Why good website copy is important

Once your customers navigate to your website, you want to ensure they will actually stay on the page and learn more about your business and products. Bad copywriting - writing that isn’t clear, too lengthy, or hard to read - can feel jarring to customers and lead to a higher exit rate on your site. On the flip side, good copywriting - writing that is clear and evocative - will encourage your readers to browse through your website, increasing the chances they will make a purchase. These are just some of the benefits of good copywriting:The more effective your language is, the better your chances are of connecting with customers and building brand awareness.

Key things to keep in mind when writing website copy

You should be creative and feel comfortable to add your own style and voice to describe your small business on your website. With that being said, you also want to make sure your writing is logical and comprehensible. Here are some ground rules that will help make your copy strong.

Be concise

People are busy and they typically tend to skim through long blocks of information online instead of reading it in full. This means it’s best to give the most important information upfront, rather than hiding it in paragraphs of text. Your website is a source of information after all, and you want it to be easily accessible. Being concise does not mean all of your copy has to be to the point, though. In fact, we’ll go over examples of small businesses that do include lengthier descriptions in an effective way. But more often than not, you’ll want to keep your copy short and sweet. A Dozen Cousins, a black-owned and Muslim-owned family business selling healthy Caribbean inspired food, does a great job of this on their website. Their homepage currently has a banner advertising their latest drop with a catchy slogan: “We’ve got the sauce.” It’s quick and direct, letting customers know exactly what the product is. The phrase is also a fun play on words as many hip hop artists have used the word “sauce” to mean something special, but it also literally relates to A Dozen Cousins seasoning sauces. Coming up with a short and fun slogan or catchphrase, especially one that is relevant in a pop-cultural sense, is a great way to hook your audience.

Clarity is key

Try to be as clear as possible with your word choice. While it sometimes is okay to use purple prose or flowery language, that kind of wording could also feel vague and unclear to your readers. You’ll want to explain your business’ goals and products in the most straightforward way possible. Whenever you’re drafting a new copy for your website, ask yourself if you can simplify the language. If so, break your copy down into simple sentence structures with simple words. Clarity also means you should be honest in your writing. Don’t over exaggerate the benefits of your products or services. Be honest about your small business’ goals and missions. You want your readers to trust you after all, so be direct and frank with them.

Consistency is important

Another part of clarity is being consistent across your website and social media channels. Businesses often develop a specific brand voice - a tone that is unique to your business. Your customers will get used to this distinct style of communication, and it’s best to stick to it throughout your website and other channels.

Structure your content effectively

When your customers look at your website, you want the information to flow smoothly. This means a couple of things: Squigs Beauty, A South Asian founded brand, sells haircare and skincare products free of synthetic fragrances and dyes, including a hair oil and face serum. When describing their gooseberry delight hair oil, the brand includes a typical description of the product, but on top of that, they added another blurb with a list of tips to get the most out of the hair oil and broke it down into four categories:Just like Squigs Beauty does here, we recommend playing around with bullet points, spacing, and coloring to break up your text and make it more visually appealing for readers.

Always edit your work

You don’t have to be an expert at grammar and punctuation to write good content. Instead, just make sure you review your work often. We recommend first outlining the text for your website. Once you have a solid outline, you can start drafting the exact wording for your webpage. If possible, have a colleague or friend peer-review that draft before. At Buffer, we peer-review our blog posts and often go through two rounds of drafts before publishing the final product. Another great tool to use is Grammarly. Dubbed a virtual writing assistant, Grammarly is a free software that edits your work and offers suggestions to clear and strengthen your writing. While the free version works well, if you feel like you need extra help with grammar there is a paid version that can really fix up your copy. Reading your copy aloud is another helpful tip. When you do so, you can hear whether the words flow smoothly together or if there is any awkwardness in the language. It’s also a great way to see if you’ve missed necessary punctuation like commas.

Main sections to include on your website

You can organize your website in a myriad of ways, but here are some main sections you should definitely include.

About section

When your customers click on your website’s about page, they should be able to get a good sense of what products and services your brand offers as well as an idea of who you are as a company. Most business about pages include information about the CE...

Mission statement (if relevant)

If you’re partnering with an organization, donating to a nonprofit, or have some kind of charitable component tied to your business, you should dedicate a section of your website to your mission statement and explain how and why you’re supporting a ce...

Product page

The most important part of your website may be your product page or pages! This is where you highlight what exactly you’re selling, whether it be a physical item, a software, a service, etc. You want to include a clear description of your product, as...

Contact page

Finally, add a contact page. While it’s helpful to include your social media handles on your website, not everyone is active on those platforms, so it’s a good idea to add an email address where customers can easily contact you. Check your inbox regularly to ensure you’re not missing important messages. As an entrepreneur, you are the expert on your small business, making you more than qualified to tell the story behind your products, goals, and mission.You don’t have to be the most seasoned writer to create a compelling copy. Along as you start off with some ground rules, edit your work, and include why you're passionate about your business and mission, you can write excellent website copy.We hope this can help you craft compelling copy no matter your website. ?➡️ Ready to share your website across social media? Check out Buffer to plan and schedule your content.