and address their needs and concerns.

For example, the outdoor clothing company Patagonia knows that its audience is passionate about the environment, so its website copy focuses on the sustainability of its products. They use words like "recycled," "organic," and "Fair Trade Certified" to appeal to their audience's values, and to differentiate themselves from competitors.

Nothing screams more “responsibly made” than this one-liner.

Use clear and concise language 👌

Website visitors are often in a hurry, and don't have the time or patience to read long, complex sentences. To keep them engaged and interested, use clear and concise language that is easy to understand. This means using short sentences and paragraphs, and avoiding jargon and technical terms.

For example, the online furniture retailer Wayfair uses clear and concise language on their website to make it easy for visitors to find what they're looking for. They use simple, straightforward language to describe their products, and provide clear, concise instructions for making a purchase.

Example of clear and concise copy from a Wayfair couch product description.

Here’s another example from one of our clients, Stagetimer, who required landing page copy to outline a specific use case of their tool (an online event timer). For the Hero snippet, we made it short, sweet, and to-the-point so the user knows exactly what they’re getting right off the bat.

Be compelling and persuasive 😏

Your website copy should be more than just a list of facts and features. It should be compelling and persuasive so visitors take action. This means using compelling language, telling a story, being benefit-centric, and providing social proof (such as customer reviews) to support your claims.

When TalktheTalk copywriters wrote copy for the eCommerce haircare brand, Yuriz, we remembered to keep the language simple but threw in a few exciting adjectives to make the pitch more attractive. We also made three distinct points but made sure they focused on what the customer was interested in (focusing on outcomes and actions over boring scientific ingredients about the hair serum).

Optimize for search engines 🧐

Your website copy should be optimized for search engines, so that it ranks highly in search results and attracts more visitors. This means using keywords and phrases that are relevant to your business and your target audience, and incorporating them naturally into your website copy.

A good example of maintaining a good balance between SEO keywords and compelling language is Flick, an Instagram hashtag management tool we wrote website copy for.

At the top left of the section, in blue text (notice the on-brand design), is the actual search-engine-optimized H2 header: “Drag & Drop Calendar.” This is what google will read to understand the page and tool better. It also gives readers a clear and to-the-point description of the feature. But, in simply larger paragraph text, we add a more engaging line that describes the benefit of the calendar.

Remember: Header hierarchies (H1, H2, H3, H4…) don’t need to get smaller in font size as they go down. Nor bigger as they go up. This is completely up to you. Just make sure you use the right header or paragraph meta tag so Google knows how to read your website.

Test and refine 🔁

Finally, don't be afraid to test and refine your website copy. This means experimenting with different versions of your copy, and tracking the results to see which versions are most effective. By continuing to test and refine your website copy, you can continually improve its effectiveness and drive more sales for your business.

For example, the online retailer Zappos is known for their excellent customer service, and they use their website copy to showcase this. They use language like "free shipping and returns," "24/7 customer service," and "365-day return policy" to highlight the benefits of shopping with them, and to differentiate themselves from competitors. They also use customer reviews and ratings to provide social proof of their excellent service, and to persuade visitors to make a purchase.

We can write powerful website copy for you 👋

Website copy is an essential part of your online presence and can have a big impact on your brand and your sales. By following these 5 website copywriting tips, you can create website copy that is clear, compelling, and optimized for search engines, and that will help you to attract and retain customers.

If you need help with this, consider tapping into years of website marketing and copywriting experience by talking to one of our copywriters today!