10 Website Copywriting Tips to Boost Conversions

If you’ve ever wondered why some sites grab your attention while others fall flat, the answer often lies in their website copywriting. In this post we’ll share our ten expert tips to help you spark interest and convert casual site visitors into customers.

Let’s start with a refresher of the basics…

What Is Website Copywriting?

Website copywriting is the written digital material of a website. It’s intended to engage readers, communicate a brand’s message, and – most importantly – inspire immediate action. And, usually, website copywriting needs to do all of that within a very limited word or character count.

For a more in-depth guide, have a look at our blog post What Is Web Copywriting?

10 Expert Website Copywriting Tips

Here are our top ten tips to boost your website copy and, with that, conversions.

1. Know Your Audience

Website copywriting is about engaging readers; therefore, it follows that you need to understand who you’re writing for. Research the target audience’s demographics, interests, and pain points to create content they find relatable and relevant.

Have a look at this example from Mumbles Coffee:

Their target audience is a community-focused, quality-loving group of coffee drinkers. The web copy emphasizes this with key words like “neighborhood,” “community-based,” “welcoming,” and “coffee enthusiasts.” The tag phrase, “it’s a way of life,” also reinforces the message that Mumbles Coffee is part of a desirable communal lifestyle.

2. Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features

Readers are typically more interested in how a product will improve their lives than its technical specs. Focus on the benefits your readers will experience, and you’ll capture their attention.

Apple, for example, could just list the specs for their iPhone camera, but what potential buyers really want to know is what the phone will do for them. To most people, therefore, taking “the perfect shot in record time” will mean far more than how many megapixels the camera might have.

3. Use Clear, Concise Language

Your readers may be short of time, and as a copywriter you will likely be short of space, so use your words wisely. Website copy should be straightforward and easy to understand. Avoid jargon and keep sentences short to make content more readable and engaging.

Take this tagline from Fabulous Welshcakes:

Three words, straight to the point.

4. Structure Content for Easy Scanning

Following on from what we said about being short on time, most readers skim website content rather than reading it fully. Structure your copy with headers, bullet points, and short paragraphs. This approach helps readers find the information they need quickly.

Have a look at the BBC Good Food recipe page:

Within each category, the recipes are listed with a clear indication of each dish’s suitability for dietary requirements, how long they’ll take to make, and how easy they are to prepare.

5. Use Persuasive Call-to-Action (CTA) Buttons

Your aim with copywriting is for the reader to take action immediately, so you should make that easy to do. A well-placed and persuasive CTA button can guide readers exactly where you want them to go.

You’ve probably seen Dropbox’s “Sign up for free” button:

It’s clear, actionable, and the word “free” is persuasive. And if you needed any further encouragement, beneath the button they’ve included a brief statement of reassurance: “No credit card required.”

6. Provide Social Proof

It’s a psychological principle worth remembering: as humans, we trust other humans. As a copywriter, therefore, including testimonials, case studies, or user reviews on the website will show potential customers that others trust the product or service.

Airbnb’s website highlights user reviews and host ratings on every listing page.

This social proof helps build trust for a platform that depends on people booking to stay in the home of a stranger.

7. Address Customer Pain Points Directly

Your readers are likely looking for a solution to a problem. Identify that problem and address it head-on in your copy to show how the product or service can help them.

HelloFresh directly addresses the hassle and expense of grocery shopping and the worry about food waste involved in cooking from scratch.

8. Optimize for SEO Without Sacrificing Readability

Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial for bringing visitors to sites, but stuffing your copy with keywords can make it unreadable. Strike a balance to keep both search engines and your human readers happy.

Twinings uses SEO keywords naturally while maintaining a soothing, conversational tone that reflects its brand. Here, for example, they incorporate relevant keywords into a relaxing description befitting their range of sleep teas:

9. Use Your Brand Voice

A brand’s voice is its personality, and you should use it consistently. Whether it’s playful, professional, or soothing – like the one above – your website copy should reflect the desired voice of the brand.

Oatly has a youthful, conversational brand voice that is used consistently throughout its website copy, even in its FAQs – which, in keeping with its voice, it has renamed “Random Answers”:

10. Create a Sense of Urgency

Incorporating urgency into your copy can encourage your readers to take action sooner rather than later. Make use of that fear of missing out (FOMO) with phrases like “limited time offer” or “only a few left!” to nudge potential customers toward a decision.

Amazon’s limited stock message – like the one below – is a classic example. Being told that there’s only one left can be enough to convert a casual browser to an immediate purchaser.

Becoming A Copywriter

As you improve your website copywriting skills, remember the tips we covered here: know your audience, focus on benefits, use clear language, and guide your readers to what you would like them to do next.

What could you do next? You could take our copywriting course, which takes you through the art of writing web copy, including converting readers into buyers. If you’re not sure if it’s for you, you can try two lessons absolutely free.