Use strategic website copy to increase conversions

If you want to increase conversions on your website, messaging lies at the root of it all. What does “messaging” mean though? Messaging is what you say, to who, and how you say it. Messaging guides much of the other key decisions that go into building a website that converts, like wireframing a website’s layout, photography, and the visual design. Without messaging, the rest just won’t be strategic.

You need to know what makes you unique, what you offer, and how it helps ideal clients before writing website copy if you want it to convert.

If you’re thinking uh oh—I don’t know this… That’s okay! Keep reading and I’ll walk you through the top website copy mistakes I see, how to fix them, and how to increase conversions on your website with simple fixes.

Top website copy mistakes

I provide website copywriting services, coach new business owners and freelancers who are DIYing their website copy, and have website copy templates available in the shop, and have been doing all of the above for years now. Through my work, I’ve seen clients, coaches, and customers achieve massive wins and business growth directly tied to their websites. All this is to say that I’ve studied a lot of websites and have been involved in the creation of websites that convert consistently. Through my work, I’ve noticed quite a few mistakes that people make when writing their website copy that—quite honestly—is leaving money on the table. And we don’t want that, right?

I need to preface these top website copy mistakes with a few thoughts:

• Your website should act as a lead generation tool for your business. All too often I see websites that are actually digital business cards, which provide little to no information. When you start looking at your website as an asset to drive your business forward, it will become much more effective from the next actions you take to improve.

• It’s okay if you have made these mistakes. If you’re not a conversion copywriter, you’re not expected to know all the ins and outs of writing website copy that converts. I hope that you do gain some takeaways so you can improve on your own. And if you need a little more help, check out the template shop for website copy templates.

• If you’re stuck, analyze the data and try again. There’s always room for improvement, and much of marketing is educated experimentation that requires testing.

Now, let’s get into the top mistakes I see with website copy.

Your website copy isn’t engaging

People buy when they know, like, and trust you… What better way to help that along than to show up as your true self online? If your website lacks personality, it will look like everyone else’s boring website and won’t really connect with your dream clients. So stop censoring yourself, stop forcing yourself to fit in boxes, and ditch whatever flavour of vanilla you think you need to be this week. Your website will be so much better if you be yourself!

If you want to increase conversions on your website, you also need to consider how well the copy is written. Poorly written website copy won’t look professional or check all the boxes it needs to convert readers. If writing isn’t one of your stronger skills, there’s plenty of things you can do to get help: Either outsourcing it entirely, working with a conversion copywriter in a coaching agreement, or purchasing a website copy template to guide you.

The final mistake that makes website copy not engaging for the reader is that it doesn’t actually speak to the reader and their specific needs. I’ll explain this more in a further point.

Your website copy is unclear

Confused people don’t buy. Here’s a handful of mistakes that I see that make website copy unclear, which does nothing to help your conversion rate…

• Your services are too complicated. If readers aren’t sure how you help or what they actually need from you, then your website isn’t doing it’s job and isn’t going to convert well.

• There’s no call to actions and you aren’t guiding the reader. A good website that converts will guide the reader through each step. They land on your homepage—then what? They get to your contact page—what do you want them to do? Be clear at each step.

• The information is overwhelming or there’s not enough. With websites, you need to be really careful with the balance of information that you offer. Too much feels overwhelming for readers, while too little might not entice them to reach out. Always consider what your reader needs to know at each stage and write copy that reflects exactly that if you want to improve conversions.

It doesn’t speak to the reader.

I touched on this above, but your website copy needs to speak directly to the reader if you want it to convert. That means not only paying attention to their pain points and the solution you offer, but their emotions, desires, and interests. Speak their language throughout, using “you” to address the collective of readers if you want to better connect.

If you think of website copy, or sales and marketing in general, as helping people rather than pushing something at them, it becomes a lot easier to write in a way that speaks to them. Marketing and sales requires a deep understanding of your ideal clients and a high level of empathy for their position. Without understanding and empathy, your website copy won’t convert.

How to write website copy

Okay, so now that you’ve identified some potential problem areas for your website copy, how do you fix it? And why should you bother when so many people say that a social media presence is enough for a business?

To start, those people are wrong. Social media is borrowed land, and you absolutely need to prioritize getting a website that converts up ASAP. A good website can be a ticket to hit those revenue goals that feel impossible. This is speaking from personal experience and through my work with clients. The month after I finally invested time and dollars into creating a professional website, I tripled my monthly income. And it’s only increased from there. For my clients, I’ve seen website copy help them:

• 3x their monthly income as well.

• Increase conversions by 266% within months of launching the new website.

• Hit 10k months as a solopreneur.

• Hit 6-figures as a solopreneur.

• And so much more…

So taking your website seriously and actively working to improve it is a revenue generating task, not busywork. I don’t know about you, but I try to focus on the things that will generate revenue first.

Here’s my top tips to increase conversions on your website through strategic messaging…

Simplify what you offer

Do you really want to sell 10 different services? Or would 1-3 suffice? Even if you still offer these services, maybe they don’t need to be actively marketed. Before writing your website copy, take a good look at the services you offer and simplify as much as possible. Approach this step from your ideal client’s perspective with the goal of making the buying process a no-brainer for them.

Add personality

I struggled with this for a while, to be honest! I thought I needed to show up in a way that was professional and proper in order to be perceived as valuable. However, that’s not the case. If you want to increase conversions on your website—or anywhere for that matter—you need to show up as your special self. If you want to grow your business by genuinely connecting with people who can’t wait to work with you, you need to show them what that’s like. Give them a taste of the experience through your website copy.

Consider the buying journey

Considering the buying journey is crucial to increase conversions on your website. What is the buying journey? It’s tied to the stages of awareness for your ideal client. Essentially, we want to consider your ideal client’s stage of awareness and use this information to guide them through each step of the buying journey: From your marketing, to your website, to your calendar. How should they move throughout the process?

Ready to start writing?

Increase conversions with website copy templates

Want some more help with that? Check out the Plug-In Website Copy Template Library in the shop! If you’re not sure what to say and where on your website, you can plug-and-play your website copy with the help of wireframed templates. It’s perfect for service providers, freelancers, and small business owners that want to DIY their website copy, but don’t really know where to start. This resource makes copywriting so easy that I bet you could write your entire website in an afternoon…