Website Copywriting: 11 Expert Tips to Increase Conversions

SEMrush's 2023 State of Content Marketing report revealed that 37% of brands surveyed say they outsource copywriting. If you fall into the 63% and want to improve your website copywriting skills, we're here to help.

Web copy can make the difference between a visitor and a lead. Yet, web copywriting is a strategy that sometimes falls by the wayside, often ignoring other website elements like SEO, design, and functionality.

It plays an integral role for consumers at every purchase cycle stage, from awareness to decision making and advocacy.

Most marketers can recognize bad web copy when they see it. Why? Because bad web copy doesn't read smoothly, provoke emotions, influence behavior, or provide a clear call to action.

It feels purposeless – and it's the exact opposite of the goal of marketing.

Below, you'll find tips on how to write engaging copy.

1. Know your audience.

The number one tip for website copywriting is to know who will read it. If you don't have a reader in mind, how will you know what words and tone will best resonate with them?

As a writer, I am constantly aware of the user and their needs. This is my north star when writing posts. How did I become acquainted with him? Through user personas and data.

User personas will tell you who the average reader is landing on my article, their pain points and challenges, and their goals.

The data will give you insight into which strategies have performed well with that audience and which ones to stay away from.

With both, you'll gain a deeper understanding of your audience, allowing you to write copy that will engage your users and compel action.

Expert Tip: Ryan Robinson suggests spending time on the social media platforms your audience frequents.

By reading the posts and comments of your target audience, you will gain a deeper understanding of their needs and pain points and how to market to them effectively.

2. Find the cause.

You've been assigned the task of writing a special copy for a company's website.

Once you understand your audience, a HubSpot marketer recommends asking yourself, “Who cares?”

“If I can't answer it, I can't expect anyone to read it,” said Curtis Del Principe, SEO content writer for HubSpot. “Once I have an idea of ​​who cares (and why), I have an angle and a throughline to guide my writing.”

image Source

Often, we write without paying attention to the purpose of the content. What benefit will the reader get from reading this? What do I want them to do after reading this? Why should they care about this stuff?

Answering these questions is the key to writing valuable content.

Expert Tip: Amanda at Blogs by Jarvis suggests finding your vision before you start writing. “Who you're selling to will dictate what direction you want to write in,” says Amanda.

Take the time to articulate what you hope your audience will gain from your creation. This will make the writing process easier.

3. Complexity kills readability.

According to SEMrush, “Data shows that the more readable an article is, the more likely it is to perform.”

Take this as your cue to skip the jargon and fancy words – just get straight to the point. Here are a few examples:

• helpful vs beneficial
• use vs use
• happen vs happen
• test vs test

When in doubt, keep it simple. However, if you're struggling to keep your copy readable, consider using an AI tool like HubSpot's Campaign Assistant to help create copy for a landing page, email, or ad.

Expert Tip: Polly Clover, an SEO copywriter, believes that most people ignore a blog post or article rather than read it. Polly suggests keeping your posts easy to read and skimmable. Use easy-to-read words in your posts to target a wider audience.

4. Be brief.

Nobel laureate and author William Faulkner said it best: Kill your loved ones.

As writers, it's very easy to get carried away with our words. In marketing, using excessive language can have exactly the opposite effect of what we want.

AJ Beltis, senior marketing manager at HubSpot responsible for blog leads, calls himself a verbose writer. Therefore, he focuses on brevity.

“The first time I write something, I get all my ideas down in writing. Then, I'll look at it again and ask myself, 'How can I say this more concisely?'” he says. . “I think I'm able to get my point across clearly and quickly as a result.”

image Source

Madison Jade. Vettorino echoes this by encouraging brands to keep their copy “bite-sized” without sacrificing accuracy and authenticity.

She says, “Each word and sentence should connect to that core idea. If it doesn't, it is unnecessary and should be removed.” “When it comes to copywriting, the ability to keep it concise but impactful is a superpower.”

Expert Tip: Nicholas Tartt of Income Diary suggests keeping paragraphs to just one to three paragraphs. Short paragraphs help keep readers engaged and moving forward with your content.

5. Write how you speak.

This seems obvious but can be the biggest hurdle for copywriters.

We often think that our readers use more advanced and better language than ours. But the truth is that many readers want to be talked to like a friend.

