Branding + Marketing

How to Write Website Copy That Converts Browsers to Buyers

Writing interesting website copy is one thing. Writing engaging web copy that moves people to action is next level. However, many people don’t understand how to write website copy that is effective and persuasive.

Maybe you don’t have time to learn, or maybe it feels a bit intimidating. Whatever the reason, you can’t afford to post boring copy on your website. It’s time to learn the formula for creating copy that converts and helps grow your business.

But it doesn’t have to be out of reach and overwhelming. With the right tools and strategies, you can craft copy that converts browsers into buyers and casual supporters into enthusiastic donors or volunteers!

If this resonates, stick around. This blog post will peel back the layers of the website copywriting onion so that you can create captivating messages that are sure to draw people in and inspire them to action.

How to Write Website Copy: Know Your Target Audience

If you want to craft compelling content for a website, an essential first step is getting to know your target audience. By creating personas and really drilling down into your customer’s pain points, values, and preferences, you can craft messages that resonate with them emotionally. This is important because emotional connections are more likely to drive actions.

Additionally, it’s important to understand the brand story you’re communicating through your website and other marketing materials. Once you’ve created personas that align with your business’s brand story, you can take actionable steps toward crafting copy that appeals directly to your target audience. This also helps you eliminate browsers who aren’t your ideal client.

Persona insights can also drive content ideas for your blog as well as inform keyword research so that you’re creating content that answers the questions your ideal customers are searching for online.

If you’re new to keywords, check out our post on “How to Create Content to Help Your Customer Find You Online” for a primer.

How Your Brand Story Can Improve Your Website Copy

Anyone who’s spent time developing a brand knows how important it is to have a strong brand story, especially in today’s crowded business and nonprofit landscape.

According to HubSpot, “A brand story recounts the series of events that sparked your company’s inception and expresses how that narrative still drives your mission today.”

If you’re not telling your brand story on your website, you’re missing out on a huge opportunity to improve your website copy. 

Developing a brand narrative that sticks in people’s minds can be difficult, but here’s how you can cut through the clutter:

1. Identify the problem your product or service solves.
2. Answer how your product or service makes life better for your customer.
3. Show them why they should care about what you have to say.

By focusing on the problem your product solves and how it improves your customer’s life, you can develop a brand story that will resonate with them and leave a lasting impression.

Read More: Make Your Brand Story Epic With This Straightforward Approach

Writing Copy for Websites That’s Easy to Read and Easy to Skim

Writing website copy in a style that is easy to read and easy to skim can promote brand loyalty, encourage customers to keep coming back, and ultimately improve your bottom line.

Here are some tips to make your content more reader-friendly:

• Use short sentences and avoid confusing industry jargon
• Use active voice and stick to one main point per paragraph
• Use bulleted or numbered lists to guide your audience through the webpage in an organized and accessible way.

You can also place a bulleted summary of the main points at the top of a blog post so your reader doesn’t feel like they’re drinking out of a firehose!

Another pro-tip: make the content relatable. When you’re writing, imagine you’re sitting over a cup of coffee with your reader. This will help you strike a conversational tone.

Read More:  Here’s What It Means to Humanize a Brand and How to Do It Well

Strong Benefit-Driven Headlines Improve Your Website Copy

When writing website copy, it is important to distinguish between features and benefits.  Features describe the product or services you are offering customers or clients. Benefits, on the other hand, explain why those features are important or valuable.

Benefits-focused language is more powerful as it articulates your features’ impact on customers’ lives. For example, the copy might explain why a bigger size means more convenience or how a certain convenience might help customers solve a problem. They answer the question, “what’s in it for me? ”

Consider these two headlines. “Security Camera Features Two Adjustable Floodlights” or “Security Camera With Floodlights Keeps Your Family Safe All Night.” The first is selling a feature. The latter offers peace of mind to you as the customer.

Understanding the difference between features and benefits in website copy can help create persuasive messaging that leads customers to purchase products or services.

Additionally, headlines should be interesting and inspire curiosity; this helps draw attention to the website and encourages readers to explore more deeply. Developing website content with memorable and benefit-focused headlines is essential to capitalizing on website visits and turning conversations into conversions.

Use Images and Videos to Break Up the Text

Whether you’re leading a nonprofit or running a business, one thing is universal — plain text is boring. Videos, images, and graphics make your website much more engaging to potential customers and readers. Video makes your brand story come alive, captivating your prospect in a way that plain text, no matter how convincing, can’t.

If you delay incorporating video in your website copy you’ll be late to the party as your competitors are likely already including video. According to a 2023 survey of the use of video in marketing, “the highest ever proportion of marketers (96%) continue to value video as an ‘important part’ of their marketing strategy.”

When writing copy for your website, it’s important to incorporate visuals that complement the content. Here are some additional benefits of visual storytelling:

• Videos break up long blocks of text and provide more depth in understanding a concept.
• Graphics and photography can illustrate an idea or process while eliciting an emotional response from visitors.
• Videos can keep readers engaged, while illustrations like diagrams and flowcharts further explain a point in a visually appealing manner.

You may be thinking, “Wait, I came here because I am struggling to write copy that leads to sales, and now I need to add creating images and filming videos to my plate?” Not necessarily. There are experts who can do that for you. (We may know some!)

Read More:

• Graphic Design 101: What Marketers Need to Know
• Video Marketing 101: From Basics to Benefits Here’s What You Need to Know 

Include Social Proof As Part of Your Website Content Strategy

Social proof is copywriting used to increase credibility and convince potential customers that others have used and enjoyed a company’s product or service. This could range from user reviews and customer testimonials to detailed case studies—anything that helps potential customers make sense of a product or service will be considered social proof copywriting.

Trust is king when it comes to moving a prospect through the sales funnel. Written case studies allow you to give real-life data and proof of how your product, service, or non-profit benefitted your customers. The results may look like a percentage increase in sales, increased efficiency and hours saved, or in the case of a philanthropic organization, the number of lives your mission has impacted and how.

Video testimonials are a convincing way to showcase a positive experience customers had with your business or non-profit.

Read More: Examples of Effective Customer Testimonial Videos

Make Clear and Concise Calls to Action

As copywriters know, crafting a compelling call to action (CTA) is essential in website copywriting. Think of your CTA as your moment of truth. When your reader gets to the end of that awesome blog you wrote will they take the next step? Your CTA can make or break the success of your message.

A great call to action is:

• Straightforward yet captivating, enticing your reader to take the desired action.
• Eye-catching and clear, with no confusion as to why they should take the next step.

A CTA is most effective when it communicates urgency. That said, the next step for nurturing a lead may look different depending on where someone is in the buyer’s journey.

Someone still getting to know your organization might benefit from a transitional call to action, such as a free trial of your service or a downloadable guide to answer their questions. On the other hand, someone ready to make a purchase might need something more direct such as, “order now.”

However you choose to word your call-to-action, make sure your customers don’t miss it. Use contrasting colors for your CTA button so it’s easy to spot, and include it in multiple places on your website.

Copywriting is a delicate art form, but when done well a strong CTA will carry readers through the rest of your website copy—and the buyer’s journey—with ease.

Read More: Your Guide to Great Calls to Action

We Can Help You Write Website Copy That Generates Leads and Closes Deals

Writing website copy that engages visitors and turns them into buyers is a worthy investment of your time. Good writing will significantly impact your conversions.

If you’re still unsure how to write website copy that moves prospects to action, we can help. Crafting engaging website copy and producing compelling graphics and videos that tell your brand story is in our DNA.

Let’s talk about how we can convert your website traffic from browsers to believers!