The Importance of Copywriting for Website Optimization and Digital Marketing

When investing in a new website, copywriting is often given low priority, despite its crucial role in generating conversions and revenue. Forbes emphasizes that effective copy is the key to attracting and converting users.

Think of your website as a house - a beautiful exterior won't keep visitors engaged if it doesn't offer a welcoming, likable and value-conveying interior. The same goes for your website - investing in copywriting can lead to more conversions and customers. Check out our tips and tricks below to avoid common pitfalls and master best practices for creating website content that converts.

Common Copywriting Pitfalls to Avoid

1. Including every detail on a page. Your business matters to you, as it should. However, including every detail about every aspect of your business is too much. Visitors will ask, “Why does this matter to me?” and if it doesn’t, they won’t read it.
2. SEO keyword cramming. We often see this among companies that have a team member who has some understanding of SEO. Search engine optimization is crucial to showing up but packing in keywords at the expense of human readability is a surefire way to lose your visitors’ interest.
3. Instilling a sense of urgency and immediacy at the wrong points. CTA’s (calls to action) are essential, but many businesses fail to lead with benefits, are too pushy right away, and don’t consider the customer journey. Unknowingly, you can risk coming across as spammy or scammy.

Top Tips for Effective Website Copywriting

To achieve compelling website content, it is crucial to adhere to three rhetorical principles: establish credibility, demonstrate why you are the logical choice, and tell a captivating story that entices visitors to take action. Ignoring these principles or having poor writing skills can lead to a lack of trust from visitors. Keep reading to discover our top tips for crafting effective website copy.

1. Know your audience. To speak effectively to anyone, you must first know who they are and what matters to them.Research your target market to understand their interests, what tone will resonate with them, what keeps them up at night, and how you can position your solutions to address their problems.
2. Attract with a strong first impression. You have mere seconds to capture visitors’ attention. Format your website with “above-the-fold” in mind and construct strong messaging (above the fold for a website refers to the content a viewer sees before they scroll down). Your above-the-fold content should demonstrate your brand’s personality, the problem you’re solving, and what you’re offering. Be warned, though - It takes a lot of thought to come up with something compelling in such a small amount of space. Start with your homepage and work your way out. Your homepage should present concisely and compellingly how you solve the problem, who you are, and credible evidence for why customers choose your products or services. Include CTAs to learn more so that visitors can dig further into the website on additional pages.
3. Inform and convert. Tell a compelling story that moves visitors to action. As you tell your story, position your business as unique, credible, and a logical choice for visitors. A well-written story will make a more significant impact, ensure that visitors enjoy learning about your business, and are more apt to convert when you provide a call to action. Use headers to help organize the content for your story. Useful headers make it easier for search engines and visitors alike to consume your content. Try to keep sections to 300 words, as a best practice. Use CTAs to compel visitors to take the next step. Be careful how urgent and immediate you are in your CTA messaging. Consider the location of your CTAs and your visitors’ journeys. You want to know how they got to your website, why they’re on your website, and where they are in their buyer's journey. Understanding these aspects of the user journey will speak to the level of immediacy to use in your language and what information to present first. It’s about knowing when and how best to push.
4. Support your SEO strategy. Most of your visitors begin their journey in search. Ninety-three percent of website traffic comes from search engines. SEO is key to showing up for ideal customers in search engines. Use your headers to support your SEO strategy. Include keywords, but make sure they pertain to the section and are readable. When writing for SEO, we recommend not undergoing or overdoing it. True, this is easier said than done. Try this trusty trick--- write for people first and foremost, then go back to the content and ensure you’re using keywords where appropriate.

What a Professional Website Copywriter Will Do For You

1. Copywriting, especially effective copywriting, takes more time, energy, and expertise than you might think. Hiring a copywriter will allow you and your team to focus on your business and will keep the website project on schedule for completion. And before you attempt to rely on AI-writers, proceed with caution. Issues such as inaccurate content and plagiarism plague these tools, while their great for other tasks, writing original content is an area they still fall short. Check out our blog, The Future of AI at HLM to see how we're navigating AI.
2. Hire a digital agency over a freelancer. A top digital agency like HLM knows the ins and outs of your business goals and brand and can help you unlock the full potential of your business. A dedicated team of professionals can ensure that your content attracts and converts your best customers at a rate that outperforms your competition.

The Bottom Line on Website Copywriting

When you invest in a website, High Level Marketing can ensure its efficacy through design development, compelling copywriting, impactful imagery, and SEO. Hiring a professional team can make all the difference in creating a strong online presence for your business. Not only does it save you time and energy, but it also ensures that your voice and messaging are consistent and effective across all digital platforms. With our expertise and attention to detail, High Level Marketing can help clarify your brand's message, connect with your target audience, and ultimately drive conversions and revenue. So don't overlook the importance of copywriting in your website investment - partner with us and watch your online presence soar.