When you write the way you speak, your copy sounds more conversational and relevant. If you're writing on a complex topic, think about how you would explain it to a family member and try to emulate that in your notebook.

image Source

Expert Tip: Elliot Pak, a content writer, suggests reading your copy out loud to hear how your words sound. This way, you will be able to hear the tone of the copy. Is the tone friendly? Is it obvious? Or is it boring?

Think about these things as you read aloud.

6. Take breaks between drafts.

When you've been working on something for a while, it becomes hard to spot errors.

To deal with this, take plenty of time between edits, says HubSpot staff writer Madhu Murali.

He says, “Every time I read it it gives me a new perspective on the article and a better idea of ​​the reader's POV.”

When rereading, you'll be able to spot clunky sentences, awkward phrases, and grammar mistakes more easily. This approach can turn good copy into great copy.

Expert Tip: Blogger Margaret Bourne suggests giving yourself some time before editing or making changes to your content. Like Elliot Pak, Margaret recommends reading your content out loud, but this time to spot clunky sentences and mistakes.

7. Break up the copy.

It doesn't matter how good your copy is, if it's long and heavy, you'll likely lose your reader's attention.

Eye-tracking studies show that website visitors often skim articles rather than reading each sentence. Thus, break up your paragraphs – especially if your traffic mostly comes from mobile devices.

This can also be done through subheaders, bullet points, and images, as shown in the example below.

image Source

Expert Tip: Magowen Creative Studio knows that breaking up text is a key strategy for moving your readers through your content.

However, they suggest using graphics, headers, and bullet points to engage your audience and creating breaks in the text. Make sure to include only relevant graphics that match the intent of the content.

8. Avoid overuse of popular words.

I once went on a website and read so many buzzwords that I couldn't figure out what they were saying. I spent a few minutes re-reading the sentences to understand their meaning but couldn't find anything.

I became frustrated and exited the site.

When using buzzwords, the goal is usually to use words that are most likely to resonate with readers. Sometimes, people get a little carried away and you end up with a complicated sentence without any facts.

In this case, less is more. So, keep your copy straightforward and jargon-free – unless you have data to prove it works for your audience.

Expert Tip: Jessica La, a blogger, says that you have to be careful about your tone and not use jargon too much. Excessive use of jargon not only makes your content unreadable, but it also creates a bad environment for your readers. Keep it simple and light.

9. Focus on profits.

As straightforward as it sounds, many companies fail to apply this principle to their web copy.

They focus on what their company does and what products they offer rather than writing from the reader's perspective. What can they benefit from using your software? Start there.

So, instead of saying, “We do inbound marketing,” try something like “Increased your web traffic and leads with engaging content,” which immediately outlines the benefits.

Expert Tip: Samantha Travis, a blogger, emphasizes the importance of focusing on topics relevant to your target audience. “Be creative and consider what your target audience will find interesting and useful,” says Samantha. Make sure your content is clear about its value and benefits.

10. Don't ignore microcopy.

Microcopy refers to abbreviated text on a website, such as labels on calls-to-action (CTAs) and form fields.

It may seem like text doesn't come up in conversation often, but small details like this can make or break the user experience on your website.

image Source

Easier said than done, right? we know.

Some surefire ways to write an engaging CTA are:

• use action verbs – Instead of common phrases like “click here” and “learn more,” use words like “discover” and “join.”
• Appeal to their wishes – If you know your audience wants community, you can emphasize it with a CTA like “Join the community of 1,000+ marketers.”
• Awaken urgency and scarcity – Terms like “limited,” “act now,” and “while it lasts” can spur action from consumers who don’t want to miss out.

Expert Tip: Sarah Turner, a copywriter, suggests that your copy should encourage the reader to take action. “You really need to tell them what to do next,” she says.

Double-check your copy and make sure readers understand the next, direct step they should take after reading your content.

11. Watch the competition.

It's always helpful to see what your competitors are doing, as this can inform your strategy. Copywriting is no different.

Review the websites of your direct competitors and pay attention to their copy. What is their tone? How do they present their products and services to consumers? What CTAs do they use (and on which pages) to drive traffic to the bottom of the funnel?

I'm not suggesting that you should adopt their copywriting approach, but it doesn't hurt to know their perspective.

Expert Tip: Kellan Huntress is always checking out the competition and suggests creating a “swipe file” of effective copywriting. However, don't confuse swipe files with piracy.

Instead, use a swipe file as a source of inspiration to tailor your copy with your brand's message to best market to your audience.

Now that you have all these tips, you can step up your copywriting game and increase those conversions.

Editor's note: This post was originally published in March 2015 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.